The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-01-19
USE OF NITRATES
MAKES TREES GROW
Recommended by Agricultural AuthOri-
hes-ExperimentS Show Benefit

Prof. R. w. Thatcher, director Of
and chief chemist at the agricultural
experiment station at the Washington
State College, emphasizes the necessity
of nitrogen, potassium and phoshorus
being present in orchard land, and calls
attention 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 phos-
phorus. A sufficient supply 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 essentials Of fer
tility.
Potassium and phosphorus are min
eral elements, derived from rocks.
Nitrogen is an organic vegetable or
animal) element, derived originally
from the atmosphere and present in the
soil as a result Of the decay of vege-
table (or animal) material. Hence
soils in a dry country, where there has
been comparatively little natural vege-
tation 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 potas-
SUM for the manufacture Of starch and
sugar (fruits, tubers, etc.,, while nj
trogen is used almost exclusively for
the development Of the green growing
parts of the plant Collage, new stems,
etc.,. Nitrogen is, therefore, the ele-
ment needed most largely in the young
growing period of plants, trees, etc.
Hence, on new sage brush lands
which are brought under irrigation and
planted to orchards, a sufficient supply
OF available nitrogen is likely to be
the chief necessity for rapid growth,
provided that plenty Of water is avail
able on such lands, where the natural
supply Of nitrogen is small, the rapid
growth of trees can nearly always be
fastened by the application of available
nitrogen as fertilizer.
There are three possible sources OF
nitrogen for fertilizer use in this state:
Farm manure, dried blood or other
slaughter house waste products, and
nitrate Of soda. The first two must
decay before their nitrogen is liberated
in available form. Nitrate Of soda
carries its nitrogen in a form imme-
diately 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 the
nitrogen, generally when the land is
being prepared for the crop; while nj
trate Of soda should be applied 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 nitrogen con-
tanned in four to six ounces Of nitrate,
two-year-old tree that is making
vigorous growth will take six to eight
ounces of nitrate, and older trees in
proportion. Soils naturally very deficient
in nitrogen should receive heavier ap-
phcations than those richer in decaying
vegetation and nitrogen. On most
young orchards planted in sage brush
lands, where plenty Of irrigation 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
conditions seems to me to be desira-
Bile practice.
Whether nitrate OF soda or other
nitrogen carrying material in combina-
ton with potassium fertilizers can be
probably used in bearing orchards can
only be determined by experiments.
This practice is common in older states
and on soils similar to those OF our
own irrigated lands, and experiments
to determine whether this would be a
1-o6tahia oracfica here ailOht ~ he