24 
before the limit of increased yield. Therefore, the question is one 
of experiment in each vineyard because of the variation in soils and 
the vineyardist must make his own determinations. He should be- 
gin, supposing he has average conditions, and apply various quanti- 
ties until satisfactory results are obtained. Dr. L. L. Van Slyke* 
recommends for the grape, as an annual application per acre, the 
following composition of a complete fertilizer: 
Nitrogen, 2 per cent. 
Available phosphoric acid, 8 per cent. 
Potash, 12 per cent. 
To provide this, the vineyardist may use 50 to 100 pounds of ni- 
trate of sode, 400 to 800 pounds of dissolved South Carolina rock and 
200 to 400 pounds of muriate of potash. If it is more convenient, the 
nitrogen may be supplied in barnyard manure, or crimson clover 
may be grown between the rows and turned under. The potash may 
be supplied in wood ashes if they can be obtained for less money than 
the muriate, or it may be preferred to use kainit. Kainit is now com- 
monly used in Erie county by throwing a quart of the salt about the 
trunk of the vine, with the belief that it will drive away the "root- 
worm," and kill weeds. Even if this be true, it is not the most ap- 
proved method of applying such a fertilizer. The roots which feed 
the vine ramify and penetrate the soil to great distances and cannot 
take up nourishment that is concentrated at the base of the vine. 
The kainit, like all other fertilizers, should be sown broadcast over 
the vineyard soil to give best results and the weeds should be hoed 
out in the old-fashioned way and the "root-worms'' should be treated 
as directed in the subsequent discussion of that insect. 
TRELLIS. 
In the modern commercial vineyard the grape trellis is essentially 
& wire fence, consisting of substantial chestnut posts placed 
27 feet apart and two or three wires of No. J) or No. 10 guage. 
The posts are from six to eight feet long. The longer posts 
will afford a higher trellis, and hence give more area for the canes 
to spread over, a condition much to be desired for such vigorous 
varieties as the Concord and Niagara. The posts should be some- 
what heavier than those commonly used for wire fences, for a vine- 
yard's life may endure 50 years and the trellis should not require re- 
newal too often. If chestnut posts cannot be obtained, other durable 
timbers like cedar, locust or oak might be used. The cost of such 
posts in quantities should not exceed one cent per lineal foot. In 
such soil as there is in (he Chautauqua grape belt, the posts for 
trellises are usually driven into the ground by sharpening the base 
•Bui. U Dept. of Apr., Harriibure. Pa. 
