A BETTER ORCHARD

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 26 September 1927, Page 5

A BETTER ORCHARD

USE OF MANURES

HOW TO GET GOOD RESULTS.

ADDRESS TO FRUIT-GROWERS.

Considerable interest was evinced in an address on Orchard Fertilisation delivered by Dr. Freeman, Government Agriculturist for Hawke's Bay, by members of the jdawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association at Havelock North on Saturday afternoon. It was estimated that from seventy to eighty fruitgrowers were presentin the course of his remarks Dr. Freeman said that unless the orchardist periodically manured his orchard he could not reasonably expect to obtain the best results from the industry in which he was engaged Fruit trees that were not manured remained stunted in appearance and yielded fruit that lacked size and colour—excellent qualities that arrested attention and enabled fruit to sell readily to eager purchasers. The fertilisers that concerned the fruitgrower could be classsd in two categories, said Dr. Freeman. First, natural, and second, artificial or commercial ; to the first class belonged stock manure and green fertiliser, ano to the second class the artificial fertilisers of commerce. Natural man ures supplied humus or decaying vegetable matter in appreciable quantity and this improved the texture of soils, making clay soils less expensive and more amenable of culti ration; it also enabled soils to retain soil moisture which was important in rlawke’s Bay as this would enable fertilisers to produce better results. A WISE PROCEDURE. Stock-manure was not procurable m the necessary quantities in New Zealand for orchard-manuring, said the lecturer, and it was a wise procedure to adopt a combined system ot green and artificial - fertilisation. Green-fertilisation consisted of the growing of a green crop and its return to the soil; suitable crops included lupins, peas, vetches, rape, oats, wheat, barley, and rye. Any of these crops could be grown together for the purpose. The crops should be sown in the autumn aite. the fruit had been gathered. It was not necessary to supply each of the elements of plant food that fruit . .....<iu-ed. Apart from lime there were three only of those required to which the fruitgrower need pay attention- These included phosphorus potash and nitrogen. It might not lie necessary to apply all three ot these; if therefore each was not essential gt would not be economical to do so. USE OF LIME. Lime would improve the texture of heavy soil and it would prevent excessive acid-accumulation . within land, said Dr. Freeman, and enable fertilisers to exercise their best effects. The burnt form of lime was recommended for heavy land; carbonate or unburnt lime was suitable for light sandy soil. Phosphorus w’as tbe element of fertility most liable to be deficient in New Zealand soils, consequently phosphate fertilisers could be regarded as the basic fertilisers required for local orchards as well as for farm crops. Phosphorus contributed to the health, vigour and yielding-power of fruit trees. Potash was usually lacking in sandy and shingly soils This, too, contributed to the general vigour of the tree; it was also regarded that potash improved the colour of certain fruits, such as apples, and where these were deficient of complexion the fruitgrower should ascertain whether dressings of potassic fertiliser would not correct the deficiency. Nitrogencontaining fertilisers contributed to the production of foliage and the general health of fruit trees and where the foliage lacked verdancy or density these should be applied in suitable forms. THE BEST TO USE. Fertilisers that would produce good results in Hawke's Bay included superphosphate and blood and bone or a mixture of these in equal proportions. Sulplate of ammonia would supply nitrogen, although the amount of this element necessary tor local application would probably be contained in blood and bone. Potash would also be necessary where this constituent was deficient as in sandy land. A complete fertiliser consisted of four parts of superphosphate, one part of sulphate of ammonia and one part of sulphate of potash. For apple trees eight or ten years old in full bearing, six pounds upwards of this mixture could be given a tree. Dr. Freeman then gave suitable fertiliser dressings for other local fruit-bearing trees, bushes and vines. These constituted a wide range, including pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, currants, loganberries, gooseberries, mulberries, raspberries, grapes, passion fruit, loquats, oranges, and lemons.

He thought he had indicated sufficently where the different fertilisers were most required but should a fruitgrower be in doubt as to the fertiliser required and was unable to obtain the necessary information he showed how he could ascertain the manurial requirements of his own orchard. This could be accomplished by selecting sets of fruit trees and giving to one set a complete fertiliser that he had recommended. To a second set of trees the superphosphate and sulphate of potash may be applied to a third the superphosphate and sulphate of ammonia. In the case of the first plot the grower would be able to ascertain whether he need apply a complete fertiliser and by omitting nitrogen and potash respectively from the second and third areas he would be able to ascertain whether he might economically omit either of these from the manurial dressing. Each plot should consist of three rows of trees and the yield from the middle row of each set of trees should be recorded. By recording the yields from the middle row only of each plot the grower could rest asiirid that the trees comprising those rows would not be influenced by the fertilisers that were applied to adjoining plots. Manures could be applied during autumn, winter, or earliest spring and so as to obtain reliable results the trial should on account of the nature of fruit trees be conducted through at least three or four seasons before drawing definite conclusions.

tn conclusion Dr. Freeman said that if the orchard was satisfactorily drained, if the quantities of natural

and artificial fertilisers were balanced, if the sweetness of the soil was maintained by occasional dressings of lime, and the necessary attention paid to cultivation, pruning and the suppression of fungus and insect pests, the trees would make the most of each season that passed.