The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-01-19
FERTILIzlNG ORCHARD LAND

VI dIio ClIlCl CICIlIlSt dU Vic dSIlCuls
tuaal experiment station at the
Washington State College, empha-
sizes the necessity of nitrogen, pot
assium and PHOSPHORUS being pres
ent in orchard land, and calls at
tention to the absolute essential of
sufficient water to carry these plant
foods into the crop. He says:
The three critical elements of
plant food are nitrogen, potassium
and phosphorus. A sufficient sup
ply of each of these, in available
form, with enough moisture in the
soil to carry this plant food into the
crop and cause an active sap flow,
are the chief essential factors of
fertility.
Potassium and phosphorus are
mineral elements, derived from
rocks. Nitrogen is an organic (vege-
table or animal) element derived
originally from the atmosphere and
present in the soil is a result of the
decay of vegetable Cor animal) ma
terial. Hence, soils in dry coun-
try, where there has been compare
tivelp little natural vegetation to
fall into and decay in the soil, are
nearly always rich in the mineral
elements of plant food, but poor in
nitrogen.
Phosphorus is used by plants
chiefly for the production of seeds,
and potassium for the manufacture
of starch and sugar (frHits, tubers,
etc. } while nitrogen is used almost
exclusively for the development OF
the green growing parts Of the plant
collage, new stems, ETC., Nitrogen
is, therefore, the element needed
most largely in the young growing
period of plant, trees, etc.
Hence on new sage brush lands
whichsare TO be brought under irri-
cation and planted to orchards. a
sufficient supply of available nitro
gen is likely to be the chief necessi-
ty for rapid growth, provided that
plenty of water is available on such
lands, where the natural supply OF
nitrogen is small, the rapid growth
OF trees can nearly always be consid-
erably fastened by an application
of available nitrogen as fertilizer.
There are three possible sources
for nitrogen for fertilizer use in this
state: Farm manure, dried blood
or other slaughter house waste pro-
ducts, and nitrate of soda. The
first two must decay before their
nitrogen is liberated in available
form. Nitrate of soda carries its
nitrogen in form Immediately
available to plants. Manure or
dried blood, ETC.. should, therefore,
be applied to the soil in advance of
the time that the crop is to need
their nitrogen, generally when the
land is being prepared for the crop;
while nitrate of soda should be APP
piled at the time when the plants
need it. This is when they are
making their most rapid Wood and
foliage growth.
"A one-year-old apple tree will
use, generally proftably, the nitro
gen contained in four to SIX ounces
of nitrate, a two-year-old tree that
is making vigorous growth will take
six to eight ounces of nitrate, and
der trees in proportion. Soils
naturally very deficient in nitrogen
should receive heavier applications
than those richer in decaying vege-
taticn and nitrogen. On mos
young orchards planted on sage
brush lands, where plenty of irriga-
ton water is available for heavy
growths of trees, available nitrogen
will undoubtedly aid in securing
such growths. The use of available
nitrogen fertilizers under such con-
dltlOns seems to me to be deslra
bic practice.
Whether nitrate of soda or other
nitrogen carrying materials In COM
bination with potassium fertilizers
can proftably be used in teariI,S