FEETILIZEES AND FRUIT. 15 



excellent in quality. In 1889 I raised a crop of potatoes that, to my 

 mind, fully substantiates every position here taken. I grew, in 90 

 days from planting, 103 bushels on 38^ square rods of ground, being at 

 the rate of 427 bushels to the acre. I think they would have yielded at 

 the rate of 500 bushels per acre had they been left to attain full 

 growth." 



Mr. Taber's grapes were in fine condition. About half the space is 

 given to Concords, with Niagara, Moore's Early, Worden, and a few 

 vines each of newer varieties making up the balance. Heavy dress- 

 ings of fertilizer are given this vineyard. 



" Where do you put the fertilizer — close to the vines or between the 

 rows ? " 



"It is broadcasted all over the surface. Where are the feeding 

 roots of a grape ? The best of them are in the sunshine or out beyond 

 the shade of the vines. Put your fertilizer where the sun strikes the 

 ground if you want to get sunshine in your fruit." 



" I see you have plowed in berry plants here ; do you grow double 

 crops in your vineyard ? " 



" When we set our grape cuttings, we also set out strawberries 

 between the rows. After two pickings we plow the plants in. That is 

 all the double cropping we do. We can feed the young plants so that 

 they will not suffer, but we want no crops to grow in the space 

 where the fruit crops ought to feed." 



"There is no doubt about the greater cost of fertility in manure 

 then?" 



" Not a bit :— I am satisfied that the manurial elements in it cost 

 more than they do in the commercial fertilizer. When we consider 

 that there are but 38 pounds of fertilizer in a ton of stable manure, that 

 we have to draw and handle 100 pounds of mineral matter, such as 

 sand, iron, etc., of which the soil always contains an abundance ; 266 

 pounds of woody matter, derived from air and water, which succeeding 

 crops can obtain with equal freedom, and 1,500 pounds of water, which 

 is about the average amount in the ton, you can see what a tremen- 

 dous waste of time and muscle, and expense in wear and tear of horses, 

 wagons, etc., is incurred in handling that which is almost useless. I 

 am satisfied from experience, that the cheapest plan for the average 

 farmer to pursue to enrich his soil, is to grow green crops by the aid 

 of commercial fertilizers and plow them "under, repeating the opera- 

 tion until a sufficient quantity of vegetable matter is- incorporated into 

 the soil, which has been loosened and pulverized by these repeated 

 plowings and harrowings, so as to cause it to produce paying crops. I 

 have sown oats in the spring which, by the application of a fertilizer, 

 made a heavy growth, which was plowed under by July 1, the ground 



