The Pecan and its CultureHume, H. Harold (Hardrada Harold)
Philosophy
The Pecan and its Culture
Hume, H. Harold (Hardrada Harold)
Pecan
Nitrogen, which is used by the trees largely in making growth of leaf
and wood, may be supplied from a number of different sources, viz:
stable manure, cotton seed, cotton-seed meal, dried blood, fish scrap,
sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of soda. These substances are the
principal commercial sources of nitrogen. Large amounts of nitrogen are
gathered by leguminous crops; cowpeas, vetch, beggarweed, velvet beans,
alfalfa and others may be planted to advantage, resulting in a great
saving in fertilizer bills, and besides, adding the necessary vegetable
matter and humus.
The most common source of phosphorus, usually referred to as phosphoric
acid, is acid phosphate. Some is obtained from bone, and bone meal is a
good fertilizer to use among pecan trees. The results obtained from its
use are not immediate, but since the bone does not decay rapidly, they
extend over a considerable period. On the whole, acid phosphate is as
satisfactory as any material as a source of phosphoric acid, and the
goods with the highest percentage are usually the most economical in the
end. A good grade is that analyzing fourteen per cent.
Potash may be purchased, as kainit, the raw salt, or as muriate of
potash, low grade sulphate of potash and high grade sulphate of potash.
Of these the sulphates are usually given the preference in fruit
growing. Of the domestic sources of potash, woodashes are important.
The amount of fertilizer which it is best to apply is difficult to
decide upon; much depends on the character of the soil, what crops are
cultivated and whether a crop of legumes is grown or not.
If legumes are grown for the benefit of the orchard, they should be
fertilized, and if the crop is turned back into the soil, this may be
sufficient for the trees, particularly while they are young. For the
legumes, a good fertilizer to use per acre is:
Kainit, 100 lbs.; Acid Phosphate, 200 lbs.
or, High-Grade Sulphate of Potash, 50 lbs.
Acid Phosphate, 200 lbs.
In any case some allowance should be made for the amount of nitrogen
collected by the legumes. When corn, cotton or some other crops are
grown in the orchard, fertilizing may simply consist in distributing an
additional amount of the crop fertilizer for the benefit of the trees.
For the growth of the young trees, a larger amount of nitrogen and a
relatively smaller amount of phosphoric acid and potash are required,
while for older trees, the reverse is true. Phosphoric acid and potash
are required by bearing trees for the formation of fruit. Consequently,
when the pecan orchard comes into bearing, these materials should be
increased in the fertilizer applied. If the soil is not very rich at the
time of planting, good results will follow the use of a pound of good
commercial fertilizer at the time of planting.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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