154 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



pounds of actual nitrogen, or 56 pounds of "available" phos- 

 phoric acid, or 75 pounds of actual potash on the three plots 

 which received single elements, and combinations of these amounts 

 of two of the elements on three other plots, and a combina- 

 tion of all, or a complete fertilizer, on one plot. In addition, two 

 plots were not manured ; one received land plaster at the rate of 

 100 pounds per acre ; one barnyard manure, at the rate of 20 tons 

 per acre, and one barnyard manure, at the rate of 10 tons, and 

 lime at the rate of 50 bushels per acre. 



Accurate records were kept each year of the health and vigor 

 of tlie trees, and of the yield of the various plots. The soil — a 

 clay loam with clay subsoil — was of medium natural fertility, 

 responding readily to manures ; its mechanical condition good, 

 and fairly representative of the soil in the peach-growing sections 

 in New Jersey. 



At this point I will give detailed results and comparisons only 

 in case of the plots without manure, with a complete manure, and 

 with barnyard manure. 



The average age of an orchard in our State is about eight years, 

 during which period three full crops are usually secured. I 

 therefore give the average yield in baskets for the average period 

 of the life of the orchard for the whole period of the experiment 

 and for the crop years. 



I. — The Yield without Manure. 



Baskets 

 per acre. 



1884-1891, inclusive, 8 years, average per year .... 65.7 



1884-1893 " 10 " " " .... 60.3 



1887-1891 " (5 crop years) '^ " ... .105.0 



1887-1893 " (7 crop years) " " .... 86.2 



II. — The Yield with Complete Chemical Manure. 



Baskets 

 per acre. 



1884-1891, inclusive, 8 years, average per year .... 164.2 



1884-1893 " 10 " " " .... 183.4 



1887-1891 " (5 crop years) " " ... .262.8 



1887-1893 " (7 crop years) " " • . . .262.0 



