20 REPORT ON THE No. 24 



Crimson Clover has not made quite as good growth as the red or the mam- 

 moth, nor will it stand the winter in the colder sections, which is a serious dis- 

 advantag'e. 



Alfalfa, or lucerne, is one of the best leg'uminous crops for dry land. It 

 makes a good growth and winters well. There is a mistaken impression that 

 alfalfa will not rriake sufficient top the first season. Thirty pounds of seed per 

 acre, sown in July, will give a good stand the same season. 



Rape has given good results in the colder sections. It makes a heavy growth 

 of stiff stems, which, although nearly all killed in winter, stand up well enough 

 to hold the snows. Rape can scarcely be recommended for fruiting apple orch- 

 ards, as it remains wet the greater part of the day, making the work of harvest- 

 ing very unpleasant. It may be used to good advantage in the rotation, especially 

 if few fruits are to be harvested. 



Rye, the favorite crop of many growers, gives a fair amount of top and 

 winters well. One advantage of rye is that it may often be grown on lands not 

 in a physical condition for the growth of clover. In this way humus may be 

 added to the soil, and conditions made more favorable for the growth of clover. 



Maintaining Fertility. 



The maintainance of fertility is more frequently neglected in the orchard 

 than on any other part of the farm. Trees, even on poor land, will produce fruit, 

 but it is only on soils where fertility is maintained that paying crops are pro- 

 duced. Each year that fruit is harvested some plant food is removed. If profit- 

 able crops are to be expected the supply of plant food in the soil must be maifi- 

 tained. 



The most essential elements for the production of fruit are nitrogen, potash, 

 phosphoric acid, and lime. Nitrogen encourages leaf and wood growth, which 

 are essential to the development of the tree and to the production of the best 

 quality of fruit. Potash is an essential constituent in the growth of fruits. It 

 constitutes a large proportion of the ash of the wood and more than 50 per cent. 

 of the ash of the fruit, and is also associated with the development of flavor in the 

 fruit. Phosphoric acid is essential to the development of the tree and the proper 

 ripening of the fruit. Lime is not in itself an essential element, but assists in lib- 

 erating plant food. On a soil deficient in lime, growth often continues so late 

 that the wood does not mature nor the fruit ripen properly. 



Barnyard manure supplies nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid, and im- 

 proves the physical condition of the soil. Cover crops may take the place of 

 barnyard manure to improve the physical condition of the soil, and the legumin- 

 ous ones may add all the nitrogen required. Concentrated fertilizers or commer- 

 cial plant foods may be used in conjunction with cover crops to supply all the 

 plant food necessary for the growth of trees. In the use of commercial fertilizers 

 it is well to proceed cautiously, and, by carefully conducted experiments, ascertain 

 what elements of plant food the soil may be deficient in, and what amounts it may 

 be necessary to apply to get the best results. Unleached wood ashes contain a 

 small quantity of phosphoric acid, seldom exceeding i| per cent., a larger 

 amount of potash, varying from 5 to 7 per cent., and also a certain amount of 

 lime. Where pure wood ashes can be procured at a price not exceeding ten cents 

 per bushel, they afford an economical source of plant food. An application once 

 in two or three years will usually give excellent results, especially on light soils 

 which are most lacking in potash. Muriate of potash is another economical form 

 in which to obtain potash. Phosphoric acid may be purchased in the form of 

 super[)hosphate. Nitrogen may be procured in the form of sodium nitrate, but 



