The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1914-04-03

realize the shortcomings of ordinary
farming.
For instance. while urge the advis-
ability of growing fruit in localities
which have the advantage Of good
markets, should dislike to see farm
ers in the central states or anywhere
else devote themselves to this single
industry. That would be about as fool
ish as exclusive grain raising or dairy
ing. The orchard belongs in scheme
of mixed farming, together with poul-
try and hogs.
Important facts for fruit growers
are that orchard land may be made to
bay double and the fertility of the soil
maintained without extraordinary ef-
fort. While the trees are coming to
maturity land earns nothing for five or
six years unless there is plan Of veg
etable raising, when a return Of 800
an acre is easily secured and the soil
is benefited by the necessary cultiva-
ton. Unless such system of cropping
is established q nonbearing orchard Is
apt to be neglected. and this results in
waste of time, investment and land.
The cultivation OF vegetables or small
fruit in an orchard is therefore for the
purpose of securing immediate profits
and keeping up the quality of the soil.
1t goes further than this, however. for
1t makes the land return living In
come even in unfavorable fruit sea-
sons when late frosts, insect pests or
other destructive agencies have spoiled
the apples, pears, plums and cherries.
Apple and cherry trees should be
planted thirty feet apart; plum, pear
and peach trees twenty to twenty five
| feet apart. The trees need to stand
In straight rows to permit the free use
of horse cultivator in the vegetable
and berry patches. One of the most
common mistakes in farming Is to
plant trees too near together.
Nitrogen. phosphorus and potassium
are necessary for the fertilization of
fruit trees and plants in general. nj.
trogen can be obtained in stable ma.
nure. but the principal source is air,
and we may obtain it by growing
llegumes. Vegetable gardening carried
on with the aid of barnyard manure
is an excellent treatment for orchard
land. Phosphorus may be obtained by
the use of raw rock phosphate or bone
meal. Potassium Is contained In large
amounts in our ordinary soils in 9
more or less unavailable state. To gel
more potassium in such shape thai
the plants can use it we can eithel
apply soluble potassium salts or un
lock that which is already present IL
abundance. Experiments have shown
that it does not pay to apply potas
stun to ordinary soils, provided decay
ing organic matter in the form of ma
nure or cover crops is worked into tn
soil The decaying organic matter will
liberate the potassium.
| 1t may not be generally known tina
apples are about as hard on land a
wheat or corn. except they do not tax
! from it as much phosphorus. A AZ
3 bushel apple crop will remove from tn
}. soil about the same amount of nitro
l. gen and potassium and half as muc
b phosphorus as fifty bushels of corn o
g twenty-five bushels of wheat. There
}. fore thorough system of gardenin
t not only makes the orchard land d
: double duty. but restores the soil fel
tility.
It If for any reason gardening canne
e be carried on in a thorough way in a
!. orchard l should recommend legume
d in place of manure as the source
q heterogeneous organic matter 1t n
70 shown that cheap way to gro
= legumes is to apply ground limestor
r and rock phosphate. The cost of tn
e treatment would not exceed 50 per acl
e per year. which should not seriousl
g Interfere with this system of fertiliz
ton. ~ 81 eS 49, 'ea
l.