31 



and sulphate of potash is both a g'oocl and a safe mixture. Sul- 

 phate of ammonia can be mixed with this to advantage perhaps. 

 I have some pot experiments that indicate that gypsum is a 

 benefit on subsoil. The experiment station recommends humus, 

 and also burning. Lime is little, if an}', benefit to the crop. 



I plant between nine and ten thousand plants to the acre. x\t 

 present I space plants 48 inches between rows by 14 inches in the 

 row. I have tried all ways, and think this approximately the 

 best for horse cultivation and profits. There is little good in 

 massed rows of any sort. They increase expense, and decrease 

 size of fruit. If I could not use animals at all I would plant 

 40'' X 16". As an aid to planting I have a 400-foot small cable 

 wire marked for spaces, and held by an iron stake at each end. 

 These stakes have an ofifset or shoulder so that they can be 

 shoved into the ground with the foot like a shovel is. On one 

 stake I use a grip so that the wire can be shortened without wrap- 

 ping it around the stake. The blade of the planting mattock is 

 12" X 3". This is more efficient than an ordinary eight-inch 

 grubbing hoe. The mattock man works with a mate, who slips 

 the plant into the hole before the dirt has a chance to fill it up. 



To free the new plants from mealy bugs, I use a large tub 

 and a drain table made of a piece of corrugated roofing iron, 

 with flaring wooden sides. At the lower end of this table is a 

 spout, and the upper end is left open so that the drained plants 

 may be pushed off. In my notes of seven years ago. I find that 

 five men planted 1800 suckers a day, and I thought they were 

 doing good work. Now five of my men plant over 4000. and ([uit 

 at 2 :30 p. m. The day's work when plants are not dipped, is 

 for the gang to strip and plant per man 800 suckers, or 1000 slips, 

 or 1200 tops, and they do this easily and well. Dipping the plants 

 wall decrease the average about fifty plants per man. not more. 

 Suckers are planted six to eight inches deep, at least, and other 

 plants are put as deep as practical. The effect of shallow plant- 

 ing is that the plant is less likely to stay thrifty. It does not pay 

 to pack the soil about the plant except in very dry weather. 

 This year is the first time I have ever noticed any gain by so 

 doing. 



Beginners usually strip too much. In a wet season it is little 

 use to strip tops at all. In wdnter planting I leave all their leaves 

 on ; and with suckers I only remove three or four leaves up one 

 side. The plants start a little slower. The ends of suckers are 

 cut off only when the shank is very long or very crooked. The 

 way to strip a sucker is to start three or four leaves up the side, 

 and take all the rest oft" at one time, shucking sidewise as you 

 do a top. 



It is customary to replant two or three times, removing all 

 plants that look badly, or that pull up easily because of shank 

 rot, or from shallow planting. Sometimes there is an almost per- 

 fect 'stand. At other times there is a loss of 75%. _Four or five 

 per cent, loss is nothing to think twice about. 



