Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-12-19

| m6y grow tuoTo cut W lOEm oil dCou'
mulating mulch. All stones should be
closely picked up and surface formed
where the wind fall apples may be saved
In good condition to be sent to market
where cheaper grade fruit is always
wanted.
Where evaporators are at hand this
dropped fruit would have higher value
for drying. Cultivation would then be
kept up in the center of the spaces be.
tween the trees to make readily soil and
to conserve soil moisture.
We believe that 1t may be possible
through this change of culture to reduce
the cost of production by thirty per cent
and at the same time to obtain some
what higher color in the fruit. Tillage
should be carried only to the extent OF
obtaining good annual growth OF wood.
As soon as that is assured tillage should
cease, for size in the fruit will be OBJ
tanned aAong with a good growth OF
wood, especially where green crops are
regularly grown and plowed in.
FERTILIZERS FOR ORCHARDS.
The subject of fertilizers is one upon
which 1t Is very diff cult to give advice
or even an opinion. The secrets Of the
soil are many that have not yet been
solved and are far from being under
stood.
This makes fruit culture one Of the
most interesting lines of work, for there
is in 1t 80 much to be learned and known,
and the longer one continues in the work
the more be realizes there is to be dis.
covered and worked out. At "Orchard
Farm" we began tree planting on soil
that for more than a century had been
producing general farm crops, and nat.
urally in that line its original supply OF
plant food should have been consider.
ably reduced. The fact was discovered
in the rather unsatisfactory quality OF
the fruit that was produced. The ques'
tion arose as how to most economically
bring up higher productiveness.
For time we put in sheep and steers
and fed for the manure they would fur
nish, but as there were hundred acres
to be laid ou. for orchards it was q slow
process to try to produce enough manure
to cover 30 much land.
Commercial fertilizers we're attempted
but that required more capital than was
available to carry out that plan, and
their value was not altogether certain on
this soil, which is glacial drift, gravel
loan, limestone with more or less OF
variation over the farm.
STABLE MANURE BETTER.
It became evident that where stable
manure was used more positive results
were observed, but as this was not to be
had in sufficient quantity, a system oi
clover culture was attempted, for the
purpose of blowing in to furnish, what
the manure added, the humus which
this soil had lost and which 1t was evil
dent it needed more than anything else.
1t was a struggle for several years to
get a satisfactory growth of clover, in
fact, for three years on the same SOIL, II
seemed more of failure than anything
that had been attempted, but there was
some gain and the policy was pursued
until most marked improvement began
to develop, when what seemed like a
discouraging failure began to show
promise of real success.
From the time that good stands OF
clover were obtained, marked improve
ment in the soil, in the growth of trees,
and in the yield and quality OF the fruit
have been realized.
We have been carrying out some lines
to work with commercial fertilizers to
cover q period of seven years. Four
years of the time have passed. We
have used complete fertilizer, feeling
that in so long period of the produc-
tion of cereals there had been a deple-
ton of the principal food elements in the
soil.
On peach trees there has been de-
cided showing of results. The trees that
have had liberal application OF com,
pound of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and
potash for four years, have in that Time
made great growth and have produced
heavy crops of fruit. The peaches have
been later in maturing, and have not had
the fine color that the check trees have
shown. Undoubtedly more nitrogen
has been applied than the peach has re.
ouired, and that will be reduced, or left
out hereafter.
EFFECT OF FERTILIZER.
On apple trees the results have not
been 80 marked. On row of Rhode
Island Greetings, an orchard now 70
years old, the second year after apply
| ing 35 pounds of basic Stag for phos.
p6orc acid, 20 pounds of sulphate OF
potash, % pounds of nitrate of soda per
tree, the foliage upon that row was a
distinctly darker green In color than the
rest of the orchard. The apples were
also of q decided green in color, while
on the other trees there was more OF the
yellow shade, near maturity. The size
of the apples on the fertilized row was
larger. For the past two years there
have been prolonged drouths, with no
perceptible difference noted.
In all of the orchards clover is being
sown for a cover crop, and plowed In,
excepting the past season, when buck
wheat was substituted. The first six
trees on the fertilized row Of apples have
made larger growth and have produc
ed more apples than the unfertilized
row next to it. Yet, there are Individual
trees over the orchard that without
fertilizers applied have made equal
growth Of wood, and have produced az
many and as good apples.
The six trees Of the fertilized row
stand In soil that has more moisture in
| 1t than other portions of the orchard.
There are so many factors that enter
into the problem of the growth OF trees
that it is somewhat difficult to know
how to give credit to the fertilizers used
especially where the soil Is in good
productive condition.
SELECT GOOD SOIL FOR ORCHARDS.
Over much of New England, as IL
other sections where orchards have beer
planted, too often land has been selected
that was not the best for the farm crop
This has been, and is mistake.
The best soil should be selected FOL
trees, for upon such, orchards will make
more rapid growth. They may be made
to produce profitable crops several years
sooner, while the cost for fertilizers may
be saved, If good tillage is kept up, com
bined With leguminous cover crops.
The value Of the apple crop is 30 much
greater than most farm crops, that 1t
pays to give the orchards the best land
on the farm.
One Farmer Did It.
J.F. Barker, a graduate of the College
of Agriculture of Ohio State University
livas in Meios County. Ohio, For years