1438 The Vegetable Industry in New York State 



plants in the row, it requires 5,808 plants for an acre. With 

 machine planting, generally more than 6,000 plants are used. 



Whether the setting is done by hand or by machine, the planta 

 should be obtained in the following manner : 



Loosen the soil about the plants on both sides with a fork. 

 Slightly lift the plants from the ground, being careful to retain 

 as much of the root surface as possible. Shake them dry. Dip 

 the roots in a pail of thick water made up of heavy soil and water. 

 This process is known as puddling. Place the plants in boxes, 

 roots down. If they are not running relatively even as to 

 size, it may be best to select at this time, saving work on the 

 planter. The best crops are obtained where plants are selected. 

 If the leaf surfaces are too large, it is a good plan to twist or cut 

 them off slightly. They may be carried to the field in these boxes 

 and distributed at convenient points. 



FERTILIZERS 



The amount of fertilizer varies with the system of fanning. 

 On Long Island where the soils are deficient in humus, a larger 

 amount of fertilizer is used than at Buffalo. The Long Island 

 men are now employing fertilizer to the exclusion of stable 

 manures, in many cases much to their disadvantage. The success- 

 ful growing of cover crops combined with fertilizer might take 

 the place of barnyard manure, but where poor cover crops are 

 grown, success is not forthcoming. At Buffalo the fertilizer used 

 is generally a 4-8-10 or a 3-8-6, using from 750 to 1,500 pounds 

 per acre. On Long Island the fertilizer used is generally a 

 6-8-5, although 5-9-6 and other formulas are in use. The 

 amount used on Long Island is much larger than that used near 

 Buffalo, generally from 1,500 to 2,500 pounds per acre being 

 applied. The fertilizer is made up as follows : one-half the 

 nitrogen is derived from nitrate of soda, one-half from fish scrap ; 

 acid phosphate from South Carolina rock, and in some cases when 

 fish scrap is not obtainable, from tankage, which is substituted 

 for fish scrap; the potash is generally in the form of muriate. 



The Long Island men, being organized, are able to obtain good 

 fertilizers at a much smaller price. In one or two sections of 



