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withstand freezing than a potato or a cabbage, and is destroyed 

 during the winter. Soon after this the bark separates from 

 the wood, and the tree dies if the bark has been killed all 

 round, or is seriously weakened if only part way. For these 

 reasons, as I said in the beginning, I should advise with- 

 holding nitrogenous fertilizers almost entirely the first season 

 in the case of most orchards. If the soil has any fertility to 

 it at all the cultivation and consequent improved physical 

 condition will liberate all the nitrogen that the trees need to 

 make an entirely satisfactory growth. 



In a few orchards, where the soil is very poor, it may be 

 necessary to apply some nitrogen, and if this is done it should 

 be in the form of nitrate of soda. An application of perhaps 

 200 pounds of this material, made early in the spring as soon 

 as growth starts, will usually be all that is necessary even 

 in the worst of cases. 



Other fertilizers may or may not be needed. It is very 

 difiicult to make a general recommendation. On light, sandy 

 land some potash is often desirable, and 200 pounds of sulfate 

 of potash may well be applied. For supplying phosphoric 

 acid the most common material used is acid phosphate, and a 

 good application of this is 200 to 300 pounds per acre. 



Nearly all of our old orchard soils are benefited by lime, 

 and an application of 2 tons of ground limestone per acre 

 may well be made. Just how much this will affect the trees 

 themselves is still a matter of doubt, though there is some 

 evidence to support the belief that it is an advantage to them. 

 But there is no question that it will benefit the cover crops 

 grown in the orchard, especially the leguminous ones, and this 

 is sufficient justification for its use. 



We come now to the question of cover crops for the orchard, 

 by which is meant some crop grown in the orchard, usually 

 late in the season, and exclusively, or at least mainly, with 

 the object of improving the soil of the orchard. That it 

 can be made to play a very important part in the upbuilding 

 of an old orchard has been shown time and again. Some 

 of the best ones for Massachusetts orchards are buckwheat, 

 barley, soy beans, turnips, dwarf Essex rape and the vetches. 

 The chief advantages derived from their use would be that 



