Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-04-29

can be assimilated by plants. 1t is for
this reason, therefore, that low soils
sometimes fail to make good yields
though they apparently contain a large
amount of vegetable matter and seem to
be in an ideal condition for crop produc-
ton. The absence of these organisms Is
frequently due to the superabundance of
moisture contained in the land. They
may be supplied to the soil by an appli>
cation OF not less than five tons of yard
manure per acre; or where yard manure
can not be obtained, the loan from
garden OF long standing may be used
| as a top dressing. Frequent cultivation
| is TO be commended and should be sys-
tematically pursued with lands of this
character. Few people realize how essen
tial the nitrifying germs are TO the wei
| fare of the plant. and have therefore not
made the necessary provision for supply
] ing them TO the soil.
| GROWING GRAPES IN ALABAMA.
! L F. G., Bankston. Ala. writes: Please
| give me some information as to the Gull
/ ture OF grapes in Alabama. My land Is
| good sandy soil with clay subsoil. How
should they be pruned and how set out?
/ The culture of grape vines and the
/ training of the same depends largely upon
the kind of grapes grown and the locality
/ in which the vineyard is situated. Grapes
: like a graveliy, we'll drained soil. II your
clay sub-soil is not too heavy, ii is very
probable that your land will serve well
| for grapes. AS rule the vines are plant
cd I0x10 feet. Early i'm the spring II Is
q good plan to pillow them and keep the
land we'll cultivated up until the middle
OF the summer, when some kind of COW
, er crop may be sown TO be turned under
{ the following spring. The first year or
au-o tho vines set
raise crops between them, but after they
have begun to bear this would not be adj
Visable.
. Any fertilizer that you apply to your
grapes should be high i'm potash mainly
and second in phosphOric acid. A good
fertilizer for grapes is from to per
cent nitrogen, s to per cent phosphoric
acid. and 10 to Il per cent potash. This
can be applied in concentric circles around
the vines, about one pound to the vine.
: but be careful not to get the material in
direct contact with the vine. The fertil-
izer should be worked in about the time
of the second cultivation ian the spring.
As for pruning. il is almost impossi-
BILE to tell one how or to recommend Il
SYSTEM Of grape training, as there are
almost as many ways to prune and train
grapes as there are men growing vines.
The dropping or Knifin system is extern
I
arms running out on wires and the fruit
Ing canes hang down from these arms.
Mr.. Munson. of Texas. has a system that
is considered most excellent. a post -
set in the ground. and about feet from
the ground a cross piece is set out about
Is inches on either side or the post, ana
along the ends OF these cross pieces wires
are strung and also one along the center.
This gives three wires and the fruiting
Z
grapes you should remember that the
fruit is borne on this years growth,
which comes from the canes of last sea
son. and that IL all the new wood produc-
ed by a vine is allowed to remain, there
will be so much fruit set that IL is very
probable but little will be matured. 1t is
a good plan to leave from to buds on
each arm OF the vine as each one or
these buds will produce a cane which will
mature several punches of fruit. At the
time of setting out grape vines. they
! should be spurred back; that is, only three
or four buds left to grow. The next year
! you should decide upon your system of
training and prune the vines according
~.
AS for varieties, the following have been
recommended by the Georgia Horticultur-
a; society for growing I'm Georgia, and win
probably DO just as well i'm Alabama
Diamond. Niagara, BI.shton. Delaware.
Salem. Moore's Early. Concord, Carman,
and Muench. There are others recon-
mended but these seem TO be the most
highly spoken Of
/ trust that you will make a success of
your grape venture, but should you go
into this business, you must remember
that IL Is very specialized and unless you
spray, prune properly, and take most
excellent care of your vines the remuner-
, alton will be small. but II you look after
everything in good shape 1t is quite prob
able that you can make a success. AS
you are thinking of going into this work
(; might be well to recommend a few
books along this line. Horticultural opera
tons are very intricate and to give fun
and complete information on the entire
subject Of grape growing would demand
too much space; therefore, we must be
curtailed in our remarks and ! take the
liberty OF mentioning the following books:
THE Pruning Book" by l.. H. Bailey;
Principles of Fruit Growing" by L. H
Bailey, and the Foundation of American
Grape Culture" by Munson. The first
two mentioned are general books whereas
the last is devoted entirely to the grape
The books by J.. II. Bailey may be OBJ
tanned from the Macmillan company, the
other one can be bought from T. V Num-
son & Sons. Denison, Tex. The first two
are worth s1.5O each, and the last $500
TONIC TREATMENT FOR LAME
NESS
A farmers wife, Martin, Ga, writes:
I have a fine mare that has been lame
In both hind legs and very stiff | have
used the best liniment on her for rheu-
matism. but she is no better. ] think
she has some kind of stomach trouble
as she is falling off every day. ] have
been feeding her on corn, oats and hay,
and have a fine rye patch. Kindly let
me know what to do for her.
We would suggest that you give your
horse the following: Powdered nux vom-
lea, drachms; powdered potassium ace
tate, ounces; powdered gentian root
l-2 ounces; powdered lcorice root
ounces. Mix together and make ten
powders. Give one powder three times a
day.
TREATING A SICK COW.
G. ID. H., Martin, Ga, writes: / have
| a cow years old that has a young calf
weeks old. She seemed to do well until