The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-04-30
1n. apple C:crard.

ton of the country say we cannot
grow apples any more rs we once did
Now, tie climate is ret to blame for
this. and if apples once grew well with
YOU is il not worth while TO study tie
cause of their failure now?
Men realize that for the growing OF
their annual crops they must cultivate
well and keep up the fertility OF the
soil. They do not try to grow corn
and wheat at the same time on the
same field. for they know that 1t can.
rot be done successfully. but when it
comes to the orchard they assume that
Il tree can not only take care of itself
like the trees in the forest. but that
they can crop the land for other things
ut the same time and still &c. crops OF
apples. Herein lies the greatest of all
the troubles in apple growing. SO long
as the sol! was q virgin soil and
abounding in plant food the trees
thfove in spite OF neglect. but as they
gradually robbed the soil assisted by
the crops planted among them there
was soon failure, for trees us well rs
other crops need plenty of available
plant food In the soil.
Another thing that apple trees cspe-
cially need is an abundance Of soil
moisture 1t is useless to apply fertili.
Zers to any plant il there is not moist
ure enough in the soil to dissolve them.
Hence the importance for providing 4
soil abOunding iii vegetable decay 10
retain the moisture needed for the So
luton of the plant food applied. Few
growers fully realize the amount Of
the various forms of plant food that an
apple orchard takes. from the soil. At
the recent American Apple Growers
Congress in 81. Louis Professor Co
thier gave some very striking figures
In this regard which were taken from
the experiments made at the Agricul-
tural Experiment Staten Of Cornell
University. He showed that with an
average yield (and this is small one
in good orcharO Of 200 bushels ncr
acre. that this 200 bushels Of fruit
would remove from the soil thirteen
pounds of nitrogen. only one pound OF
phosphoric acid and nineteen pounds
of potash. Gnd the apples alone would
remove from each acre S2.45 worth OK
plant food Then the growth Of the
wood and the leaves Of the tree must
be taken into account. and it takes a
very considerable. amount Of food to
keep uD the activity Of q large tree.
Altogether there was il the orchard Z
demand for plant food 10 total value
OF $9.G1 PEI acre.
He compared ihis with crop o. corn
making fifty bushels per acre, and
showed that the corn removed little
more than the fruit trees. md yet every
farmer knows that lie cannot expect
fifty bushels OF corn per acre unless he
keeps uD tie fertility OF the soil. ard
yet we see the same men trying 20 get
apples from soil that has been drained
by the trees in this WAY for q genera
ton. and not only drained by The trees.
bet called upon to grow 4 hay crop Or
10 pasture stock. Is II any wonder that
we cannot grow apples as we'll as we
once did?
The statement we have given shows
that the demand for phosphoric acid IS
very small as compared with that for
nitrogen and potash. and the trees VIII
demand more potash than crop OF
corn Of fifty bushels per acre. and de-
mand it every year. for there can be
no rotation OF crops here. In their
young state. when growth is what We
want. applications OF stable manure
will I've Of great help. not only i'll fur
nshing nitrogen but in giving some hu-
mus making matter to the soil. Ii Nal
nit has been used in the preservation OF
this manure it will not only make the
manure better III preventing the loss
o? nitrogen. EIt ii will add potash that
Is needed. When The trees have
reached maturity We advise the seed
inS down to grass. But not in grass to
be cut for hay. but grass to be cut only
as mulch for the trees and left on the
ground. cutting it several times during
the season. Then give the grass a top
dressing annually of fertilizer COM
posed of 500 pounds OF acid phosphate.
800 pounds of cottonsecd meal and 400
pounds Of muriatc Of potash to make a
ton. Use this literally and get good
growth Of grass and every time you
cut the grass spread it TO decay un-
der the trees rs far rs the limbs e8-
terd and q little further. Then if You
attend to the spraying you can grow
apples just like you did in yorr boy.
hood and probably better.-W. L. Mas.
scy. - {