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CHAPTER XII 

 FERTILIZING 



Among horticulturists and fruit growers there is much differ- 

 ence of opinion as to the necessity and value of fertilizer applica- 

 tions to apple trees. Within a short time two sets of experiments 

 in adjoining states have demonstrated opposite theories. 



Advantages and disadvantages. Some of the reasons most 

 commonly advanced against the use of artificial fertilizer for 

 apple trees are as follows : 



i. The long growing season. 



2. The long preparation stage before fruiting. 



3. The deep-rooting habit. 



4. The well-known years of scarcity of fruit, called " off years." 



5 . The high water content of the fruit. 



Some of these reasons seem to offer more advantages than dis- 

 advantages for proper fertilization. In the case of the long prep- 

 aration stage before fruiting, where no rotation is practiced, the 

 trees lock up in the wood and leaves considerable quantities of 

 plant food, a fact which argues more for than against fertilization. 

 As to the deep-rooting habit of apple trees, this has been greatly 

 overestimated, and is not true of all locations nor of all soils. It 

 has been found that the largest number of feeding roots are in 

 the surface foot of soil ; there is, however, a great variation in 

 soils, those which are loose and dry permitting penetration of the 

 roots to a great depth. 



It has been discovered that frequently the so-called off years 

 may be largely done away with by proper applications of fertilizer 

 and other necessary ingredients. The occurrence of off years 

 would therefore seem to constitute evidence for the use of arti- 

 ficial fertilizers. As to the high water content of apples, the fruit 

 averages fully 85 per cent of water, but in the development of the 

 remaining 15 per cent of dry matter more pounds of actual plant 



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