456 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 6, 1020 
vicinal specimens. Moreover, it needs almost no 
pruning, and is seldom bothered by insect pests. 
Some of the Deutzias are not hardy in the Northern 
States, •although they may be listed in the catalogues. 
Deutzia erenata can be planted with confidence, and 
is among the most beautiful of all garden plants, 
with its double white flowers. They are very adapt¬ 
able, too, and can be used on the north side of the 
house, where they get only a little sun. In fact, 
they prefer a somewhat shaded spot, and it pays to 
cut out most of the old wood each year. It is dif¬ 
ferent with Spiraea Van Houttei, which 
likes all the sunshine it can get. In 
shade it will give but few flowers. It 
is one of the indispensable plants. 
SHRUBBERY ROSES—Rosa rugosa 
is a very strong growing plant and one 
which will thrive even close to the sea¬ 
shore. but it makes tremendous roots 
arid is somewhat difficult to move after 
it gets well established. A relative 
called Conrad Ferdinand Meyer is an 
even better garden subject. Tn fact, it 
is one of the handsomest of the .Tune 
flowering roses, although it has a 
shrub-like habit and does not normally 
find a place in the rose garden. 
“"THE ACCOMMODATING HYDRAN¬ 
GEA.—Perhaps Hydrangea panieulata 
grandiflora has been the most exten¬ 
sively planted of all ornamental shrubs 
in this country. There is a reason for 
this. Not only does it make a splendid 
display every Fall, but it can be put to 
more different purposes than almost 
any other plant. It is splendid for a 
hedge: it makes a superb specimen 
when grown alone on the lawn, and it 
can be massed on the boundary line. 
It does not resent the most severe cut¬ 
ting back. In fact, it can be cut almost 
to the ground each season and still 
bloom freely. It asks only for sun¬ 
light and is seldom bothered by pests. 
rows. It was what might be termed a “freak result” 
which developed in a part of the test orchard in 
which three adjoining rows of apple trees were, for 
the first two years of a five-year period, heavily and 
uniformly fertilized over the entire surface of the 
ground with nitrate of soda and acid phosphate at 
the rate of 10 lbs. of each per tree-square, or 400 lbs. 
of each per acre, after which, for the succeeding 
three years, the nitrate was entirely discontinued on 
the strip of ground occupied by the middle one of the 
three rows. In other words, the strip of ground 33 
Two rows of Gano apple trees of same age, on very thin, poor soil. Row at left 
was fertilized with 5 lbs. each nitrate of soda and acid phosphate; at right unfer¬ 
tilized. Both rows sprayed the same. The yields, as shown, were 40 bids, and !) bids, 
respectively. The preceding season, yields of these same two rows were 49 and 20 
bids., respectively. 
Ohio Apple Orchard 
Fertilization 
Correction of an Error and Some Addi¬ 
tional Facts Concerning the Orchard 
Fertilization Work of the Ohio 
Experiment Station. 
Part I. 
A N INCORRECT REPORT.—In the 
report of the Missouri Horticul¬ 
tural meeting, in the January 3 issue 
of Tjte R. N.-Y., reference is made to 
orchard fertilization work of the Ohio 
Experiment Station. Through some 
misunderstanding, or error, the greater 
part of the data from Ohio has been 
presented in such a way that, had not 
Ohio and the Ohio Station been men¬ 
tioned. I should never have recognized 
such data. The report, in part, as 
printed in Ttie R. N.-Y.. is as follows: 
“They (Mr. Richer and his horticul¬ 
tural associates who visited Ohio) were 
told at the Ohio Experiment Station 
of a surprising result of an experiment 
with nitrate of soda on the station 
grounds at Wooster, the cheek rows 
which received no application showing 
more beneficial effects than the trees 
close to which the application was 
made. The theory is that the terminal 
roots extending to the edge of the fer¬ 
tilizing spread got the full benefit of 
the fertilizer, while the others did not. 
This result was distinctly noticeable 
throughout the orchard, and the con¬ 
clusion was that the fertilizer should 
be applied on a strip half way between 
the tree rows, and the speaker, who is 
fruit grower, stated that he would follow 
tice in the future.” 
Having been in charge of the experiments referred 
to, from start to finish, and likewise having been 
the one who related to Mr. Eicher a number of inci¬ 
dents connected with such work, I am truly sorry to 
say that there is not a single statement in the above 
report concerning our station’s orchard fertilization 
work that is wholly correct, or. for that matter, that 
can mean anything at all, even to the most careful 
reader. 
