Читать книгу The Raisin Industry - Gustavus A. Eisen - Страница 24

—The Malaga vineyardist fully understands the value of manuring his vineyards, and uses for this purpose not only all fertilizers available at home, but also imports directly from distant countries. The most valued fertilizers are the Mexican and Chilean guanos or phosphates. The Mexican phosphate costs in Malaga sixty-five dollars per ton; still it is used by all the principal vineyardists, who know the value of fertilizers. In fact, concentrated fertilizers are a necessity to the Malaga vineyards; without them they could not be cropped. Even the most virgin soil is exhausted in ten years’ time by constant croppings of raisin grapes; no paying crops could be expected if fertilizers were not used yearly. This fertilizing of the soil is, however, of recent origin, and fifty years ago was almost unknown.

When home manures are used, it is placed in holes dug round the roots of the vines, which, after exposure to the air for several months, are again filled up at the advent of spring, generally in March, before the vines start to bud.