The Mena weekly star., 1909-01-28
TALKED OF BETTLR
 WAYS OF F sRMIN (
Ernest Wllker, Martin Nelson and A. D. McNair, all Experts, Addressed an Audience at Court House
 Last Friday.


 told-were given the benefit ot a talk at the county court house last Friday from three men emi- pent in the field of agriculture and horticulture. These men were Ernest Walker, professor of horticulture of the University of Arkansas; Martin Nelson, agron- omist of the same institution, and A. D. McNair of the United States Department of Agricul- ture.
 The regrettable feature of the affair was that the coming of these men was not known far enough in advance to enable the people of Polk county to learn of 1t in time to be present and get the benefit. The following are a few of the points touched on by the speakers.
 Prof. Walker spoke on many phases of fruit growing, earnestly and in detail. He explained at length the use of commercial fer. tilizers in orchards, and urged upon his hearers the absolute need of study before undertaking to do so. saying that there was little dependence to be placed upon the average product sent out by fertilizer companies, as frequently they were not in the least what was needed in the soil for which intended. He advised buying the chemicals and mixing at home.
 The professor told of having bought ? acre orchard him self that in nine years had pro- duced but 5000 worth of fruit, had almost ruined it's owner. He took it in hand, studied the soil needs, went in debt tor tue needed fertilizer. The first year he applied about } pounds to the tree, and got 534 barrels of fancy apples that brought 5000. The second year he applied six pounds to the tree aud bis crop was 2487 barrels that sold at $5000 The third year he was offered q, 800 for his crop in the orchard, but refused the price. and after wards found he had made mis- take, as the panic came and he got a less amount, though his crop was fue. In all he used 800 pounds of fertilizer per acre during the three years and says he had ten good apples where his neighbor who did not treat their land had but one.
 Prof. Walker pointed out the folly oi fertilizing close to the body of the trees, say ing that while very young trees took their substance from within 1 to feet of the body, iu bearing orchards the feeder roots were often four or five times the length ot the limbs, often inter locking in the rows, and at a depth of or 5 inches from the surface. He warned against blowing bearing orchard at a greater depth than three or four inches as to do otherwise injures the roots and encouraged fungus growth, root rot, etc. He ad- vised that two horse blow was never necessary and that a disk blow, cut away harrow, or spring tooth harrow be used according as the ground was smooth or rocky.
 Pears, he said, should not be cultivated, and the trees trimmed very sparingly.
 MT. Nelson took for his subject "Soil Building" He laid stress ou the fact the agricultural de- partment was ever ready to give information to inquirers by letter or bulletins, and urged that the people take advantage of same.
 Mir. Martin said that as rule the farmers of Arkansas were not hopeful class; that the average of production was low; that much of tho soil had been neglected aud from lack of intelligent care was going from bad to worse. He said that for generations, ever since the Pilgrim fathers landed, people had been leaving behind them worn out lauds, ever seek ing new land, and that the time had arrived when the best of the whole country had been used, and that soou there would be nothing to do but to build up