30, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
467 
phate ; lime, equal to 5 lbs. of carbonate of lime ; and magnesia, 
equal to 3^ lbs. of sulphate of magnesia. The nitrogen contained 
in 1 ton of Grapes is 8^ lbs., equal to 54 lbs. of nitrate of soda. 
The wood on the Vines sufficient for the production of one ton 
of Grapes (I am speaking of laterals only) would weigh about 
200 lbs., and requires for its formation nitrogen equal to 8 lbs. of 
nitrate of soda, potash equal to 2 lbs. of sulphate of potash, and 
phosphoric acid equal to 1 lb. of mineral superphosphate. The 
leaves when weighed would be about 130 lbs., and would require 
nitrogen equal to 3 lbs. of nitrate of soda, potash equal to 1 lb. of 
sulphate of potash, and phosphoric acid equal to 1 lb. of mineral 
superphosphate. 
To produce a ton of Grapes in theory would require 65 lbs. of 
nitrate of soda, 22 lbs. of sulphate of potash, and 12 lbs. of mineral 
superphosphate; but from a practical point of view much more 
would be required. It has been shown by experiments that never 
more than 60 per cent, of the manure applied becomes available 
for the crop. The compound which ought to be in excess of the 
actual requirements of the Vine is the phosphoric acid, for it 
combines readily with some of the compounds of the soil to form 
insoluble phosphates, which are of very little value as plant food. 
Farmyard manure is not suitable as a top-dressing for Vine 
borders, the amount needed to supply the necessary quantity of 
food being so great as to make its use impractical where large 
numbers of Vines are grown, for 1 ton of the best farmyard 
manure only contains about 12 lbs. of nitrogen, 12 lbs. of potash, 
and 6 lbs. of phosphoric acid, and this would only become available 
for the plant by the slow decay of the manure. 
Undoubtedly the best results are obtained at the present time 
by the judicious use of suitable chemical manures, for they are 
concentrated, easy to apply, and can be given in a soluble form, 
which is very essential when we know that nearly the whole of the 
food constituents of the Vine is taken from the soil before the 
berries begin to colour. The manures I mentioned were only to 
show the requirements of the Vine, and may be substituted by 
others for some soils with advantage. For sandy soils kainit could 
take the place of the sulphate of potash, 100 lbs. being used to 
supply the necessary amount of potash, for it is an advantage to 
use this manure on sandy soils, because of the property it has of 
absorbing moisture ; it would be better to use half the amount of 
nitrate of soda and substitute for the other half dried blood. On 
stifE clayey loams 42 lbs. of sulphate of ammonia could be used 
with advantage instead of the nitrate of soda. 
It should be remembered that for the successful use of a 
chemical manure the Vine border must be in a good condition, that 
if the soil be of a sandy character it will not retain plant food like 
a clayey soil, consequently will require more frequent dressing of 
manures, and that it is always better to apply them in small 
dressings and often rather than in large quantities at any one time. 
Perhaps a few remarks on the amount of chemical manure 
to use, and the best time to apply it, may be of use to many. If 
the soil be of a sandy character, poor in organic matter, manures 
like guano and kainit (2 lbs. of the former to 3 lbs. of the latter) 
will have the best effect. The guano will supply the nitrogen and 
phosphoric acid, and the kainit the potash. Oh sandy soils rich 
in organic matter the following will be a good mixture ;—1 lb. 
of nitrate of soda, 2 lbs. of superphosphate, and 3 lbs. of kainit. 
The nitrate of soda to supply the nitrogen, superphosphate the 
phosphoric acid, and kainit the potash. The amount to use in 
both cases is oz. to the square yard, every week from the 
formation of the shoots to the colouring of the berries, when 
all feedings should cease. 
On loamy or clayey soils the following will be found a more 
suitable mixture :—2 lbs. sulphate of ammonia, 6 lbs. superphos¬ 
phate, and 1 lb. sulphate of potash, to be applied at the rate of 
2 ozs. every fortnight during the period of growth above 
mentioned.—W. Dyke. 
CROWDING, THINNING, AND ASSISTING CROPS. 
We are always more or less at the mercy of the weather, and 
so are all who practise horticulture in any part of the world, but 
all the same those persons succeed the best who adopt the best 
methods. Take the case of Potatoes. Plenty of the men know 
they are acting foolishly in crowding the plants in the way they 
do, and they are also aware that miserable little sets are a mistake. 
