The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-10-26

matter should De GuFne
under, and it is right there that the
proper kind Of fertilizer is to be de-
cided upon and applied at that time.
If the ground is very rich in humus
and vegetable matter an application of
lime every three or four years at the
rate of twenty bushels per acre will be
found to be of great use in Fastening
ripening of fruit and making thrifty
vines. After the first two or three
years Of a vineyards existence it is not
necessary to add any nitrogen in the
fertilizers, but large applications of
potash every year r necessary to give
good results. My ideal fertilizer would
contain an average of about ten per
cent, potash and eight TO nine per cent.
p~hosphoric acid. I would prefer sui
plate as the source of potash, but If
applied in the early fall muriate might
do very we'll. AS grapes have an in
clination to have an off year once In
awhile, they don't want as heavy an
application after a poor year as after a
good crop. A full crop of grapes from
a five year old vine ought to yield at
the rate of three tons per acre and one
a resdily see the amount Of potash
r quired for food for the vine at that
rate when we take into account the
fact that in it's competition there is
more potash than nitrogen and phos-
phoric 6cid together (the ratio being 81
of potash to 9 of phosphoric acid and
Is Of nitrogen). For a full bearing
vineyard half a ton per C Of the
above brand of fertilizer would be none
too much. Ny reason for dispensing
with nitrogen entirely is that generally
after a few years there is enough Of it
collected in the soil from vegetable
sources to do, and as it is not advisable
to promote heavy wood growth the
nitrogen supply in the fertilizer is not
necessary. Some growers use nitrate
of soda, but I have found it injurious
to the quality of fruit and quite a pro
moter Of bull canes on the vines. Il
one has any doubts about the nitrogen
point of the question, the vines them
selves will decide the matter and by
simply cutting q cane and examine the
core of the same; if on examination
the core is large and hollow and the
grain of the wood looks sappy, there
has been an over application Of nitro
gen, but if the core is normal and the
wood firm and solid and ~1ne-grained,
the fertil'ze has been properly bal
anced. If the former is the case with
your vines increase the potash; if the
latter, just repeat the last application.
In pruning grapes, one has to use a
good deal of common sense in the mat
ter and be guided considerably by Cir
cumstances. There are several systems
that can be prOfitably used, but all
have some features in them that can,
not be carried into effect all the time.
The point to be mostly adhered to in
every case Ia to be sure and have the
best and healthiest canes for your fruit
canes, and if pruned in the early fall
always leave a few extra buds for fear
of frost injuring the last one or two
left O If too many should grow in
the spring it is an easy matter to cut
them eff as soon as noticed.
The mode of trellising is so varied
that I do not care to recommend any
particular one. The California style of
tying to single stakes believe to be the
most suitable for US in the South as we
want to do own cultivating both
ways, and by stretching wires on posts
that cannot be dcne without causing a
lot of hoeing to be necessary. saw a
very good idea of trellisingat Southern
Pines, N. @, last spring, while on a
visit to the State Experimental Station.
The posts were six to seven feet high,
high enough for a man and horse to
work under the wires. But wire, how
ever, well stretched is apt to sag under
a full crop of fruit, therefore I am not
in favor of it at all. l have my own
vineyard wired but I am altering it all
this year to a stake to every vine.
Regarding varieties for the Southern
States, l find Niagara" leads in guam
tity and general healthy condition OF
vine but quality OF fruit is only medi-
um, but it always commands a ready
market. Delaware is really the finest
in quality and does well all through
the South and command the top notch
in the market. 1t is a slow grower, but
when properly treated it does excellent
and so far has proved the most profit
able of all. Diamond is a very good
grape, m ten days earlier than