PBETILIZEBS ASD PBTOT. 21 



grow wood— the crop of fruit is of less consequence to him. On the 

 other farms described in these articles the problem was to secure a 

 large yield of firm, well flavored and highly colored fruit. It was 

 generally agreed by these farmers that, while manure gives an excel- 

 lent growth of wood to the young vine or tree, for the crop itself 

 fertilizer gave by far the best results. From this we may reasonably 

 expect that Mr. Dwyer uses large quantities of manure, as he is after 

 wood growth— the most of his stock being sold long before it bears a 

 crop. 



That surmise is correct. On his 25 acres Mr. Dwyer uses about 170 

 tons of manure and 10 tons of fertilizer. The manure is obtained from 

 near-by brick yards and is of fine quality, as the horses or mules are 

 fed heavily on grain. Of course, in a nursery business like this a great 

 deal of mulching material is needed on the very young plants and 

 vines. This is another reason why so much manure is used, for Mr. 

 Dwyer, like the rest of these farmers, says that manure is cheaper than 

 pure straw or other mulching material. Stable manure is the material 

 for plant babies. It is blanket and food in one-^keeping them warm 

 and feeding them at one time. With the fruit grower its ofQce is to 

 make woorl— that point seems settled beyond dispute. 



"And yet," said Mr. Dwyer, "I always use more or less fertilizer 

 ^vUh the manure. For example, on strawberries, I use 600 pounds to 

 the acre on the rows and after the plants are set out a handful around 

 each plant— well worked into the soil. Then if there are any lagging 

 plants noticed I put on more fertilizer just before hoeing. This is one 

 great advantage that I find in the use of fertilizers. They are quickly 

 available. If one plant is behind the rest and evidently needing more 

 food it is a very easy matter to drop a handful of fertilizer around it 

 and work it well into the soU. The handful of fertilizer contains more 

 plant-food than a big forkful of manure and think what a job it would 

 be to go over a big field and put manure around lagging plants." 



Fertilizers for Sabies ; Difference in Manure. 



" Have you ever grown young plants without manure? " 

 "Oh, yes. For instance, I have put out thousands of currant cut- 

 tings on "land that had been so heavily manured in former years that 

 we could hardly cultivate it. That land was rich from former manur- 

 ing, and with fertilizers alone it will grow a flue crop. -That is another 

 illustration of the peculiar value of fertilizers. On land already rich 

 in humus, from previous manuring, the fertilizers provide all the 

 needed elements of the manure at much less cost. Now, while with 

 my nursery business I would not like to try to get along without any 



