Food for same time broadcast along the rows Nitrate of Soda at the 



rate of 200 pounds per acre. If the plants lose color in spots. 



94 late in the season, work into the soil about the vine an 



ounce or so of Nitrate, but this must not be done later than 



midsummer. 



Profitable Fertilization of Grapes. 



Summary of Experiments by Prof. Paul Wagner, Director of Darmstadt 

 Agricultural Experiment Station, Darmstadt, Germany. 



Systematic fertilizer experiments with grapes have been 

 conducted in this country so rarely that we must seek in- 

 formation in this line from foreign experimenters. The 

 experiment detailed below was conducted by Professor 

 Paul Wagner, of the Darmstadt Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, Darmstadt, Germany. The vines were grown 

 singly in pots. The fertilizer application in the two pots 

 illustrated herewith were at the rate of 3.3 ounces of Nitrate 

 of Soda, .6 of an ounce muriate of potash and 2 ounces 

 acid phosphate per vine. At the rate of 907 vines per acre 

 (vines 6 by 8 feet) this application is the equivalent of 189 

 pounds Nitrate of Soda, 113 pounds acid phosphate and 

 34 pounds muriate of potash per acre. The accompanying 

 illustrations show the growth of vine and also the production 

 of fruit from the two pots, and the excellent effect of Nitrate 

 of Soda is unmistakably shown. The actual yields of fruit 

 were : 



Per Acre. 

 Potash and acid phosphate without Nitrate of Soda... . 1,024 lbs. 

 Potash and acid phosphate with Nitrate of Soda 4»929 " 



A remarkable point in this experiment was data to show 

 the growth of leaf and wood for each 100 pounds of grapes,, 

 as follows: 



Wood. Leaf. 



With Nitrate, for 100 lbs. grapes 47 lbs. 13 lbs. 



Without Nitrate, for 100 lbs. grapes 119 " 34 " 



The evidence tends to confirm the belief that insufficient 

 or improperly balanced fertilizers produce wood and leaf 

 growth often at the expense of the fruit; that is, the mer- 

 chantable portion of the crop. In fertilizing grapes the 

 phosphate and potash should be applied early in the spring,, 

 before the vines begin to grow; Nitrate of Soda should be 



