118 SUCCESSFUL FRUIT CULTURE 



potash and phosphoric acid, and this is, in part, the 

 ; reason why it succeeds best on gravelly soil. Enough 

 nitrogen must be applied, however, to make a moder- 

 ately vigorous growth of wood. A very good formula 

 for the grape, to be varied somewhat according to the 

 soil and the condition of vines is: Fine ground bone, 

 five hundred pounds, sulphate of potash, three hundred 

 pounds; or nitrate of soda, two hundred pounds, sul- 

 phate of potash, two hundred pounds, acid phosphate or 

 fine ground rock phosphate, four hundred pounds. If 

 the vines make a poor growth of wood, add more bone 

 or nitrate of soda, but if the wood growth is large, use 

 only the potash and phosphoric acid. A cover crop, 

 sown about August 10, of peas and barley, will be found 

 very useful, especially on sloping land, to supply organic 

 matter, hold the soil from washing and to protect the 



Fig. 64 Economical Use of Posts 



grape roots from severe freezing. Figure 62 shows 

 a vineyard with cover crop of peas and barley, and 

 Figure 63 the same without the cover. 



Cultivation The first two years after planting, 

 some hoed crop, like peas or beans, may be planted 

 among the vines, but a late growing crop, like the potato, 

 might do harm by causing a late growth of the vine, 

 the crop being dug in August or September. 



Supports and Trellises The trellis most in use 

 and which is the most satisfactory for the commercial 

 vineyardist, is made of posts and wire. Chestnut or 

 cedar makes the most durable posts, though other mate- 

 rials are used. If the posts are six inches in diameter 

 at the small end and are sawed diagonally, as seen in 

 Figure 64, so that they are 2x6 inches at the opposite 