Very rarely, if ever, are really heavy crops obtained from 
crowded rows, and if the shoots come up thickly I should advise 
an early drawing of some of these weakly growths. The heaviest 
crops are invariably had from extra strong branching haulm, only 
one or two stems springing from each strong set planted. It is at 
the ends of the rows where the best crops are usually found. A 
loose, deep root run is most favourable to the production of 
Potatoes, and if the ground was lumpy when the planting was done 
extra pains should be taken in fining it down afterwards. Canter¬ 
bury, or two-tined hoes, are excellent for this purpose. This 
hoeing checks the growth of weeds, breaks up the clods, and lets 
in the warmth and air, and those who take this extra trouble may 
reasonably expect better crops than those who do not. A dressing of 
soot applied before the first hoeing would not be wasted, but a 
very light surfacing of nitrate of soda would be even more effective 
on medium and light soils. 
Will the bouillie Bordelaise, or preparation of sulphate of copper 
and lime, ever become popular as a dressing to prevent the Potato 
disease ? I think not. There is too much ceremony and bother 
in the preparation ; yet the Warminster experiments, which 
cost but 123. per acre and gave an increased yield of from 3 tons 
to 5 tons per acre, must be considered most satisfactory. For 
smaller plots Mr. Robert Fenn’s remedy, a powder known 
as anti-blight, is much to be preferred. Mr. Fenn distributes this 
over the haulm as often as needs be by means of a hair sieve. I 
shall use it extensively, and the Malbec bellows will be the means 
of distribution. Lime alone seems fairly efficacious against 
Potato and kindred diseases, but two parts of this to one of 
sulphate of copper in a powdered state is more effectual. There 
is yet another preparation that is likely to be effective against 
Potato disease as well as mildew generally, and this is recommended 
by a French expert, M. Louis Lipiere. It is known as lysol, is 
prepared in Germany, and briefly described as an alkaline liquid 
readily soluble in water. I intend spraying it over Potato haulm 
twice during the season, the first time about the third week in 
June, and again a month later. It will be applied at the rate 
of one pint of lysol to 30 gallons of water, and I calculate the 
cost of two dressings of a 20 perch breadth of Potatoes will be 
about 3s. This means a heavier outlay than would be the case 
if the lime and copper mixture was used, but there will be far less 
ceremony about it and less likelihood of clothes being spoilt, 
and if we only arrest the progress of the disease I shall expect 
crops considerably enhanced in value accordingly. 
Turning to other crops. With the medium to heavy soils it is 
of the greatest importance that the surface be kept free and open, 
and where possible cracking should be anticipated, as it is more 
easily prevented than cured. Directly the rows of Onions, 
Carrots, and such like could be traced hoeing ought to have com¬ 
menced, whereas many growers delayed this important work till the 
ground became too hard to be stirred. If hoeing were done before 
weeds are plainly discernible, and with far greater frequency than 
is customary, there would be a marked improvement in the 
progress of the crops, a fine loose surface preventing the loss of 
heat and moisture without excluding the air, while weeds would 
never have a chance to become a nuisance. Where the hoe cannot 
be worked—that is to say, between small plants, the surface can be 
prevented from cracking by means of a strong pointed stake. 
The overthinning of root crops results in coarseness, while if 
the plants are left in a crowded state the other extreme follows— 
poor produce. What thinning is necessary ought to be done while 
yet the small plants draw readily—that is to say, when they will 
neither break off short nor, in coming out, greatly disturb those to 
be left. Caught at the right time the work can be done much 
more expeditiously than it could be later on, and the results be 
more satisfactory in other respects. 
Crowded rows of Peas already present a yellow appearance. 
The midseason and late varieties ought certainly to have good 
room, or they fail to branch and crop continuously. I find it next 
to useless to preach thinning out, but the rows would in many 
instances pay for this timely attention. Unless the haulm branches 
the crop is so soon over that it scarcely pays for the cost of staking. 
It is much the same with Runner Beans. An intelligent cottager 
whose garden it is a pleasure to walk through adopts a very different 
method of growing Runner Beans to that generally in vogue. 
Instead of sowing his seed in rows he prefers to sow in patches 
about 3 feet apart each way. Three plants are eventually left at 
each station, and as many strong stakes used. From these few 
plants he obtains abundance of pods, and very frequently takes 
prizes from growers of repute.—W. Iggulden. 
FLORAL FACTS AND FANCIES,—10, 
During what has been called the fighting period of English 
history, our ancestors, or at least some of them, took more notice 
of the appearances of Nature than we perhaps suppose, and they 
frequently connected the return of certain flowers with persons, or 
events. Even upon those who paid little heed to the notes of birds 
the sonorous cry of the cuckoo made a decided impression, hence 
several flowers that opened just about the time it was first heard 
came to be associated with it—for instance, the Arum or Cuckoo 
