The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-03-30
APPLE FERTILIZER
ADVICE Is GIVEN

(By Gordon @. Brown. horticultur-
list of local branch experiment sta.
tion.)
At the present time there is pro
baby no subject of greater import
ance to the fruitgrower other than
pest control than that concerning the
fertility of the soil Questions which
continually arise and are being asked
of the local experiment station are
such as the following: What is the
condition of my soil? How do |
know my trees need fertilizing? What
shall / apply, when and how? What
amounts shall use? When may re-
suits be expected and how long
should they last? What is the prac-
tical relation between commercial
fertilizers and cover cropping, shade
crops, irrigation, etc.
Answers to any or all of the above
questions cannot be made direct. In
other words it is impossible to make
a sweeping statement which will
cover all orchards or even the differ
ent conditions in the one small or
chard The study of fertilizers can
be made to apply locally only when
all the factors influencing tree grow
tn and fruit production are studied
individually and especially with rela-
tion to each other. It is important
therefore to know the general prin-
ciples involved in order that their
intelligent and practical application
may be assured.
xx,l,f ~, arta In,
mind of the average fruit grower is:
"How do know my trees need fer
tilizer and in what form should this
be applied? Here again arises a
question which requires a close stu
dy of soil, moisture, age and variety
Of trees, percentage Of fruit set,
yields, size of fruit, etc. Broadly
speaking it is probably correct to
say that on some of the lighter val
ley soils, trees between fifteen and
twenty years which have been con-
tinually clean cultivated and have
borne heavy crops can be stimulated
and invigorated with profit by small
applications of commercial fertiliz-
ers. Spitzenbergs, especially often
times when subjected to such previ-
Gus cultural conditions give striking
evidence of a devitalized state. Not
only in decreased yields, but also in
small fruit and an almost total lack
of vegetable growth. The colors Of
such trees is alse to noted. Such
trees present a decidedly yellowish-
reddish appearance as contrasted
with the darker colored vigorous
trees of similar variety grown under
more favorable cultural conditions
than those referred to. Trees of the
former class often indicate lack of
vitality in their inability to set fruit
after having borne a big crop of bios
SONS. In cases of extreme lack of
vitality petals are almost devoid of
color. In cases less conspicuous the
lack of vitality Is often expressed in
failure of trees to develop and re.
tain to maturity fruit which had
every appearance of being normal in
June.
A failure of buds to open or to as.
sumo to plump bright appearance
associated with yigor is another in.
dication that the tree is not being
properly nourished.
It should be understood that the
symptoms here enumerated may not
be due to decreased fertility of the
soil but where irrigation, cultivation,
small fruit and an almost total lack
disease control and other standard
orchard practices are conducted in
the customary manner the indica
tions may well cause suspicion that
the source of trouble lies in depict
ed soil.
A close examination of the soil
may give some clue. If it is devoid
of organic matter, fails to hold water
bikes and does not respond to cul
tivation the chances are that the
nitrogen content is low. 1t is assum
ed that a fertilizer is needed What
then shall apply? Experiments
conducted by the Hood River Expert
ment station during the past two
years point unmistakably to the fact
that trees badly devitalized for rea
sons cited respond very readily tc
nitrogen both in vigor of growth and
in yields of first class fruit. In two
orchards the yields have been in
creased nearly ten fold and now the
trees are in condition to continue
normal yields granted good care.
In what form shall the nitrogen be
applied? This depends upon how
badly the trees have become devita
lized' and non-productive from laci
of care. 1t also depends on how Ions
the grower can afford to wait for in
creased returns. Let us assume ar
orchard fifteen years of age devitaliz
ed by continued clean cultivation
and yields are abnormally low. Three
courses are open: either begin {
systematic practice of cover cropp
ing with the idea of increasing the
organic matter and consequently th'
nitrogen content of the soil or else
applying the commercial fertilizer Of
both.
II cover cropping alone is to b.
rcsorted to, the growing OF sucf
crops as common or hairy vetch il
advised. There are planted il
early Fall and turned under in thu
Spring. Such plan is especial!
practical where irrigation water il
scarce and where it is practical t
continue clean cultivation during
the summer. On the other hand
where plenty of moisture is avail
able it may be desirable to SOW
such shade crops as clover or alfal
ia between the trees. Where thi!
plan is followed it must be recog
nized that fertility thus added i!
available only after considerable
time. Such being the case, it is ad
vised that a quick-acting fertilizer