The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-03-06
APPLICATION OF
NITRATE URGED SOON


Hood River Experiment Station.
March /. 1871
The average Hood River fruit grow
er has not become accustomed to the
use of nitrate of soda. For several
years he has used this with beneficial
effects. The great tonnage ordered
for this year indicates that he intends
10 continue in its use.
The writer urges that nitrate be
applied soon, especially where eultiva-
tion IS not TO be practieed during the
growing season. The aim should be to
apply sufficiently early to enable the
spring rains TO wash the nitrate down
into the soil readily so that II may be
quickly available when growth starts.
The difference of a week or so will
probably make no great difference dur
ing the normal season. However, do
not delay unduly long. The writer has
collected considerable data bearing
upon this point. When nitrate work
was started at Hood River in 1914 it
was observed that late applications
did not exert much apparent influence
until nearly the end of the growing
ocd dSbD. II 10 dbft lIdl
the blossoms be influenced.
In 1917 a number of experiments
bearing upon this point were per-
formed. For the work. fourteen year
old Spitzenburgs and Newtowns were
chosen. Owing to the previous lack
of irrigation and clean cultural meth
ods over long period. the trees were
badly devitalized and in need of arti.
| fetal stimulation of this kind. Each
vaiety was divided into five different
plots. each of which received % pounds
nitrate Der tree. However. each plot
represented applications two weeks
apart, ranging in dates from March 6
to May Z, when first and last applica,
tions were made. Percentages of fruit
set after the so-called June drop were
taken. Newtowns receiving the early
| application of nitrate not only showed
better foliage during the early season
but so. per cent of the spurs showing
blossoms set fruit.
Percentages for the other tests
ranging in order of application. are
46.4 per cent, 42.5 per cent, tNo rec
ord) an0 only 1922 per cent for those
trees fertilized May 7. Spitzenburgs
also showed better colored foliage
where receiving early applications
The first trees to receive nitrate show
43.6 per cent set. The other plats
showed 469 per cent. 34.l per cent,
1876 per cent and 2l.2 per cent respec-
lively, the last figure being associated
with trees fertilized May 7. The
economic importance of early applca-
tions in both cases is thus quite evi
dent, especially in point of yields.
The early fertlized Newtowns aver.
aged 7.9 and Spitzenburgs 1913 loose
boxes per tree. versus only 22 and 2
boxes for the late applications.
| The grower who uses nitrate on
Spitzenburgs or other colored varieties
| finds greatest difficulty in securing
both size and good color of fruit. This
has been especially so where clover
has been turned under as green
manurial crop. Heavy pruning and
irrigation have also been contributing
| factors. Size has been good but color
has been poor when more than one OF
| these factors has been introduced any
one year. The writer urges the grow.
er to be very careful about these
points. Many mistakes have beer
made which closer observation anc
study would have avoided. These are
points which the grower must work
out under his own conditions. Or
| light soils one may use both nitrate
and manurial crops with comparative
safety, and in many cases it may be
necessary, but where heavy soils pre-
vail extreme caution is urged in THEN
use. Here, again, the grower must
decide how much in the way of color
he can afford to sacrifice in order tt
secure increased size and incidentally
increased yields. With Newtowns. OF
course, the problem is comparatively
simple, since the trees are capable OF
receiving fairly heavy nitrogenous
stimulus from time to time and profit
from the experience in heavy crops
and large sized fruit.
With Spitzenburgs especially, il
appears that the long continued use OF
alfalfa as a permanent shade crop is
more compatible with results sought
than any other system. This croE
seems to exert a steadying influence il
avoiding extremes in tree growth anC
lends itself to good red color, but
often sizes run small. 1t seems cleal
that on many soils trees in alfalfa car
with profit be further stimulated with
nitrate or similar nitrogenous fer
tilizer.