54 tRANSACTiONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Dr. Hooton — Was not the eft'ect, in the example Mr. Wier men- 

 tions, the result of digging holes ? 



Mr. Wier — Where this experiment was tried was upon sand, and 

 not where water could stand. I say more — You can manure corn till 

 you will fail to get a crop. Mr. Galusha would manure his orchard. 

 I would ask if you have not soils that should be made poorer for apples 

 instead of richer ? I know such soils ; this is not a new thing. I have 

 had grape vines grow and do well on soils as poor as you can imagine. 

 I have grown grapes for ten years, and had good crops on soils not rich, 

 and I can still do it. — I will guarantee this. We need cultivation, it is 

 true, but not manure. If there are soils too poor to grow apples and 

 grapes they must be very poor ! 



Dr. Hooton — I understand Mr. Wier to say, that in the example 

 he has mentioned, the manuring and cultivation given were in the high- 

 est style of the art. The question is, how shall we know when we are 

 putting on too much.? Excessive manuring may destroy our plants, 

 but a reasonable amount can't hurt the soil around Centralia. 



Mr. Hilliard — Mr. Wier has advanced an idea that I never heard 

 before, that you can injure corn with manure ! [Laughter.] 



Mr. Galusha — " Brains " make the best manure. You must know 

 what is in the soil if you would know what kind of fertilizers to use. 

 Suppose the soil about Centralia is new prairie, rich in humus, 

 with considerable ulmic acid in it, it is not then a suitable soil for the 

 grape, although very rich, until the excess of ulmic acid is neutralized. ' 

 You must put your brains at work — experimenting and observing results, 

 and you will soon know just what manure and what conditions it re- 

 quires to insure good crops of grapes. Few soils, perhaps none, contain 

 all the elements, and in the best proportions, for any kind of fruit or 

 cereal. Brains^ applied in the right way, must supply the deficiency. 



I know a vineyard, to which I have before called the attention of 

 this Society, of which the soil one year before planting was nearly level 

 prairie, black and exceedingly rich in humus; this was subsoiled, ma- 

 nured with a hundred large loads of barnyard manure, three hundred 

 bushels of lime, and a hundred bushels of ashes to the acre, all well in- 

 corporated in the soil. The ground was thrown into ridges, and grapes, 

 pears, apples, and cherries planted. All varieties of fruits have borne 

 well there for six years, and the ground has been well cultivated and 



