160 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



an occasional green manure crop, than by the application of 

 nitrogenous fertilizers. If the orchard is not growing and is 

 yellowish in foliage, good cultivation — begun early and repeated 

 very frequently — in counection with the use of potash, phos- 

 phoric acid, and green manures, will commonly correct it. 



" Potash is generally the most important element to be applied 

 directly to orchards, particularly after the trees have reached 

 bearing age. The store of available potash in the soil is much 

 increased by the thorough tillage which has already been recom- 

 mended, but in bearing orchards it should also be supplied every 

 year in some commercial form. 



"In general, phosphoric acid is rather less important iu fruit 

 plantations than potash, although this order is reversed in general 

 farming. Potash should undoubtedly be the leading factor in 

 orchard fertilizers, and nitrogen, as I have said, may be obtained 

 mostly by means of tillage and green crops." 



Again, in Bulletin No. 74, Professor Bailey says : 



" I believe that the keynote to the proper fertilizing of peach 

 orchards is potash and phosphoric acid, and not nitrogen. Ashes, 

 muriate of potash, bone fertilizers — these are some of the 

 money makers for peach trees. Tillage, with green manure crops 

 at the end of the season, can be relied upon to furnish nitrogen in 

 most instances. I do not wish to disparage the use of nitrogen, 

 for even in bearing orchards a direct application may sometimes 

 be necessary ; but I desire to state what I believe to be a funda- 

 mental consideration in orchard culture, that nitrogen can easih' 

 be used to excess and that it can generally be obtained by means 

 of tillage and green manure, and also that potash and phosphoric 

 acid need to be annually applied to orchards of bearing age." 



The points contained in the above statement are again empha- 

 sized by Professor Bailey in Bulletin No. 102. Tiiese opinions 

 of Professor Bailey are based largely upon theoretical considera- 

 tions, verified by his wide observation. 



Professor L. P. Taft, in Bulletin No. 103 of the Michigan 

 Experiment Station, says : 



" Of the three elements that are often deficient in the soil, 

 potash, phosphorus, and nitrogen, it can be said that a rich virgin 

 soil will generally contain all that is needed for an orchard, but 

 after the trees have matured several crops of fruit, the available 

 potash and phosphorus is likely to become so reduced that a satis- 



