The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-03-11
FERTILIZATION Is
DISCUSSED AT LENGTH
By Gordon q. Brown
ARTICLE Ill

AK II LIZ Ill.
Practically all writer's agree that
excessive nitrogen tends to produce
fruit or tissue of more or less open
texture and that trees or plants thus
forced are more subject to extremes
OF temperature Keeping quality is
also impaired Potash on the other
hand is known to influence this con
dition Dr Van Slyke, chemist of
the New York Agricultural Expert
ment Station is quoted as follows
"G Potash is essential to car
bon assimilation and in the absence
OF this element the manufacture of
carbohydrates in the leaf and green
parts of the stem is at once brought
to a standstll With the failure of
this vital function all life activity
ceases and plants Wither and die.
The formation of starch, sugar, cell
ulose and other carbohydrates which
form the major part of all agricul-
Wral crops is absolutely dependent
upon the presence Of potash com
pounds within the body of the plant.
!
much potash.
"(2) It is well known fact that
potash compounds are a requisite
10 the normal development of the
fcshy portions of fruits, vegetables
and all root crops Comparisons OF
the analysis of the fruit and new
wood Of all Of our common fruits
and root crops shows that the fleshy
parts contain the greater portion on
the potash present in the plant, thus
substantiatlng the above statement
This effect is believed to be brought
about through the intimate associa.
tion potash has with the formation
and activity of protoplasm within
the plant cells. Potash is recognized
as the dominant plant food ingredi
ent for all root crops and fleshy
fruits.
"t3) Potash compounds are among
the important mineral bases whicl
help to neutralize plant acids ant
form the important acid salts tC
/ which dhe flavor and color OF The
edible portions of the plant is due
Thus potash is intimately connected
With the high flavor and excellence
in quality OF fruits The color Of
the Towering portions Of the bloom
ing plants is directly influenced II
intensity by the amount OF ayaila
/ Bile potash in the soil
80 A relative excess of potash
/ compounds supplied to cereals ant
| grass crops tend to prolong the per
iod OF the growth of the stems ant
leaves and thus delays the maturity
of the crop This is especially not
lceahie during a season of drouth
With root crops and fleshy fruits tn,
reverse is true since potash, through
its effect on the transference O
starch, hastens maturity and is thu,
often the means of saving crOp
from early frost
90 A widely recognized effec
Of potash is in its pronounced fay
orable influence upon the growth o
leguminous crops, such as Glove
and alfalfa 1t has been suggeste,
chat this is due TO an indirect ac
ton of potash in promoting tn
growth of bacteria associated witt
the formation of root nodules b
furnishing them with an abundance
OF carbohydrates.
Just word might be said regard
ing the economics of making alfalf
hay in the orchard This point /
raised in connection with the prat
ice of removing the hay and not II
a NJ I,
alent to replace the loss We hav
pointed out that two tons of ha
contains 100 pounds of nitrogen
eight and one third pounds of pho.
phoric acid and so of potash SUI
pose we have to buy these element
in mineral form which is the cheal
est commercial source Let us fiji
IRE nitrate of soda testing 16 pc
cent nitrogen at $50 per ton, supel
phosphate, testing 20 per cent a
S34 per ton and muriate of potasl
testing so per cent potash at tn
present price of $3.50 per ton. o
| this basis the nitrogen required t
replace that in two tons Of ha
Will cost S25; phosphoric acid 70,
and potash 50, making a total c
S3470 Does it pay to sell hay eve
at present high prices from the orcl
ard assuming that now or event,
ally We must put back the element
thus removed? Emphaticallv no
Beyond that required for home us,
hay making does not pay It mus
be remembered furthermore that thi
| plant food is being taken off in a
organic form, a form which furnishe
humus to our soils whereas il is T,
placed in inorganic or mineral form
which cannot exert as beneficial il
tluence upon the soil PHYSICAL,
Were it to be replaced commercial
lin an organic form which would tn
only tair basis for comparison tn
cost would be prohibitiye even wer
| such fertilizers available Indee,
| in portions of California where irr
CATION water is scarce, the orang
| growers find it profitable to bu
| hay and apply il to their soils