One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture AnsweredWickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Science
One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture Answered
Wickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Agriculture -- California
There is not only no standard for fertilizing orange trees, but there is
no "ideal" which might be considered as a basis for a standard. All
growers who are awake to the necessity of doing something for bearing
trees, try all things and hold fast to what (they think) is good.
Practically none of them has any enduring conviction or demonstration as
to what is good, but they keep on trying. There is, however, one clear
and enduring conviction, and that is, that continuous fertilizing must
be done for profit, and our best growers are using the same materials
you mention in considerably larger amounts than you apply, and use also
other forms of nitrogenous fertilizers. The amounts of superphosphate
and nitrate which you use would be considered homeopathic treatment by
our growers.
Cow Stable Drainage for Fruit.
I have been told that the drainings from a cow barn make an excellent
fertilizer for orange and lemon trees, in fact, anywhere on plants where
manure is considered beneficial.
The drainage from a cow barn is excellent for fertilizing almost any
crop unless it is used in too large quantity. If it should be combined
with a considerable amount of water used for cleaning out the stable, it
would be excellent for the irrigation of all kinds of fruit trees. Care
should be taken, however, not to oversaturate the ground, which would be
the case if the washing of the stable was allowed to run continuously
alongside a single row of trees. The water should be changed from row to
row in succession, cultivating the ground meantime to promote aeration
and to prevent too great compacting of the soil.
Seed Farm Refuse as a Fertilizer.
Would cleanings from sweet peas or all kinds of seeds grown on a seed
farm be of any value as a fertilizer on sandy loam soil for an orchard?
This has been in a pile for three years or more, and I can get it for
the hauling. There are a hundred loads or more of it and not very far to
haul.
It would be worth more on a heavy soil, because the danger of drying out
would be less and the surety of reduction to humus greater. To get the
highest value from such stuff it should be composted with water and
turning in heaps, but that would occasion expense beyond value probably,
unless it could be composted with manure for market garden purposes. The
hauling might be good work for idle teams. Spread the stuff rather
thinly to be covered in with fall plowing, so that its decay could be
promoted during the rainy season.
Slow Stuff as a Fertilizer.
How can we use sawdust and shavings from our high school shop so as to
combine it with street sweepings, lawn cuttings, etc., and insure ready
decay without objectionable features?
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