THE GENESEE FARMER. 



^ 



GxTANO OK Wheat. — How shall I apply guano most 

 prufiUibly to whi-at V A"nd what is the best method of pre- 

 serving grapes in their natural state, for winter use ? C. W. 

 — Plmiau ivLviUt. 



Tlie best time to apply guauo to the wheat crop, 

 « in the fall; such i3 the result of experiment. 

 As regards the best method of application, much 

 difference of opinion exists; not so much, how- 

 ever, among practical fiirmers, as among the ranks 

 of agricultural chemists and mere theoretical 

 farmers. Some contend that there is a great loss 

 of ammonia (the principal element of guano, of 

 value to the wheat plants) if applied to the soil, 

 without some chemical means being used to fix it. 

 Gypsum (sulphate of lime) is recommended for 

 this purpose; likewise common salt, charcoal dust, 

 and peat, have their several advocates. 



If gypsum would fix the ammonia of guano, by 

 converting it into the sulphate of ammonia, we 

 would say, always mix plaster witli the guano 

 previous to sowing. But it will not. When per- 

 fectly dry, I't has no effect at all on guano ; but 

 when slightly moistened with water, and allowed 

 to remain for some time, not only will it not fix 

 the ammonia, hut actually liberates it. and is tfiere- 

 fore worse thaii useless. It is perfectly true that, 

 in a chemiciil sense, snlphate of lime will decom- 

 pose carbonate ammonia, forming the fixed salt 

 sulphate of ammonia, and the insoluble carbonate 

 of lime. But chemists always operate with their 

 substances in solution, and it is only when sul- 

 phate of lime is in solution that it will fix carbon- 

 ate of ammonia; so that it is of no use mixing 

 gypsum with guano, for the purpose of retaining 

 the ammonia. 



The ammonia of guano, in its unmixed state, 

 will probably escape to some extent on exposure 

 to the air, in eonsc([uence of decomposition ; but 

 we believe that as soon as the guano is mixed 

 with the soil, there is no longer any evaporation 

 of ammonta. It is known that several kinds of 

 soils will attract ammonia ; and the experiments 

 of Mr. Way show that some leoils retain it with 

 great tenacity. 



In sowing guano on wheat, therefore, we tliink 

 it a waste of lime, to say the least, to be at any 

 trouble in trying to fix the ammonia. Our meth- 

 od has been, first to break the lump? of the guano 

 until they would uass through a seive, and then 

 re-bag, take it to the ficid, and sow it UiOne at tue 

 rate of two to four cwt. per acre, araggmg it in 

 immediatelj', sowing the wheat at the same time. 

 This way answers wci'l, and we know of no belter. 



In England, guano is often sown on the young 

 wheat plant in early spring, and answers a good 

 purpose in this way ; but fall sowing is there con- 



sidered the best by most farmers who have tried 

 both plana 



If our friend tries guano on wheat, we hope he 

 will let us know the result. 



If it was but half its present price, the applicor 

 tion of guano on wheat would be attended with 

 great profit At the present relative prices of 

 guano and wheat, it may pay to use it, yet the 

 prospect of profit is not very bright. 



Preserving Grapes. — We find no difficulty in 

 preserving grapes in a very simple way. This 

 year we had fine Isabellas in abundance as late as 

 the 20th of April. We pick the grapes on a dry 

 day, cut out with scissors any imperfect or bruised 

 berries, and then spread the bunches on the floor 

 of a vacant room, or on shelves, first covering the 

 floor with paper. We let them lie in this way 

 about a week, and then pack them away in boxes, 

 putting a layer of cotton batting between each 

 layer of grapes. The boxes we put in a cool, dry 

 place. Last year we appropriated a closet in the 

 upper part of the house, for the purpose ; and a 

 party of friends who "tasted" our last dish of 

 ijiapes, unanimously declared they were as fine as 

 when first taken from the vines. 



While on this subject, we give a new method, 

 adopted to some extent in France, which we take 

 from the Albany Cultivator : 



" A new method of keeping grapes in winter has been 

 praeticed in France, consisnng esseniially in hanging up 

 the bunches separately, by the amuoler end on wire hooks. 

 Small wires, of sufficient stiffness, and a few inehes in 

 length, are bent into hooks in the shape of the letter S : 

 one end is passed inlc the smaller end of the bunch, and 

 the other placed upon a suspenciea noop, as shown m the 

 annexed figure. The position of the buujhes causes every 

 berry to hang away from its neighbor, and eonsequently 

 they are less liable to rot by contact, thart by any other 

 arrangement. , 



The hoops are suspended by three cords or wires to a 



