Slimmer Meeting. 59 



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tent for this reason : They ripen in Jul}- when we are having heavy 

 rains and our fruit does not ship well. We grow enough to furnish the 

 home markets. I used to sell my grapes in Macon for seventy-five cents 

 a basket. That was when there was very Httle other fruit on the market. 

 At that time there were very few vineyards in Bibb county, of which 

 Macon is the county seat. They soon got to growing and putting out 

 grape vines and finally the whole w^orld got to growing grapes and the- 

 home markets could not take them. We found that by shipping our 

 grapes were not in good shape. People had no information in regard 

 to grape growing and let their vineyards go down. At the present time 

 very few grapes are grown in a commercial way. We fertilize every- 

 thing, even peaches, strawberries and all kinds of berries. 



Prof. Dutcher. — Our commercial fertilizer used in our corn fields 

 having 3 per cent, potash (our friend thinks almost too small a per cent, 

 for anything, for the very good reason that he is in the potash business), 

 3 per cent, of phosphoric acid and 6 per cent, nitrogen is used largely 

 to produce wheat and grass in this county. Order from Armour, indi- 

 cating the per cent, of these ingredients. I know it is all right with 

 our grape vines. Before you bud the vines for the winter, have the 

 ground well cultivated and free from weeds, then scatter under the 

 vines this 3-8-6, as you would salt an asparagus bed and then hoe it under 

 to mix with the soil. To mulch your vines, use corn stalks or refuse 

 from the cane mill, or even clean straw, around the vines and put the 

 fertilizer over the straw, or if you have fairly w^ell rotted and clean 

 manure, put it under the vines and in the spring take away the rough. 

 During the winter the strength will have washed into the ground and 

 the grapes will be larger and finer. But the fine, nice grape with the 

 beautiful color and the fluffy down, we obtain in the country only by 

 bagging. It will be gone before the grape is ripe if you do not bag it. 



Mr, Morrill. — I put phosphoric acid first — 8 per cent, phosphoric 

 acid, 3 per cent, nitrogen and 6 per cent, potash. 



Pres. Robnett. — I hope that we can have some results by next year 

 and know more about this, as the Secretarv w-ill send us each a bag- of it. 

 I have to have something to make a crop. I believe in short vines. 



Prof. Dutcher. — After the grapes set, cut back the vines in order to 

 throw the strength into the bunch. 



