Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-11-13
tBy w. MILTON KELLY1

(By w. MILTON KELLY)
The problem of securing the fertil-
ity already in the soil is a mattsr
which we should carefully consider
beforewe apply commercial plant foods
and manures to our orchard soils.
On soils which contain reasonable
amount of available plant food and
which have been brought to a good
physical condition, the need of apply
ing manures and commercial fertll
izers will be reduced to a minimum
until the trees have attained a size
and age when their roots occupy
practically all of the soil.
How to prepare the soil so that
the roots may go deep into the sub
coil after mineral plant food, and so
that the surface roots may reach out
into the surface soil until they inter
lock with the roots of adjoining trees
is the question for us to consider.
First OF all, the soil must be well
drained and prepared sufficiently deep
so that the roots may reach deep
into the subsoil. Second, the surface
soil must be cultivated frequently
and a rotation of cover crops and
catch crops employed SO that suf-
ticient amount of plant food will be
made available to promote RAPID
and healthy growth rather than fore
ing the growth of the trees by the
use of mauures and fertilizers rich in
nitrogen.
In some instances the soil may be
deficient in plant food and the intel
ligent use OF mineral plant foods will
prove very beneficial to the young
trees.
Ii is when the orchards begin TO
bear large crops of fruit that the de-
mands for plant food must be met II
profitable crops of fruit are secured.
At this time the roots of the trees
have taken possession of practically
all Of the soil and have utilized the
larger part of the available plant food,
so that the addition of some form OF
manure or fertilizer is essential.
The function of the soih in fur
nishing the tree with plant food Is an
exceedingly complex one, and there
are certain well defined laws that
must be kept in mind for the i'm
provement and maintenance of the
fertility of the soil that is occupied
by the trees. Some fruit growers ad-
vocate sod mulch. others depend upon
clean cultivation and the liberal use
of manures and fertilizers, others grow
cover crops and use mineral fertiliz
~ Yp,oIntuininU the
fertility of their orchard soils
The fact that no two soils require
the same line OF treatment has
caused a confusion of ideas In the
management of orchard soils. After
studying the matter in its various
phases, l have arrived at the conclu
sion that the best line of management
consists of a system of clean cultiva
ton, the use of cover and grass crops
and the use of an incomplete fertil
izer; the whole line of management
to be governed by the growth of the
trees and the year they are due tc
bear heavy crop of fruit.
In adopting any system of sol
management for the orchard, it is
Imperative that we select the one
which possesses as many OF the gooc
points and eliminates in a large de
gree all of the undesirable ones ant
exhausts the least fertility from the
SOIL and which will need the leas
possible amount of purchased fertile
ers, and at the same time maintain
the trees and fruit in a thrifty ant
healthy condition.
When we consider any method fo'
maintaining the fertility of orchar'
soils, there are three classes of rela
tons that must be given considera
ton, both separately and also in thei
relations to each other-the physical
the chemical and the biological condi
lion of the soil. These three relations
are so closely connected and so mucl
dependent upon each other that it 4
4 difficult matter for us to decid
where one begins and the other leave
~, SO | will consider them togethe
10 show how It is possible TO adop
system where all three may b.
maintained and improved by the us
OF a limited amount OF mineral fertil
izers and the use of well-planne,
system OF legume crops for maintain
Ing the supply OF humus and nitrogen
and the use OF fertilizers TO encourag