arHE  CANADIAN  HORTICULTURIST

Agricultural Experiment Station, who
have reported on their tests in bulletin
No. 153 of that station. The Pennsyl-
vania orehardists made tests of the
application of anmonia and phosphoric
acid 'and of complete fertilizers. When
applied to old orchards they found
that in one orchard the increase per
acre per annui fron the addition of
nitrogen and acid phosphate was 265
bushels per acre, while that on another
orchard was approximately 309 bush-
els per acre. When plantfood was ap-
plied to young growing orchards, the
following results were obtained:
Gain Over Normal Yields.
Name of     Nit. & PIho s.   Complete
Orchard         Acid         Fertilizer
Strode  ... 45.9 bus. per acre  46.4 bus. per acre
Tyson ... 55.1 "   "      89.9
Wertz ... 15.9 "    '     50      ''
Mynard    17.1    '' '    69.7
This station, too, has been   able to
demonstrate that trees can be iprofit-
ably fed like tender plants and grow-
ing animals. The station says: "The
crops on these plots (Brown orchard)
in 191.7 were 25.3 bus. per acre on the
unfertilized trees, and  762.6 bus. on
those receiving fertilizers."
The Value of Tests.
Tests andfindings in near-lby or dis-
tant locations are of precious little use
unless applied 'to our local conditions.
A great deal is being said about soil
characteristics and their influence on
crop production, and we do not for a
minute wish to minimize the import-
ance of the soil type; nevertheless, the
soil side of the question is but half of
the problem. Apple trees use the same
essential plantfoods whether they are
grown iiI the easitern counties of this
province, the Niagara Peninsula, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, or elsewhere. This is a
point which should constantly 'be kept
in minid by business orchardists. More-
over, it should be kept in mind that
the soil analysis of the sections where
the Ohio and Pennsylvania experi-
ments were carried on, do not differ
materially from the analyses of the
soil in many of the orcharding sections
of this province.    The only material
difference is that in Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania the apple crops have a maiuch
longer growing season in which to ma-
ture, which fact in itself only em-
phasizes the greater need    of paying
attention to the fertility slide of or-
chard management in Canadia.
Some men are disposed to dismiss
the question of fertilizers by saying:
"My orchard does not need fertil-
izers."  We quite agree with him; in
fact, we never knew an orchard or a
field that did "need" fertilizers. In
fact, the field does not "need" tillage,
nor does the orchard "need" care, but
the farmer and orchardist find it pro-

fitable to apply proper tiliage and pro-
per care. This is the crux of the mat-
ter. The use of fertilizers on crops of
any sort, including orchards, is not a
matter of sentiment or prejudice, but
is a cold dollars-and-cents proposition.
It should be placed on just the same
basis  as  inlproved   machinery    for
spraying or tillage. If fertilizers will
pay on the orchard, the orchardist
tshould study thei carefully and apply
theni a'bundanitly so that his trees may
produce the largest quantity of 'best
quality fruit.

Th'l,  to  finle  sainples  o,  Mont 'al  Musk
Me ons were grown at M'acdonald College, Que.
They are well netted and perfect in form.
Mielons like these sell for $12 to $18 a dozen on
the Montreal market.
Oitario oreharding is extensive; in
fact, the figures reported by the Bureau
of Statistics show  fhat in 1916 over
313,000 acres were given up to the
growing of orchards, small fruits and
vineyards. Now, the yield of apples
per tree in   Ontario is not 'by    any
means as large as it should be.      In
faet, if an increase in Ontario orchard
production equivalent to that obtained
on conmnercial orchards in Ohio Valley
could be obtained it would increase
the returns in orchard crops in Ontario
five-fold, not saying what it would do
in the improvement of the quality of
the fruit gathered.
Methods of Application.
What to apply, when and how to
apply it, are interesting points for the
('anadian  horticulturist. As to the
time of application 'of fertilizers the
Pen nsylvani a Agricultural Experiment
Station says: "To increase the crop of
the curreit season the right time to
apply fertilizers appears to be about
the time the buds are beginning to
open in the spring or slightly later.
Applications made nmuch later, how-
ever, are often useful in steadying the
yield  from  year to year, and hence
should not be neglected."
,i general practice best results are
obtained from   fertilizers on orehard
trees  from   applying   the  fertilizer
rround the tree, covering an area out
from nthe trunk of the trees albout equal
to  the   spread    of  the   overhead
branches.   This application should 'he
made about the time that the grass is

becoming green and taking on a vigor-
ous growth.
What to Apply.
As to what to apply, it is generally
conceded that a fairly available nitro-
gen gives quickest results. This should
be accompanied by a good supply of
phosphoric acid and potash. In Nova
Sr'otia practical orchardisits report the
use of 500 to 1,000 lbs. per acre of a
high-grade fertilizer.  This available
plantfood  asslists in  early  branch
growth and bud formation and feeds
the delveloping fruit at a tine when the
ordinary supply of soil plantfood falls
shlort of the great draft which a heavy
crop of fruit makes upon the soil.
Many an acre of unprofitable home
or commnnsercial orthard can he brought
into profitable yielding iby closer care
to the five factors at the (ore of the
orcharding industry.   None of these
factors can be omitted, btl not all of
them are receiving the attention that
they merit froun Conadian fiuit grow-
ers. Indications are that considerable
opportunity will develop in the near
future for export fruit trade from Can-
a da. Whether or not we shall be able
to hold this trade when the oppor-
tunlity 'offers will depend upon the
magnlitude of the supply of Al stock.
This is why intensive orcharding is of
such vital importance to the Dominion.
Urge Use of Acid Phosphate
Due to the high prices of fertilizing
materials, the Ohio Experimental Sta-
tion urges Ohio farmers to make the
most economical use of animal manure
and acid phosphate for spring crops.
Manure contains relatively high amounts
of nitrogen and potash and when re-
enforced with acid phosphate at the rate
of from 200 to 300 pounds to the acre
produces the most economical gains in
farm crops.
The shipment of European potash
salts has not begun and the latest
United States quotations are around
$350 a ton for muriate of potash ;
nitrate of soda has been offered at $81 a
ton at eastern ports. Acid phosphate, it
is said, should be secured in Ohio at
around $27 a ton.
Station officials also point out the
economic lessons in a 14-year experiment
in which acid phosphate, at the rate 'of
240 pounds to the acre and costing on
the average of $3.12 per acre for applica-
tion, has produced a net gain of approxi-
mately $20 per acre in a five-year
rotation, whereas other combinations of
acid phosphate, nitrate of soda and
muriate of potash costing from 8107to
$18 per acre have produced a net gain of
btit a little more than the acid phosphate
alone for the sarne period.

M~arch, 1919-

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