WINTER MEETING, 18S0. 41 



yard. Plant eight feet apart, and train to a stake, or wire trellis, running 

 north and south, or if only a single row, the direction may be east and west 

 with vines trained upon the south side of the trellis, which is best made of 

 good posts set firmly twenty-four feet apart, with three fence wires stretched 

 horizontally two and one-half feet, four feet, and five and one-half feet from 

 the ground. The Concord will succeed quite well when trained on an arbor, 

 provided it extends north and south, and a combination of spur and cane prun- 

 ing be adopted. In no case should the roots be allowed to get dry during the 

 process of transplanting. When ready to plant, take the vine, or several of 

 them, in the left hand, drawing the roots partially through the hand, and cut 

 them all off at one stroke with a sharp knife, leaving them about six or eight 

 inches long, and when placed in the hole the roots should descend a little each 

 way from the center. Press the soil firmly about the roots, especially at the 

 ends where severed. Cut all the top off except the strongest or center cane, 

 and that to two or three buds, and when they are well started rub off all except 

 the strongest ; or if there seems to be no difference, leave the one nearest the 

 ground, allowing but one cane to grow the first season. If that be strong, say 

 one-half inch in diameter at the base, the following November cut back to 

 three buds, allowing two canes to grow the second season. The next Novem- 

 ber cut off the strongest cane to four and one half or five feet, and the other 

 back to three buds, and lay down the long cane and throw on a spade full of 

 earth to hold it down for winter protection. The next, or third spring, after 

 the buds begin to swell, tie up the long cane to the stake or trellis, and allow 

 two new canes to grow from the spur at the base, and they also should be tied 

 to the trellis as they extend their growth. The next November cut back the 

 single bearing cane to three buds and two new canes four and a half or five 

 feet long and lay them down as before for winter protection. The general 

 principle to be adopted is to cut out the old wood and allow the new wood to 

 start as near the ground as possible, increasing the number of bearing canes 

 each year according to the strengtn of the vine. The essentials are, good 

 healthy vines of suitable varieties to start with, dry soil, not too rich in vegeta- 

 ble deposits; cultivate shallow and often during the summer months; yearly 

 pruning, plenty of leaves, but not too much wood ; free circulation of air and. 

 sunshine, and lots of children to eat the grapes. 



Pres. Smith. — I would like to ask Mr. Woodward why my grapes did not 

 ripen? There was a great abundance of leaves and I cut them away a good 

 deal to allow the sun to reach the bunches. 



Mr. Woodward. — You are a farmer and I will use a farm illustration. You 

 can as well expect a calf to live and thrive and mature if you cut out his 

 stomach as to expect grapes to grow and ripen when you remove the leaves. 



Mr. Lannin. — It is all wrong to remove the leaves, but I find it necessary 

 oftentimes to head in the shoots that grow rampant. 



Mr. Holloway. — Save the leaves but pinch in the tips of the long shoots. 



Some one asked about the Croton as a grape for the farmer. 



Mr. Lyon. — The Croton is a light grape of excellent quality, but the foreign 

 blood in it renders it liable to milldew, and it will prove very unsatisfactory as 

 a grape for the farmer. I wish while I am up to say that the management of 

 grapes in Mr. Woodward's location or upon the lake shore will hardly do as a 

 model for farmers in the interior of our State, for while we have no necessity 

 for laying down in winter the ordinary native varieties to secure the best results, 

 inland this is quite necessary. 



