The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-23

quantities and in readily available
forms, and may therefore be omitted
in any fertilizer destined for these
soils.
Upon sandy soils. with young trees,
the importance of nitrogen is more
strongly emphasized. Not only should
the fertilizers applied contain an ex-
cess of nitrogen, but the soil should be
constantly cropped with some legumin-
GUS plants as eowpeas, velvet beans
etc. which should at maturity be in
Corporated with the soil. At the time
of planting these crops applications of
acid phosphate goo to 400 pounds per
acre), and muriate of potash go to 100
pounds per acre., may be advantage
ously made. They VIII insure d large
CROP of vines, and any excess of these
ingredients will be held in reserve for
the growing trees. This annual incor-
pOration of vegetable matter, rich in
nitrogen, gathered almost entirely
from the atmosphere will not only fur
nish the trees with the chief element
of growth, nitrogen, but will largely
increase the supply of humus in the
soil. Humus carries with it to a soil
50 many benefits that it is difficult to
mention them at all. To the pecan
tree, however, its water holding ca
pacity is Of the utmost importance. Be
Trees on poor soils should be individ-
ually fortified. This is accomplished
by broadcastinE around the tree in
circle whose radius is equal to the
hight of the tree. TO tree just plant
ed in the orchard, at least one pound
of the mixture given below should be
applied in the manner described above.
This quantity may be doubled each
year thereafter. To illustrate, a tree
i
At one year old, two pounds; at two
years old, four pounds; at three years,
eight pounds, and so on. until maxi
mum quantity of 800 to 600 pounds per
acre has been applied, when the annual
quantity becomes fixed. OF course, af
ter each application. the, fertilizer
should be mixed with the soil, either
with the pillow. disc harrow or some
other implement. If the pillow be used,
it should be run very shallow, taking
care not to break the surface roots of
the tree.
AS before mentioned, young and
growing trees require different ferti-
izer from old and bearing ones. If the
practice of gro.'ing and turning under
of leguminous crops be followed, the
fertilizers prescribed for alluvial soils
may be used to spread around the
trees If, on the other hand, it is omit
ted, the nitrogen in each formula
should be increased. OF course, all fer
tilizers should be applied in early
spring.
Nitrogen can be supplied in the
forms usually found on our markets,
namely, tankage, cottonseed meal,
dried blood, fish scrap, etc.
An acid phosphate containing at
least per cent. available phosphoric
acid should be preferred. Muriate pot
lash containing so per cent. of potash
is the cheapest and perhaps the best
form of potash for this tree.
Besides the growing of leguminous
crops and the application of CONNER
cial fertilizers, it will often be found
highly advantageous in light soils to
top dress them with stable manure at
the rates of twenty to forty two-hOrse
wagon loads per acre. If no CONNER
cial fertilizers be applied simultaneous
ly, it would be we'll to add with the
stable manure 200 to 300 pounds acid
phosphate, and 30 to 100 pounds muri-
ate of potash per acre. They may be
neglected, if the trees are fortified
with the mixture given above.
1t should always be borne in mind
that the pecan tree revels in a fertile,
moist soil, and therefore every effort
should be made to secure these con-
ditions artificially where they do not
naturally exist