188 The Commercial Apple Industry 



Throughout the East and Middle West it is rather a 

 common practice to apply stable manure to the orchard. 

 This is particularly the case in western New York where 

 considerable stable manure is available for this purpose, 

 and where its value" seems to be appreciated as much or 

 more than in any. other section. The value of stable 

 manure is recognized to a greater or less extent in most 

 of the important apple regions of the East and fruit- 

 growers usually apply to their orchards all the manure 

 which is readily available. As yet, however, many grow- 

 ers hesitate to go to any considerable expense in buying 

 manure from the cities in carload lots. In general, those 

 who have adopted the latter practice have found that it is 

 highly profitable. 



In the Far West, the practice" of using stable manure is 

 not general. The orchards are small, highly intensive and 

 do not permit the keeping of much live-stock. For this 

 reason manure is not readily available. In western 

 orchards the general method of securing nitrogenous fertil- 

 izer is by growing leguminous shade and cover-crops. The 

 Hood Eiver region in Oregon has probably used more 

 commercial fertilizer than any other western section. 



In the southern Ohio Rome Beauty district, nitrate of 

 soda is employed extensively as an orchard fertilizer. 

 Annual applications vary from 3 to 9 pounds to a tree. 

 Nitrate of soda is used to a greater or less extent in various 

 other eastern districts, but in no section isr its application 

 so general as the Rome Beauty district of southern Ohio. 



VALUE OF STABLE MANUBE 



Xearly all growers agree that the beneficial effects of 

 stable manure are apparent in increased tree growth and 



