Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. 1917. 



101 



to 8) has received annually since 1912, 500 pounds per acre 

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

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

 (rows 9 to 12) has received annually since 1912, 1,000 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 fruit as shown by weight, are made of all of the trees in the 

 orchards at Highmoor Farm. No person examining 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. 



Each tree occupies 25x25 ft. or 625 sq. ft. This is about 70 

 (69.5) trees per acre. At the rate of 1,000 lbs. per acre this 

 is 14.4 lbs. per tree. Fertilizer at $40 per ton costs 2 cents a 

 pound, making a total cost of 28.8 cents per tree, not allowing 

 for the cost of application. 



The crop on this orchard was too small in 1913 to give re- 

 sults that could have any meaning on the apple bearing of the 

 trees. In 1914 and in 1915 there were fair crops and while from 

 observation no differences were apparent, the actual yields of 

 fruit were larger on the fertilized plots. The yields are given 

 in the table that follows, but it will apparently be necessary 

 to wait a number of years before decisive results are obtained. 

 The yields show consistent increase with the amount of fertilizer 

 applied. 



Orchard Fertiliser Experiment. About ijo Ben Davis Apple 

 Trees in each Plot. Average yield of apples in pounds per tree. 



■ Year 



Plot 6 A Plot 6 B 

 No fertilizer i 7.2 pounds 5-8-7 

 since 1912 : fertilizer per tree 



Plot 6 

 14.4 pounds 5-8-7 

 fertilizer per tree 



1914 

 1915 

 1916 



172.8 

 121.1 

 113.7 



158.8 

 131.8 

 138.7 



194.2 

 1.57.4 



147.2 



Average for 

 3 years 



i 

 135.9 143.1 



166.6 



