Semi-weekly herald., 1910-05-26
SOMETHING THE FRUIT
GROWER SHOULD KNOW

The following paper was read by
William p. Stark. the veteran nursery
man and fruit grower and ex-president
of the Missouri State board OF Horti.
culture, during Farmers Week at Co
lumbia. Mo. last year 1t is published
in book form and copyrighted by the
Stark Bros. Nurseries and Orchards
company, but copy will be sent free
to anyone who asks for 1t.
cover crop system is moi only
highly essential TO the present sue
cess of the orchard. but 10 It's future
success--the lack OF 1t may explain
failure
The more we learn of cover crops,
the more we appreciate their funda
mental importance. We have observ-
ed cover crops as used in the peach
orchards OF Georgia and other south
ern states. OF tue Lake Shore country
III New York, Pennsylvania. OF Michi-
gan. Ohio, Maryland. Delaware. etc.
We have carefully observed cover
crops throughout our own state-and
too often the lack of them in the Pa
cifc coast country and the northwest
II is necessary that fruit growers
care for their orchards as they care
for other farm crops. An orchard
takes the fertility from the land, MS
do wheat and corn, though not to the
same extent. Few farmers can name
a crop that will give greater income
with less risk and less capital than
an orchard: however, they must have
q little love, or at least respect, for
their trees, and look after them care
fully
Ii is common saying among the
orchardists that we do not get bumper
crops ms in the old days when this
was virgin country. To repeat such
crops, one absolute necess'y is to put
the soil in as near the fertile condi-
ton It was following the removal of
the forests. The mineral elements of
tho soil remain. hut the hu!nus has
been burned OUT After This humus
IN ispIt IL Is HdiuSt lol tu' z)ldHt6 W
Use the minerals.
There are TWO ways to restore van
ishing fertility One method is by ap-
plying fertilizers. The so-caled com
plete" commercial fertilizer contains
three elements. nitrogen, potassium
and phosphorus, which are most COM
monty lacking in land that has ceased
to produce. Commercial fertilizers
rightly used are profitable, but are
expensive. Barnyard manure is a
cheaper fertilizer but more bulky. 1t
contains fair percentage OF the three
elements. Both commercial fertilizers
and barnynrd manure are all right in
their place, but the supply is limited.
Many growers are gradually reducing
-the abiiity-of their orchards to bear
II is a question OF vital Importance
TO the fruit grower. Cover crops solve
the problem They are. economical and
consistent with tue best methods of
and other Iegumes indirectly take nj
trogen from the air by action of bac-
terra living in The root nodules.
The elements of the soil can be
olassed under two heads: First, Min
eral Elements--which are the residue
of decomposed rock-pure clay Is a
good example; 1t may not have occur
red to you In just this light. but
practically all earthly soil came either
directly or indirectly from the original
stone. The soil usually contains the
same minerals as the underlying rocks.
except q large part OF the more solu-
hle material has been washed out.
Second, Humus-which is partially
decayed organic matter-leaf mold,
grass. weed, etc, that have lost their
original form but in which the process
of decay Is incomplete. Peat and muck
are good examples of soils which are
practically all humus. Between the
there are almost an infinite number
of loamy and sandy soils. The earthly
portion of the soil contains practical
ly all minerals necessary for plant
growth. In some cases potash and
phosphate may be lacking. but these
are infrequent On the other hand
they are often in an unavailable form
that is, The soil may contain IA large
amount Of each, but 1t is insoluble
and the plants can not make use OF 1t
Clay lands are usually rich in potash
while limestone lands nearly always
contain sufficient phosphate.
Humus supplies nitrogen to the soil
Most OF the nitrogen is locked up ir
the humus which breaks down grad
ually, thus supplying the plants with
food and preventing excessive waste
The soil has been called Nature:
Workshop and Chemican Laboratory.
II is laboratory and the simples
processes that go on there are ia
more complex than the most intricat,
experiments of our scientific investiga
tors. Nitrogen in plants is converted
during the complex process of deca,
into nitrates which are then ready t,
he used by plants. Organic matter