The morning call., 1890-08-13
VINE FERTILIZERS.
An Interesting Report on a New Method
Used in France.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12.-Oscar Malmros
United States Commercial Agent at Stettin,
Germany, forwards to the State Depart
ment the following interesting report on
the new grapevine fertilizer in use there.
George Vile, the eminent Professor Of
Vegetable Chemistry at the Paris Museum
of Natural History, writes as follows:
During the five years l have been deyot-
ing myself to the study Of new formulas Of
chemical fertilizers. the one employed for
grape vines in 1889 at the experimental vine
yard Of Vincennes has yielded 10000 kilo-'
grams of raisins per hectare, equal. say. to
$50 hectoliters of wine receipt as follows:
Superphosphate of lime at 10 per cent 400
Kilograms; carbonate of potassa, re-
fined at 90 per cent, 200 Kilograms;
sulphate of lime, 400 Kilograms; total,
1000 Kilograms. By plowng this manure,
as far as practicable, il is to be applied
In autumn III November and December, or
in case this cannot be done, in January and
February. The recipe is applicable to every
variety of soil on which vines grow. Ihave
only experimental on French vines, but [
am convinced tina. the above fertilizer will
have the same effect ON American vines.
10 the above recipe may add that it is de-
sirable to trim the Vine stocks but little and
to let them remain tall, very tall. This Will
have tendency TO avoid attacks of phyl-
loxera. The manner of employing this
fertilizer is very simple. A little cup
shaped cavity is made around each vine
and into which cavity one pours quantity
OF the fertilizer, which quantity has been
ascertained by dividing 1000 Kilograms by
the number Of vines on the hectare. A
common water tumbler may serve as a
measure by surrounding the tumbler with a
thread at the height of the duse required.
After the fertilizer has been applied the
hole is filed up with the earth removed.
In order to make hole in case the vine
yards are of very great extent one may
proceed in still simpler manner. One
spreads the fertilizer in front and behind
of the vines and covers it with EARTH"
In commenting on the recipe, Mr.. Malm-
ros says: The AIMEE Scientifique, in in
dorsing the recipe of Professor Vile, says
that in view of the fact that in the entire
south of France shortcut line stocks are of
immemorial tradition, the recommendation
to keep them very tall constitutes bold
innovation, but feels no hesitation in ed-
vising viticulturists to reform their habits
in this respect, in order to place themselves
In the conditions described by the dlstln-
guished chemist for the application of his
recipe. l am informed that the above-men-
toned large production Of the experimental
vineyard at Vincennes cannot exhaust the
soil, as the fertilizer fully restores to the
soil all ingredients consumed by the pro-
duction If the crop. Regarding raisins,
am also informed that the favorable c0nse-
quences of keeping vines tall may be at
tributed to the circumstance that the vines
kept In that condition are provided with
plenty of leaves, which constitute the respi-
ratory as well as the digestive organs OF
the plant, and that an abundance of leaves
are required in order to give vigOr and pro-
ductivenesS to the vine; that, on the con-
trary, a deficiency of leaves causes de-
crease of sugar in ralsins, aud in course OF
time probably tenderness or sponglness III
the r0Ofs' ~