MANURES. 23 



out some splendid plants from a bearing bed of Hovej's 

 Seedlings, with an abundance of staminates within 

 four feet. The vines were very large and fine, but, 

 alas ! did not produce one quart of fruit when fourteen 

 months old. We then removed most of the rich soil 

 and replaced it with sand, and the same bed bore us 

 three bushels of overgrown Hovey's the next season. 

 With the soil thus reduced, the plants very slowly and 

 reluctantly threw out any runners, but continued bear- 

 ing largely without change for four successive seasons. 



On or about the first of May, and again ten days or 

 two weeks later, three times each spring, it has been 

 our custom liberally to sprinkle our choicest beds with 

 a solution in six gallons of water^ of one quarter of a 

 pound each of sulphate of potasli, sulphate of soda 

 (glauber salts) and nitrate of soda^ with one and a half 

 ounce of sulphate of ammonia. 



We would not represent this application to be essen- 

 tial to the production of good fruit, but a continued 

 series of experiments has proved to our satisfaction 

 that it is valuable for amateurs, especially in increas- 

 ing the size, quantity and superiority of the fruit. 



The apparent effect seemed to be to arouse the 

 plants from the torpor of winter and give them in the 

 early spring a strong, vigorous impetus, and aiding in 

 the development of healthy plants for the production 

 of large fruit. 



