StATJE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 55 



manured every year. Among the grapes bearing good croi>s of large 

 clusters are Allen's Hybrid, Delaware, and Rebecca. The crops of Del- 

 awares, Hartfords, and Concords arc iininense. 



I know another Concord vineyaiil upon a sandy soil which usually 

 bears good crops of sweet fruit without manure; but it is manured with 

 "brains" and muscles too, the entire vineyard being kept pulverized as 

 finely as can be done with a garden rake, and a plank crusher to grind 

 the soil to a powder. 



Mr. Wier — What if llie gentleman had put on stable manure and 

 did not put on the lime and ashes ? 



Mr. Gall'sha — I would say in that case, he did not manure with 

 his brains. [Laughter.] 



Dr. Humphrey — It is not over rich ground that we want for grapes. 

 If we find that our land is too rich and fat, we had better take some 

 of the "fat " out of it, by seeding it in grass for a few years, and then 

 it would be in a good state to put in to grapes. 



Fres. Starr — I do not know, but that you may e.xpect an exj^lan- 

 ation from me. I said, and still say, the better the preparation the 

 better the result. Excessive manuring would not be good preparation. 

 I said nothing about manure. 1 would get away from the idea of ''hot- 

 house " culture, and would encourage the thorough preparation and cul- 

 tivation of the virgin soil, as productive of the best results. I am sorry 

 gentlemen, you did not get a better hold of the illustration. 



Mr. Wier — I understood you myself. But those who go back to 

 the books,they get just this principle — "the hot-bed process." It burns 

 the vines up. I was afraid your remark might lead the novices in grape 

 culture astray. 



Pres. Starr — They must be better informed. 



Mr. Wier — I would say just one other thing. 1 tind i can raise a 

 great deal of manure right on the ground, and since I adopted this plan 

 of plowing in the natural manure grown upon the land, 1 can see a 

 vast improvement in the productions. 1 now grow twenty bushels more 

 of corn to the acre than before I adopted this practice of plowing under 

 the natural food for plants ; and I now apply to many crops, no other 

 food. 



Mr. Flagg — There seem to be some very contradictory facts. It 

 is known that the Delaware grape is grown successfully, upon just the 