A PECULIAR RESULT.—The “surprising result” 
referred to was not one that occurred in a compari¬ 
son of fertilized rows with unfertilized or cheek 
The same two rows of Gano shown above, looking from the opposite direction, 
showing difference in size and vigor of trees during fourth season after beginning 
fertilization. Trees of both rows were uniform at the outset. In five years’ fertil¬ 
ization test, with only four crops in the five-year period, the fertilized row yielded a 
total of 1 (17.8 bbls The unfertilized row, in the same period, yielded 52.4 bbls. 
himself a 
this prac- 
(trehards Heaters in Missouri. Fig. 122. (He< Huge /ZS) 
ft. in width, occupied by the middle rows of trees 
(the trees being 33 ft. apart) was fertilized with 
acid phosphate only, at the rate of 10 lbs. per tree- 
square, or 400 lbs. per acre, for the latter three years 
of the experiment, while the tree-strips each 33 ft. in 
width, of the outer two rows, continued to receive 
hoth nitrogenous and phosphoric plant food. 
TREES ON POOR SOIL.—The trees in this or¬ 
chard section at the beginning of the experiment, 
were 14 or 15 years old and. because of the very 
thin, poor soil, were small for their age—their root 
systems not yet meeting or interlacing at any point 
between the rows. However, after two season's 
heavy, uniform fertilization of the three rows with 
richly nitrogenous plant food, as above indicated, 
those same trees had so greatly increased in size and 
spread of branches that it is evident their root sys¬ 
tems, which obviously developed and extended pro¬ 
portionately. were beginning to meet and interlace at 
points midway between the rows of trees. 
EXTENDED FEEDING ROOTS.—Now, what 
would be the natural result, under the conditions just 
described, if the nitrate should be withheld from the 
“tree-width” strip of ground occupied by the central 
one of the three rows, and only the acid -phosphate 
continued? It would simply mean that the feeding 
rootlets at the outer extremities of the 
root systems of the trees of that central 
row, having crossed the dividing line 
midway between the strip of ground 
occupied by the central row and the 
heavily nitrated strips occupied by the 
outer rows on either side, would enable 
the central row to benefit from the 
nitrogenous plant food applied to the 
two outer rows, to almost as great a 
degree as the outer rows themselves. 
And that is just what those formerly 
heavily nitrated trees of the central 
row did. with the result that their pro¬ 
duction during the five-year period was 
not greatly lowered by withholding 
nitrogenous plant food from the tree- 
width strip of ground to which they 
were supposed to confine their feeding 
operations. Their “reach” had been so 
greatly extended as a result of the 
initial two years’ heavy nitration that 
they were enabled readily to “steal” a 
generous supply of nitrogenous plant 
food for the succeeding three years 
from their neighboring rows immedi¬ 
ately on either side. These interesting 
but relatively unimportant incidents in 
•connection with orchard fertilization 
tests were related to Mr. Eicher by the 
writer, in illustration of the fact that 
it is not safe to depend upon single un¬ 
fertilized rows of trees as “checks” for 
more than a very brief term of years, 
where the “tree-square” or “all-over” 
method of applying the fertilizers to 
the tree-strips on either side is fol¬ 
lowed. 
EFFECT OF NITROGEN.—Perti¬ 
nently and in direct opposition to the 
statement in the report of the Missouri 
meeting, it may be well to state that 
in all of the Ohio Station’s experi¬ 
mental work along the line of orchard 
fertilization, of which the writer has 
had charge, there has not been a single 
instance in which fertilization with 
quickly available nitrogenous plant 
food has failed to increase greatly the 
vigor, fruitfulness and cash returns of 
the trees thus treated, as compared 
with the unfertilized or check trees left 
untreated for comparison. These uni¬ 
formly heavy increases in fruit produc¬ 
tion were obtained at many different 
points throughout Eastern and Southern 
Ohio, and were rendered possible by 
our station’s work having been con¬ 
fined chiefly to the more rugged, thin- 
soiled. fertility-impoverished sections of 
the State where such work was most 
needed. 
GAIN PER ACRE.—The three up¬ 
land orchards in which fertilization 
tests were first established returned an 
average clear gain of $125.75 per acre 
per year from those sections on which 
promptly available nitrogenous plant 
food in the form of nitrate of soda was 
used, in comparison with unfertilized 
sections. This represents an average 
cash gain of $3.11 per tree per year for 
the period of five years over which the test extended. 
F. H. BALLOU. 
Spraying the Apple Orchard This Spring 
Part I. 
ODD PROSPECTS.—Apples are bound to bring 
a fine price next Fall, no matter how large a 
crop there may be in the East or in the West, and a 
few hundred barrels of first quality Greenings. Bald¬ 
wins. Spys and Kings produced on the side as a little 
extra will come in mighty handy at the end of the 
season: and any man who has 50 or more thrifty, 
healthy apple trees of bearing age ought to give 
them care and thoughtful attention this Spring. 
