GRAPES FROM BONES

Northern Advocate, 9 April 1887, Page 3

GRAPES FROM BONES

Mr. M. Crawford is quoted — in a horticultural paper which gleams promiscuously without credit— as giving these illustrations of the special liking of grape roots for bones, and their ability to find a mine of them. A Delaware vine sent a root some distance to a hole in which bones had been buried, and then it branched, and nearly surrounded every bone with roots. The owner prized the vine, and would not have injured it willingly, but in' spading he accidentally cut the root leading to tho hole. Tho vine died, and he ascertained that it had drawn nearly all its food through that one root. "Eight or nine years ago I dug a hole 6 ft. in diameter and 2 ft. deep, and nearly filled it with cow's heads from the slaughter house. I th«n filled in among the bones some good soil and planted a Lady vine, sodding it over. The earth has not been removed since, and the vine has done ■well -from th% first, although I have no doubt tho roots of the Concord and Worden near by, are' trying to get the bones away from the Lady." "Is it encouraging to think that on 10 ft. square of ordinary land a boy may dig in a wheelbarrow load of bones, and a bushel of ashes, plaut a vine worth 10 cents, and then cover tho space with grass, and that vine will go on changing those bones into fruit, "producing bushels every year until the boy becomes an old man ? All the vine will need is a little trimming and a place to hang out its leaves."

Adversity will have been of little use if it has not served to eradicate some of our indolent habits, obsolete . customs, and unbusinesslike methods of conducting our trade of farming.