i68 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



fessor Voorhees if I could get something- to give color to 

 apples. I said I could grow the size all right, but that we 

 were off on color. He wrote me a letter, in which he said : 

 "It has occurred to me that instead of using the sulphate of 

 iron, as suggested to you in Trenton, you might use the basic 

 slag phosphate, which contains a large percentage of oxide 

 of iron, and which also contains phosphoric acid in good form 

 and considerable free lime. This material may be purchased 

 of the Coe-Mortimer Co., 24-26 Stone Street, New York 

 City. An application of 400 to 500 pounds per acre would 

 be, I think, sufficient for your purpose." I have not used it 

 at all as yet. 



President Gold: Has anyone in the audience had any 

 experience in the use of basic slag? 



Mr. Drew : I have been using basic slag at the rate of 

 500 pounds to the acre on old orchards for two or three years 

 and have had remarkable results, not only in helping the color 

 of fruit, but in the production of fruit buds. I think in con- 

 nection with sulphate of potash it is the best thing I know of. 



A Member: How about the color? 



Mr. Drew : I think it has helped it greatly, although 

 the land I used it on was a rather wet clay soil, where natur- 

 ally you would not get as highly colored fruit as on gravelly 

 soil. 



A Member : Do you think iron as fertilizer is of any 

 value whatever? 



Mr. Drew : I could not say as to that. I think lime 

 and phosphoric acid helps out greatly. Perhaps the free lime 

 has not been emphasized enough. I am sure it is a fine 

 thing. 



Mr. Ives : Does Mr. Drew think there is any advantage 

 in using any form of potash? I have always used a high 

 grade of sulphate of potash. 



Mr. Drew : For those reasons you might as well buy 

 your sulphate of potash in more concentrated form, in smaller 



