

FIELD EXPERIMENTS IN 1915. 3 



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, there is 110 

 effect from the use of fertilizers either upon the growth of 

 young trees, 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 1912. It is to be re- 

 membered 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. 1, Ben Davis orchard. 

 Plot A (rows 1 to 4) has received no fertilizer since 1912. 

 Plot B (rows 5 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 19 13 to give results 

 that could have any meaning on the apple bearing of the trees. 

 In 19 14 and in 19 15 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 ty 

 wait a number of years before decisive results are obtained. 

 The yields for 191 5 show consistent increase with the amount 

 of fertilizer applied. 



