Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-07-25

tplpTalO Expert
ment station)
There are thirty eight diferer,
chemlcal elements which are used "a
make up the growth OF a plant. The
ioiio"lns nine are very essential for !
the proper development of the or
onaru plant: Carbon. hydrogen. oxy-
gen nitrogen, sulphur. phosphate. 20
tasslum, calcium and iron. The three
most important OF these. and which
are sometimes absent in available
iorm' are nitrogen. phosphorus and
potassium. A certain amount of nitro
gen Is required for the vigorous
growth OF he plant n is used
principally in the formation OF the
woody part of the plant Phosphorus
is not as essential in fruit growing
as IL is in the growing Of grains. as
II Is used to make up a large per
cent. OF the seed. but is. however. es.
sential TO aid the proper ripening of
the fruit Potassium aids in the
proper coloring OF the fruit and goes
10 make up a large per cent. OF the
ash OF both the fruit and OF the fruit
wood.
Many OF our orchard soils are rich
chemically in nitrogen. phosphorus
n potassium. but oftentimes these
elements are not available for the
plant on account OF the poor physi-
cal condition Of the soil: we mean
that 1t lacks humus. By humus we
mean the complete decay OF organic
matter which can be obtained by the
blowing under OF some green manure
crop. such as alfalfa, clover, vetch.
oats. rye. etc.
In the east where experiments
have been run with clean cultivation
versus sod for orchard soils. the re-
suits were found TO be in favor OF
the clean cultivation. Clean cult
walton versus a ro%tational shade crop
has been tried in Colorado and the
results were in favor OF the shade
crop rotation. In the east. cover
crops are used. which means the SOW
ing OF the seed in late summer and
the blowing under Of the green ma
nure crop the next spring or In the
early summer. Our conditions are
such that this method does not work
we'll. the greatest trouble being that
the spring blowing under Of a great
mass OF green material intcrferes great
ly with the first summer irrigation. as
Il sometimes causes the soil to puddle
and thereby causing the leaves TO turn
yellow by shade crops is meant
the sowing OF the seed in the spring
Of the year. thus shading the soil du-
- ~ fw.v. 81, ptp
and the blowing under OF the green
crop either the following fall or the
next fall. depending on whether
an annual. biennial or perennial crop
Is grown.
Nearly all Of the Colorado orchard
soils are very poor In humus content
and this is the principal reason why
they are so poor physically. that is.
they are hard TO work when It comes
to irrigation and cultivation. Such
soils do not take water readily nor
do they hold II after they have been
irrigated Humus In the soil will do
away 10 n large extent with these
troubles and can be obtained by the
blowing under OF harnyard manure.
but on account OF the scarcity OF II,
the ~orchardists will have to rely TO a
great extent on the growing and the
blowing under OF n shade crop.
Shade crops are divided into two
classes. viz. leguminous and non-legum-
inous. The logumes are plants like al
falfa %clovers, etc: the nonlegumes
are the grains. like oats. rye. barley.
etc. For orchard soils which possess
a. hard under soil there is no plant
like alfalfa. This is not hard 10
handle n IL is not allowed to 20 10
secd and is plowed under in the fall
of the second year II is we'll to SOW
oats. about one-half bushel TO the
acre. with the alfalfa for a nurse crop
Tho oats should he cut before they
On 10 seed and they can be harvested
for feed. Alfalfa can be sown later
than clover with good results. but as
a rule. Il is better TO SOW all shaue
crops in the orchard as early in the
snring as possible. Mammoth red GLOW
or makes a very good orchard shade
crop. but sometimes II is hard TO gel
the clover to grow well at hrst un
} less II has the proper amount OF mols
,ure This is one reason why q Is
not always a success in peach or
chards. as sometimes the clover re
ouires more water than is good for the
peach trees. In growing anything il
tho orchard. one must remember tina
; the trees are the first consideraiior
and the crop of second Importance
; For this reason do not over-irrisate th'
. ,roos In order TO get a good stand o
clover. etc.
The Guanaco.