GRAIN CROPS. 159 



After the vines are set, it should be the aim of the cultivator, 

 as soon as may be, to put them in exclusive possession of the 

 soil. To this end all moss, grass and weeds should be kept 

 down, with the hoe, while hoeing is practicable, and afterwards 

 by hand, till the supremacy of the vines is fully established, 

 which, under favorable conditions, will be effected in about 

 fou# years, when cultivation is usually discontinued. 



The spreading of the vines may be greatly promoted by the 

 use of concentrated fertilizers, care being used to select such 

 as are free from the seeds of plants which might germinate and 

 prove troublesome. In this particular, guano is, perhaps, pre- 

 ferable to any other manure. A very small quantity, even half 

 a teaspoonful, of this substance, scattered upon the vines in 

 each hill, will have a marked effect in increasing the vigor of 

 their growth. After the vines have completely covered the 

 ground little remains to be done except to use all available 

 means for protecting and securing their fruit. Where vines 

 cannot be readily covered with water, the time of harvesting 

 must be determined by a choice of evils ; either an early harvest 

 of immature fruit, or the risk of partial or total loss that attends 

 a later one. Perfectly ripe fruit keeps best and sells best ; but 

 fruit not fully ripe is sometimes deemed better than none at all ; 

 and the cultivator will, in this respect, be governed by the 

 liability to frost of his particular locality, and his own neces- 

 sities, preferences and judgment. 



Alden S. Bradford, Supervisor, 



GEAIN CROPS. 



WORCESTER SOUTH. 



Statement of Dr. Samuel Hartwell. 

 Indian Corn. — The crop of Indian corn which I offer for 

 premium, grew upon two acres of land. Two-thirds of the lot 

 was in grass and mowed for the five previous years. This part 

 of the lot, before seeding with grass seven years ago, was thor- 

 oughly sub-soiled, ploughed, and freed from all stones that were 



