Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1912-07-19

oep' nitrogen are of mineral drigi,
derived from rocks, and arc naao
ava iaple by the above described nro.
cess Nitrogen comes originally from
the air and Is present In the coil -.
result of the decay of yesetahlo
matter. The bacteria which grow q,
connection with the leguminons
crops (clovers, alfalfa, peas. beans
Vetches, etc., make use of nitrooon
directly from the air. and these
crops, when plowed under ada ho+h
nitrogen and humus to the soil Ma
hure from farm animals fed on these
crops Is almost equally valuable &c
soil-improver.
Inc maintenance of the water
holding capacity and of the available
fertility of orchard lands raoriros
'hat leguminous crops, or manure
snail be plowed under as freout ntly
as possible, at least one good coatire
every three years.
1t is sincerely to be hoped thai tho
use Of commercial fertilizer NAV
never be a necessity here. With
proper application of the princinles
discussed in the preceding lectures
1t should never be But with higb
priced lands and plenty of ava able
water, it may be found profitable tn
add available plant food to the soil
In order to use the land AMI the
water to their highest capacity.
In young orchards, on newly re-
claimed sagebrush land which &c very
low in humus and nitrogen, the adj
dltion OF some available NITROGEN in
order to give a sufficient supply TO
insure strong, vigorous and rand
tree growth, is generally very pro-
fitable practice.
Nitrate of soda is the only com
mercial form of available NITROGEN
ON the market in this state. Four to
six ounces of this to each tree in a
new orchard, six to eight ounces per
tree the second year, and propor-
tionately more to older trees, will
give profitable returns in increased
growth and vigor. Manure and dried
blood, or other slaughter-house
waste products, both supply humus
and nitrogen, and are good for use
| in the young orchard but must be
applied earlier in order to allow them
| to decay and render their nitrogen
available. In applying any fertilizer,
scatter it over the ground above the
feeding zone, and harrow well, pre-
ferably little time before irrigating
| Nitrate of soda, being Immediately
available, should be applied at the
| time when the trees are needing nj
| trOgen most, which is at the time
| when they are making their most
vigorous foliage growth.
Fruits use large amounts of po-
tassium and are generally firmer in
Iloou6 anu Sulp anu idhulS OCItcl IL
| they have all the potassium they can
use as plant food, The loan here in
this valley contains large supplies of
local potassium. but bearing orchards
feed so heavily upon this element
that it might pay to use some COM
mercial potash fertilizer on them.
Whether any fertilizer can be
profitably used on any crop can only
be determined by field experience on
the soil in question, with that par
ticular crop Such experiments here
might be very properly and very
profitably carried on by your local
fruit growers carnations in coop
Grafton with the State Experiment
Station. A committee should be APP
pointed by those in attendance at this
school to arrange for cooperative ex-
|periments with fertilizers in the or
chards of this valley, The expert
ment station will be glad to furnish
plans for such experiments, tertillz-
ers can be had free from their manu-
facturers for experimental use ana
the results will show whether 1t
would pay to use these fertilizers in
your orchard Washington Agricul-
turist.