THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



The essayist was confident that more 

 failures and discouragements arise from 

 this mistaken policy than is generally 

 believed. 



The system of pruning described is 

 what is known as the renewal system, 

 the vine being, so to say, renewed each 

 year, and thus kept perpetually young. 

 As the fruiting wood is cut away at the 

 annual pruning there is no doubt that 

 the particular roots which have supported 

 it mostly die, while the new, vigorous 

 ones, corresponding to the new cane, 

 remain to carry the crop at the next 

 fruitage ; thus in reality only the trunk 

 of the vine is permanent, whatever its 

 age. This mode of treatment insures 

 larger clusters, and if the fertility be 

 ample and the fruitage not too heavy, 

 the berries will also be large with a heavy 

 bloom, which is at once attractive in 

 market and an evidence of high quality. 



If the land is in good heart, and no 

 other crops are grown upon it, no fer-* 

 tilization will be required before third 

 year, but otherwise it should be supplied 

 from the commencement. Barnyard 

 manure has always been looked upon as 

 a complete fertilizer. It consists largely 

 of hay, with more or less grain, ground 

 fine by the animal, which through diges- 

 tion, withdraws a small percentage of 

 nutriment from it and excretes the 

 remainder. If all the liquid and solid 

 matters are saved they constitute a very 

 complete fertilizer. The solid portion 

 alone, however, is incomplete or one- 

 sided in composition, as is also the liq- 

 uid, which is the other side. Barnyard 

 manure, like all organic substances, is 

 available only after its decomposition, 



which requires two or more years for its 

 completion, but it is a serious economical 

 question whether it be best to apply 

 costly materials on which dividends are 

 necessarily postponed. Chemistry shows 

 that the more valuable constituents of 

 barnyard manure can be supplied in 

 commercial substances in better forms, 

 at a cheaper rate and with surer results. 

 The average composition of fruit trees 

 and vines, together with their fruits, as 

 shown by many analysis, led the essay- 

 ist to adopt a fertilizer composed accord- 

 ing to the following formula : 



225 pounds high grade sulphate of potash. 



100 " sulphate of ammonia. 



200 " nitrate of soda. 



200 " South Carolina floats. 



80 II Sulphate of magnesia. 



75 II plaster. 

 Total, 850 pounds for each acre annually. 



These ingredients are nearly all quite 

 soluble and the vines are able to appro- 

 priate them as required through the 

 growing season. They should cost $i6 

 or more, according to the quantity 

 required and the facilities for obtaining 

 them. 



The essayist stated that his experience 

 in growing grapes for the market had 

 been limited to the Concord. As a final 

 word he emphasized and insisted upon 

 the two indispensable conditions of the 

 highest success, which also apply to the 

 growing of all the larger tree fruits as well 

 as grapes. One is the necessity of ample 

 annual fertilization, and the other is the 

 severe thinning by which quality of 

 product and consequently high price are 

 to be realized and maintained. 



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