The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-19
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FULTON s. WHITE
PEACH GROWING CONTINUED.

CONDUCTED BY Fu PEACH GROWING CONTINUED. Where the soil has been fully prepared and fertilized as directed. the amount of fertilizer and the work of keeping up the orchard to a high state of fruit pro- duction will be comparatively easy mat ter. This work of enriching the soil be- fort planting is one of great importance as the work can then be performed much faster and cheaper. There Is nothing so valuable as a fertilizer as barnyard ma nure well routed and thoroughly workeo into the soil The liberal use of this Ter tilizer coupled with the growing of one or two crops of cowpeas or red clover, will give soil that will grow peas to perfection.
 But the orchard will need continued fertilizing. The three elements or fertll- izers are nitrogen, phosphorie acid ana potash. The trees when young will need liberal supply of nitrogen to induce wood growth Nitrogen being the high est priced of the three named can De | largely supplied by the growing or the legumes mentioned. When the orchard comes into bearing then applications or
 
 give the fruit size, solidity and color, and to produce even ripening.
 In these top dressings use according to the soil and requirements of the trees, 75O to 150O pounds of a fertilizer contain ing nitrogen, per cent: available phos- phoric acid, per cent; potash, ' per cent which may be obtained from either the following mixtures:
 No 1-9O to 1s0 pounds nitrate of soda; 2S0 to 56O pounds dissolved bones; no to 22O pounds of muriate of potash
 No. 2-225 to 450 pounds of cotton seed meal; 16o to S2O pounds acid phosphate; 10 to 22O pounds sulphate of potash.
 No. S-15O to 300 pounds dried blood; 400 to 500 pounds of bone meal; 1lO to zO pounds of sulphate of potash.
 Where the peas and clover have been used freely they will supply the greater part if not all of the nitrogen needed. One will have to judge of this by the growth of the trees. There Is practically no difference in the muriate and sulphate of potash Either may be used and the same result obtained. The value of both potash and acid phosphate, or the two well balanced, as fertilizer for fruit crops has long been recognized.
 Applying Fertilizers.
 The question of how and when to ap- ply will have to be determined largely by observation and experience. In some sections of the country there is now practice of fertilizing orchards by what is known as the mulch The plan Is to SOW clover or peas in the orchard and mow these at intervals and leave the crop on she land; this keeps it moist. keeps a more even temperature, makes | the fruit larger and prevents 1t from | falling. This mulch is at the same time decaying and furnishing the very best of plant food. This plan, however, should not be brought into use until the trees 1 begin bearing or have become too large to allow the crops before mentioned to | be grown among them.
 | Another good plan for the bearing or chard is to SOW the COW peas and turn hogs in to eat the peas. turning them in when the seed in the first pods begin to 1 ripen. Calves or sheep may also be turned In to fatten on the pea vines. The vines will store on their roots the nitrogen needed, while the fruit and vines eaten by the stock and turned by them back to the soil will furnish large | per cent of the fertilizer needed. Should l the hogs root holes about the orchard l these should be filled and leveled oyer i by the use of a good smoothing harrow | after the crops have been eaten off.
 There are a great many ways by which the trees may be fertilized, and the far mer should use the plan that will bring | the quickest results and that will be the most economical. That the orchard needs l fertiizing as long as it lasts is now a l fully recognized fact. 1t is a mistaken idea to think an orchard will keep up and grow fine fruit without fertilizers. Pruning.
 l As the trees grow they will need care | full pruning; cutting out the surplus in- i side growth and keeping the long limbs | clipped back. This work of pruning | should always be performed by the use of a sharp knife and clippers made for the purpose. Stock should never be al- lowed to do the pruning. Pruning by stock has been the destruction of many l orchards The trees cost too much to be used as stock food. So one of the first things to do in preparing to plant an orchard is to fence the land to protect the trees from the stock. As to the time | for pruning: Prune when the knife Is | sharp and the trees need 1t. Ii Is nice matter to know just when and how to prune fruit trees, yet 1t is one of the | most important items in successful com mercial fruit growing.
 Drainage.
 Peach trees will not thrive with wet 1 feet. This Is why we see so many fail- ures in peach growing, and this Is espe- | cially true in or all along the coast coun- | try, where the trees soon take the yell | lows and die out. The subsoil must be well drained, freed from all sour acid water that may have accumulated in the | soil and rendered it unfit for the growth | of trees Then, too, all surplus water whether sour or not, must be carried off | if the trees are to succeed. Tile drain lage is by far the best and most econom- 1 ical in the end, as it is put under ground l is never in the way in cultivating and | forever does away with open ditches. | which are always unsightly and trouble some usually furnishing a growing place 1 for weeds, briars and brush which are always hard to keep down. Peach grow CTS are beginning to realize the impor- tance of this system of drainage. Again. l it is not always the lowlands that need l this drainage but often uplands and table land need drainage as badly as the | lowlands, for many of these have sub soils full of acid water.
 1 After the land has been properly | drained, or where the drainage has been prepared for, liberal use of pure rock l lime will be of great benefit in helping