FIELD EXPERIMENTS IN I914. .53 



In experiments carried out at the New York State Experi- 

 ment Station it has been found that with their deep clay soils, 

 well suited to apple tree growth and apple bearing, that there is 

 no effect from the use of fertilizers either upon the growth of 

 young treesi, the wood growth on matured trees, or in the 

 amount, coloring, or size of the fruit. To see if anything like 

 this would hold with Maine conditions, particularly with the 

 rather shallow soil and with the stubborn subsoil upon High- 

 moor Farm, an experiment was begun in 19 12. It is to be 

 remembered that the orchard had been cultivated and fertilized 

 for the three preceding years and brought into good condition. 

 About 400 trees were divided into three plots containing 12 rows 

 extending clear across the large No. i, Ben Davis orchard. Plot 

 A, (rows I to 4) has received no fertilizer since 1912. Plot B, 

 (rows 5 to 8) 'has received annually since 1912, 500 pounds of 

 a fertilizer carrying 4 per cent of nitrogen, 8 per cent of avail- 

 able phosphoric acid, and 7 per cent of potash. Plot C, (rows 

 9 to 12) has received annually since 1912, 1000 pounds per acre 

 of a commercial fertilizer carrying 4 per cent of nitrogen, 8 

 per cent of available phosphoric acid and 7 per cent of potash. 



Careful records of growth shown by measure, and of yields 

 of fruits as shown by weight, are made of all of the trees in the 

 orchards at Highmoor Farm. Thus far no results that could 

 be attributed to the fertilizer have appeared. No person exam- 

 ining the twelve rows of apple trees, part of which have been 

 fully fertilized, part partially fertilized and part not fertilized 

 at all for the past three years, could detect differences whereby 

 he would be able to pick out the treated from the untreated 

 rows. 



It is to be remembered that in all of these experiments noth- 

 ing has been grown upon the land except apple trees and apples. 

 An orchard cover crop is sown in the fall, is plowed under early 

 in the spring, and the land is kept cultivated until well into 

 August when the cover crop is again sown. The plant food 

 stored up in the wood growth and that which has been removed 

 in the apple crop has been taken from the soil, but beyond that 

 the soil has not been made to pay tribute to any other crop. 



This experiment is to be continued for many years, or until 

 the unfertilized rows show evidence of need of plant food. 



