The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-09-17
No. 80
HORTICULTURE
CARBONIC ACID GAS FOR GRAPE
VINES AND FRUIT TREES.
COrrespondence Of the Progressive Earmar-

W
1t know anything about the prin-
clples underlying profitable farming, I
aCCr1oute it mainly to the following in
cident:
0oAn0 years ago, whilst travelling
ny rail- near Wilmington, N. @. a
young man informed me that +bo
autumn previous his father gathered
II bushels Of grapes from two flower
grape vines, a variety of the scupper-
nong, and sold them for wine purposes
at 81 per bushel. That after one Of
said vines had been set some six or
seven years, he dug a pit 8 feet long. 4
teet wide and p feet deep, into which
he put half cord of green red oak
wood, bark on, thus filling the pit
within 6 inches of the top, and then
covered with the surrounding earth.
He then cut vine that had probably
been previously rooted, from the other
vine and planted it near one end of
said pit. In few years it caught up
with and went ahead of the parent
vine, producing about two thirds of the
~ bushels Nor was this all: the grapes
OF the younger vine were larger and of
much better quality. Of course the
red oak wood made the difference, but
as yet know nothing more.
Not long after this / came across q
copy of Peterson's Familiar Science.
which made the matter plain. Briefly
stated, the oxygen of the air, or of rain
water, combined with the carbon in.
the dec8ying wood and formed car
bonic acid gas. This gas possesses
greet fertiliZing properties The roots
of the vine ran among the logs, fed on
it, and produced the result aforesaid.
Soon after this wrote an article, en-
bracing the above, that was read be-
fore the Farmers Club of New York
and commented upon. After the con-
clusion of the reading Mr.. Fuller re-
marked to the effect that every person
who turned under crop Of clover de-
rived the same benefit.
a Mr.. Alexander Fuller, presumably
the came map) has, since the above Oc-
Cured (about 1870 written book on
grape culture in which he advises that
trenches be constructed and filed with
green red oak wood, and after filling.
same with dirt that the grape vines be-
planted thereon. l have not seen the,
book, but am credibly informed as to
it's contents.
This gave me a new idea that has
since been utilized to a great extent.
The article was published in such
papers as the World a. Tribune ard
afterwards copied from ocean to ocean.
The light here gained has since formed
the basis of my theory for turning
green crops.
TRENCHES BETTER THAN PITS.
Instead of pits, trenches con be
formed with plows and the dirt thrown
out with shOvels much more expe-
ditiously. After the trenches have
been constructe d, fill with wood to
within about inches of the top. Cover
with dirt and plant your vines thereon
at proper distances apart to suit the
variety of grape vines.
TRENCHES FOR APPLE OR OTHER FRUIT
TRIBES.
For fruit trees it is deemed best to
construct trenches at right angles at
proper distances apart to suit the diff
ferent trees, a tree being planted at
each check or cross. Thus we will say
that you wish to plant your trees 26
feet apart each way. In this case the
poles Of wood should be cut about Is
feet long This would leave a space of
about Z feet at each crossing in which
there is no wood. Fill these vacant
spaces with the earth that has been re-
moved and plant your trees thereon.
The trees will thus have solid ground
to root in and will not be liable to be
blown down by the winds, and they
will also be sufficiently near the logs
for the roots to run out among them.
In transplanting trees, they should not
be planted any deeper than they orlgI'
nally grew.
ORCHARDS IN CALIFORNIA.
I have seen orchards in California
that grew. as was credIbly informed,
$500 worth of fruit per acre, the excel
lent; fruit E s. being produced by them.
Great pains were bestowed on their
cnItivation, no vegetation Of any kind
being permitted to grow III them.
9TI9 b9eiieve the same plan would be of
GREAT advantage here. Have no more
EEr,1it trees than is absolutely necessary
q md ID these cultivate carefully, growing
no crop of any kind a among non them. hem,
.,o roots would be apt to set deeper
than they otherwise would, thus more
readily admitting of blowing without
injury.