The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-04-30
FERTILIZERS FOR ORCHARDS.

Trees, like animals, cereals and vege-
tables, require food. and they require the
same kinds of food. Ii it is expected OF
an orchard to grow and bear profitable
amounts of fruit without the elements OF
plant food being supplied in sufficient and
proper proportions, why do not dairy
men expect their mich COWS to grow and
give milk in profitable quantities upon
exhausted pastures and straw? Protein
carbohydrates and fat are supplied to the
valuable milch cow, by the Intelligent
dairy man, in food suited to the task and
requirements of these animals, and with
regard to the making of large quantities
of milk. Even so orchard trees must
have nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
in proper proportions and sufficient
amount to enable them to yield rich
harvest of their delicious fruit.
Potash should be the leading factor in
orchard fertilizers, and may be obtained
in wood ashes, nluriate and sulphate of
potash, and their two inferior forms,
kainit and sylvanite.
Fifty bushels Of wood ashes, if it has
been kept dry, is a liberal dressing for an
acre of bearing trees, but as it is difficult
to get ashes which have not already
leached out half their potash, one of the
potash salts is probably more economical.
Muriate of potash should contain so per
cent of potash and from 500 to 700 pounds
per acre for bearing orchard is a normal
and economical application. Kailit is a
form of muriate containing only II per
cent of potash, and is therefore not worth
but one-fOurth rs much per ton, while the
freight to get the same amount of potash
would be four times as much.
Sulphate of potash, 50 per cent pure,
and sylvanite, low grade of sulphate,
are also good sources of potash for or
chards, the sulphate being more econom-
zeal than the last, for the same reason the
nuriate is cheaper i'll the long run than
kainit.
Phosphorus is best applied in the form
of dissolved South Carolina rock, AS the
unhea ted rock is very slow acting unless
ground almost to powder, and Thomas, or
basic Stag, is not readily attainable in the
United States. The bone fertilizers are
always valuable. Dissolved bone acts
promptly, while the same objection, slow
acting, can be raised to the unheated
bone, that was just noted about ground
South Carolina rock.
Nitrogen is valuable in growing or
chards, and is indicated when there is
not sufficient growth, or the foliage is
yellow under good Utilization, in cOnnec-
ton with potash and phosphoric acid a
light dressing of nitrate of soda may
bring it into good condition, if the trees
are healthy, i. e., not attacked by disease
or bOrerS.
But green lldllurlnS III the late summer
after thorough cultivation, which assists
nutrifcation, is ordinarily sufficient to
supply all the nitrogen required.
II the tree makes foot or more of
growth upon all shoots, and the leaves
are of good size and dark in color, there is
probably sufficient supply Of nitrogen.
Under such conditions the application OF
a heterogeneous manure may do positive
injury in causing growth of wood in
stead of fruit, or with some kinds OF trees
extend the growing period SO late that
the young wood might not have time to
mature ard be winter-killed. 1t is we'll
to bear III mind that orchards are grown
for fruit and not for forestry puproses,"
and to fertiliZe accordingly.
Barnyard manure is chiefly valuable
for it's nitrogen content, and while it may
be at times we'll to broadcast it in an or
chard which is in sod, or where it is de-
sired to rejuvenate All old neglected Or
chard, but generally it is more valuable
under the annual crops Of the farm.
Complete commercial manureS, for rea
sons mentioned above, are not desirable
for orchard fertilizing. The best results
are secured when the grower observes the
behavior of his trees and applies such
material as they show they need. Lack
OF moisture is more often the trouble
than lack of nitrogen and good cultiva-
ton the first part of the growing season,
followed by some crop for green manuring
is well calculated to conserve the mOis-
ture in the soil.