Oxford Democrat., 1915-02-23
Experiment in Fertilizing Apples.

IExpefiment IN feft1liz1ng AppieS
As it is pretty generally known, wher
the state purchased Highmoor Farm, i
had something over $500 apple trees up
on 1t which had been systematically neg
lected. These trees were about twenty
five years old, but for the most part hat
been completely neglected as regards
pruning, culture and spraying. The
first season that the station had tn,
farm the orchards were plowed, cult
waited and sprayed. Pruning was begur
and has been continued until at tn.
present time the orchards are in pretty
fair shape. 1t was of course not desira
able OF practical to thin the trees out al
the start to whore they should be at the
end, but the pruning, while rather SO
we're each year, has been gradually in
| creased in amount.
The orchards were fertilized at the
rate Of 1000 pounds per acre of fertil'
izer Carrying percentof nitrogen, 8 per.
! cent of available phosphoric acid, and
percent of potash. At the end OF the
third year the orchards had 80 far re-
sponded that they gave a good crop, aud
since that time fertilizer experiments
have been carried on in various portions
of the orchards, as follows:
The use of highly heterogeneous fertil-
izers has been adv Gated as a means of
forcing trees into bearing, and In some
parts of the state has been tried with re-
suits that seemed to be gratifying. This
method was first suggested by DR.. Fish
or of Massachusetts,, and Was tried by
the station in some cooperative work
with Mr.. Pope in his orchard at Man
chester, without very decisive results
At HighmoOr Farm 32 Baldwin trees were
divided into three sections. The trees
were treated alike, so far as the applica
tion of standard fertilizer was concerned,
but 10 of the trees at each end of the
row received in addition nitrate Of soda
at the rate of 100 pounds per acre. Also
the Baldwin orchard was divided into
two parts so that part of it received the
usual treatment, and in addition received
100 pounds of nitrate Of soda per acre
per year.
In experiments carried cut at the New
York State Experiment Station, 1t has
been found that with their deep clay
soils, well suited to apple tree growth
aud apple bearing, there is no effect
from the use of fertilizers, either upon
the growth Of young trees, the wood
growth on matured trees, or the amount
of the fruit or the coloring of the fruit
or the size of the fruit To see if any
thing like this would hold with Maine
conditions, particularly with the rather
shallow soil and with the stu ubborn subsoll
upon Highmoor Farm, an experimen, was
be gun in 1912 1t is to be remembered
that the orchard had been cultivated and
fertilized for the three preceding years,
and brought into good condition. About
400 trees were divided into three plots
containing Y 70 VS., extending clear across
the large No. Ben Davis orchard. Plot
A, rows to 4, has received no fertilizer
since 1912 Plot B, rows to s, has re-
ceivsd annually since 1912, 500 pounds
of fertilizer carrying percent OF nj
trogen, s percent of available phosphoric
acid, and Z percent of potash. Plot e.
consisting of rows 8 to II, has received
since 1912, 1000 pounds per
acre of commercial fertilizer carrying
percent of nitrogen, 8 percent OF avail
able phosphoric acid, and Z percent of
potash.
Careful records of growth shown by
measure and of yields Of fruit as shown
by weight are made of all of the trees in
the orchards at Highmoor Farm. Thus
far no results that could be attributed to
the fertilizer have appeared. No person
examining the twelve rows of apple
trees, part of which have been fully fer
tilized, part partially fertilized, and part
not fertilized at all for the past three
years, could detect differences whereby
he would be able to pick out the treated
from the untreated rows.
Ii is TO be remembered that in all of
these experiments, nothing has been
grown upon the land except apple trees
aud apples. An orchard cover crop is
sown in the fall. is plowed under early
iu the spring, aud the land is kept cult
waited until well into the fall, when th'
cover crop is again sown. The plant
food stored up in the wood growth, and
that which has been removed in tn.
apple crop, has been taken from the soil,
but beyond that the soil has not been
made to pay tribute to any other crop.
This experiment is to be continued
for many years. or until the unfertilz"d
rows show evidence of need Of plan
D. Woods.