The herald., 1896-08-22

| l as an unfertilzed plot and has stated
that plot No .2-the nitrogen potash
and phosphoric acid plot-contained 1.30
| per cent more sugar, when, in fact, i'll
reality it only contained SO per cent
more. He failed to state that this was
an increase of sugar of over per cent.
| 1t Is but fair to state that this plot was
| tried contrary to the advice given by
| Prof. Hllgard, for in the Riverside Press
| of August 1, 1893, he said: by all means,
| let some Riversider try the use of potash
| salts to settle his doubts in the premises;
| but let him try it Simon pure, and not
| mixed with phosphates and nitrates in
| a complete fertilizer or else his test will
amount to nothing"
| We think this test has amounted to
| something, for, as he states, the navel
| portion Of many of the oranges of the
unfertilized (D trees extends and
| spreads into the flesh, while that of the
fertilized is confined to the end of the
fruit. And those not treated with pot
| ash have a thicker rind. And he further
! shows that those fertilized with the
/ complete fertilizer contained more than
| per cent of sugar. 1t was the opinion of
| Prof Wickson, who has had large expe-
rience in such matters, that the oranges
| from plot No. contained 25 per cent
more points in favor of flavor than the
| oranges from plot No. /.
| a test plot was put out by the writer
| on the Richards ranch, at North Pomo-
! ma, in January, 1893, and the fertilizers
| were renewed in the spring of 1894. On
| the 22d of April, 1895, oranges We're taxi
en- from each plot. The samples, duly
numbered, were taken to the packing
| house and the superintendent instructed
| to pack one-half of them from each plot
| in separate boxes and to send one box
to Prof Ililgard and the other to Messrs.
| Wade & Wade Of Los Angeles, who, with
, the writer made the analysis.
The oranges on the manured plot were
| inferior, the surface being sunken away
and soft in many places as though in
| these spots the rind was more cured
| than in the balance, and the fruit was
soft and somewhat puffy.
Plot 2-the nitrogen plot-contained
more puffy oranges than any other plot.
Plots S-the phosphoric acid and pot
ash plot-and 9-the nitrogen, phos-
phoric acid and potash plot-were far
ahead, in general appearance, of any
oranges from other plots and plot 9
| the complete fertili2er-Was of much
! deeper color. The leaves on plot 0, also,
| showed much deeper and healthier
color.
| To comment fully on the above tabu-
! lated results would require too much
space. We will therefore call attention
| to but three points.
| First the percentage of sugar was
raised in plot 9-the nitrogen, phos-
phoric and potash plot-by comparison
with plot l-Where no fertilizer was ap-
plied-31.6 per cent. The rind was re-
duced go per cent. i. e.: the same
amount of oranges that would produce
100 pounds sugar from plot 1 would pro-
duce 1878 pounds from plot 8; the same
amount of oranges that would produce
100 pounds of peel from plot would
produce only 77.5 pounds from plot
and the general appearance to the eye
was by all odds the best.
Commenting on another systematic
plot set of samples, the professor has
this to say on page 173: "Muriate Of
potash does seem to corroborate the ex-
perience at Riverside that the potash
tends to increase the sugar contents
more than the barn yard manure"
In addition to the facts above stated
it is pertinent to the subject matter to
state that many of our best, largest and
most successful growers are using in
addition to nitrates and phosphates
potash salts and are perfectly satisfied
with the results.
1t will thus be seen, from the facts and
figures above given founded upon actual
practice in the field how far from the
truth Prof. Hilgard has been in trying
to establish from an a priori line of
reasoning the reputation for himself
that he could tell from an analysis of
the soil whether potash was needed or
no. When it comes to the matter of
nitrogen the professor has placed him
self in a more absurd position than in
the case of potash, for he had advised
the use of nitrogen on account of the
extreme scarcity of humus in our
Soils" but after some twenty years of
experience, he reported at the last
Farmers institute held at Monrovia,
that the humus, although deficient here.
has many times more nitrogen than the
humus found in the soils elsewhere"
And thus he has to admit that when
the crops begin to fall short nitrogen is
not the first thing needful." If the pro-
fessor had followed in the wake of the
great army of agricultural chemists the
world over and systematically estab-
lished series of test plots he would
have discovered or al least the resultsbf
the crops would have shown his error in
a year or two. To illustrate the error of
the professorSs way we will give but q
single example. He analyzed some four
or five years ago the soil of the Crank
and Brizdon ranches at or near Laman-
da Park and upon his analysis advised
that nitrogen was all that was needed.
His advice was followed and nitrate of
soda was used, with no good results
the following year he advised the use of
phosphates and they were used with no
good results; the owners then gave up
scientific advice" as worthless and
have since been using complete fertili-
zers" in the shape of stabe manures
with fair results.
In regard to the lining process, the
professor told the people at the Farm
ers' institute above referred to that
they did not need it in the San Gabriel
valley as analysis of their soils showed
that they contained an abundance. The
fact is that the progressive people of
that locality use large quantities of it
with most beneficial effects. We could |
give names and places but we expect to |
take up this lining matter more fully
at a later date.
In order to show how utterly worth
less are prof Hilgard's pretensions that |
he can advise people as to the needs !
OF their crops from an analysis of their
SOILS" we produce copy of a letter
sent recently from his pen. Mr.. Hall |
had written inquiring as to the proper
methods Of irrigation, and asking what |
fertilizers should be applied to his twelve |
OF fourteen-year-old apricot trees:
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. Col |
lege or Agriculture, Berkeley, Cal Ag- |
Tlcultura! Experiment Station. E. w. |
Hiigard, Director. August 6, 1896.
(Dictated.)