18 THE EURAL LIBEAET. 



Champions so that they brought $1 per vine, but we would not grow 

 any more of them, All our peaches are late varieties— nothing earlier 

 than Crawford's Early." 



" About how much can you sell from such a farm ? " 



" We sold 55 tons of grapes from 18 acres, and IJ ton of cherries from 

 half an acre. In 1892 we sold 1,936 quarts of strawberries and this year 

 9,352 quarts. Of currants, we sold 6,000 quarts this year, blackcaps 

 4,500 quarts and of peaches 1,475 baskets for $1,300. Last year we sold 

 1,180 baskets of peaches for 51,100. Our sales as a whole are a little 

 less this year than last. We have built a cold storage house which is 

 very handy and profitable for holding fruit a few days when our com- 

 mission-man telegraphs us that the market is full. We sell all our 

 fruit through a commission house." . 



" Do you feed your peach orchards heavily ? " 



" Yes, when they bear a crop. I do not use potash on peaches 

 unless they bear. Hereafter I shall use some bone and potash on 

 young trees in addition to the stable manure. It will not do to crowd 

 a peach tree." 



" What about pruning ? " 



" We prune only the currants in fall, the grapes in December and 

 the rest in spring. We believe that if peaches are pruned in the fall 

 they are more likely to die back— they seem to be hurt by the cold." 



Mr. Barns has his farm arranged in a very methodical way. Each 

 field is named and a careful record is kept to show the number and 

 variety of vines or trees in each with the field from year to year. Mr. 

 Barns can thus see just what has been done since the first 800 vines 

 were set in 1880. 



Sig Doses of Fertiliser. 



The next farm visited was that of David Allerton, a very intelligent 

 farmer, who lives a few miles from Mr. Barns. Here was something 

 of a change in method. As we have explained, Mr. Barns uses very 

 large quantities of manure because he is in a position to secure it at 

 very reasonable rates. He uses it heavily on grapes, too, because the 

 currants and strawberries are set among the vines, so that all are fed 

 from the same plate. Mr. Allerton uses less stable manure and more 

 fertilizer. There are 40 acres in his farm, the fruit ground divided as 

 follows : 11 acres of grapes, three of currants, four of strawberries, 

 two of peaches, one of sour cherries, with young orchards of pears and 

 apples coming. 



" What stock do you keep, and what plant food do you buy?" I 

 asked. 



