35 



For either temporary or permanent covers, leguminous plants 

 are best both because of their nitrogen product and their lessened 

 drain on soil moisture, especially the matted and dense growing 

 kinds, such as hairy vetch. 



Q. What kind of lime did you use in your experiments ? 



A. I used the ordinary agricultural lime — plain lime, fine, but 

 not necessarily ground, sometimes air-slaked — anything to make it 

 fine. 



Q. In what form was the Nitrogen that you used? 

 A. It was in the form of Nitrate of Soda and Dried Blood — 

 half Nitrate of Soda and half Dried Blood. 

 Q. Why is it applied in that form? 



A. It is put on in that way in order to prolong the action. I 

 can secure the same results by applying Nitrate of Soda twice — 

 half soon after petals fall, and half later. I think Dried Blood is a 

 very desirable carrier for Nitrogen as a tree fertilizer, though there 

 is no objection to obtaining it in other ways. 



Q. Is the fertilizer that applies 30 pounds of Nitrogen, 60 

 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 100 pounds of potash to the acre, a 

 perfect fertilizer? 



A. Yes; if by that you mean a complete fertilizer. If I were 

 recommending a fertilizer for apples, however, I should prefer now 

 to make it 30 — 60 — 50. 



Q. Are those actual amounts? 



A. Yes; they are the amounts of actual Nitrogen, Phosphoric 

 Acid and Potash to be applied per acre. 



Q. Is Muriate just as good as Sulphate? 



A. I do not know whether it is or not. I am using Muriate in 

 my 30 — 60 — 100 ; but right now I think the safest thing you can do 

 would be to use Sulphate. It costs a little more ; but present results 

 seem to me to justify it. I do not know how they will look seven or 

 eight years from now. 



Q. In view of its action in other tests, would you not be afraid 

 of its making the ground acid? 



. A. The Sulphate is not so likely to do this as the Muriate. In 

 some cases, especially in the case of tobacco, Muriate cannot be used 

 at all. Also in certain tests on small fruits, if I recall correctly, the 

 sulphate proved best. A similar condition may be found to hold in 

 the case of apples. Our third year results point that way rather 

 distinctly. 



Q. It looks to you then, as if the sod mulch is about the best? 



A. It certainly does on the growing orchards. Clean tillage 

 has it beaten just a little on growth; but when it comes to yield, 

 color and size of the fruit, the mulch is thus far evidently preferable 

 on the young trees. 



Q. Do I understand you that you attribute this difiPerence to the 

 amount of moisture? 



A. Yes. 



Q. You said that there were two years of severe drought. 

 Would not years when you had plenty of moisture, plenty of rain, 

 change the conditions somewhat ; might you not have to alter your 

 figures somewhat in that case ? 



