54 BIGGIE ORCHARD BOOK 



lessened wood growth (which in some cases might be 

 temporarily desirable) . 



IRRIGATION. In regions of normal rainfall, arti- 

 ficial watering of orchards is seldom practised or 

 necessary. Cultivation, under normal conditions, 

 conserves sufficient moisture for the trees' needs. 

 In California and some other states, irrigation is 

 desirable. Folks who need to practise this method 

 should write to the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Washington, D. C., and ask for free Farmers' Bulletin 

 No. 116, entitled, "Irrigation in Fruit Growing." 



GOOD TILLAGE, THIS 



FERTILIZATION. Fruit trees need the same ele- 

 ments that are required by other crops i. e., nitrogen, 

 potash and phosphoric acid. Nitrogen is particularly 

 efficacious in promoting growth. In fact, the amount 

 of growth and the color of foliage are reliable guides 

 for the application of nitrogen. Leaves of good size 

 and dark color, and a wood growth of a foot or more 

 on mature trees in one season, indicate sufficient 

 nitrogen. 



Nitrogen is usually most easily, advantageously 

 and cheaply applied in the form of legume cover crops 

 (Chapter IX). Prof. Bailey, of Cornell, says: "In 



