KEPOJRTS OF AUXILIAKY SOCIETIES. 31? 



once in two weeks, after which a season of rest should be allowed, to permit 

 the plant to perfect its growth, and ripen its wood, preparatory to encountering 

 the force of approaching winter. 



During the first year but one cane should be allowed to grow ; this should be 

 the strongest sent forth by the vine, and when eight to twelve inches long 

 should be tied to the stake, all others rubbed off, and the rubbing off repeated 

 weekly during the growing season. The main cane should be kept well tied 

 up during the season, to encourage the flow of sap to the top of the vine. This 

 will have the effect of discouraging the growth of suckers and laterals, the 

 eyes around the lower part of the vine becoming so dormant as to give but 

 little trouble afterwards. In the latter part of October the plow should again 

 be used, this time throwing the earth up to the young vines, and before the 

 winter sets in, cut back the canes to eight or ten inches, and cover thoroughly 

 for two or three feet around with coarse barn-yard manure. This will not only 

 protect the young vines during the winter, but will give additional strength to 

 the soil the following season. 



The first work to be done the second year is removing the mulching used 

 during the winter. This should be done as early as the first of May, or earlier 

 if the season is forward. The manure used for mulching should be well spread 

 over the vineyard, and plowed under about the middle of the month, when the 

 same course of cultivation should be kept up as recommended for the previous 

 year — only that the plow and cultivator should be run less deeply. 



And in training, two canes should be allowed to grow, in place of one the 

 year before. These two canes should be those proceeding from the two upper- 

 most eyes on the last year's cane as cut back, and should be kept tied up in 

 manner like those of the first year, and the rubbing off process carefully 

 attended to. 



The fall plowing should be done at the same time and in the same manner 

 as in the year preceding, and, if possible, the mulching should also be attended 

 to, the object being to induce the growth of roots and to add to the vigor of 

 the vine that is to come into leaving the next year. 



After the fall plowing is done the second year, the two canes of each vine 

 should be taken from the stakes, and all laterals cut away close to the main 

 cane, and the canes cut back to five or six feet, — that is, assuming that the 

 canes have made a growth of eight to ten feet during the season. As the 

 stakes will no longer be required they may be removed and put away to be used 

 again when needed. When the canes have been pruned, they may be laid 

 down and covered with coarse manure, or any other coarse mulching, or a 

 little earth may be thrown upon them, and, I assure you, they will pay well 

 for the extra care in the years to follow. This brings us down to the spring of 

 the third year, which in the life of the vine is a very important period, as from 

 this date on it is expected to give some returns for the labor and care expended 

 upon it. But before this good time begins, we must add to its already large 

 indebtedness a not inconsiderable sum for posts and wire, and the labor of 

 erecting a thoroughly substantial trellis. 



The posts should be secured during the winter before, and at once distributed 

 throughout the vineyard ; the poles can then be made, and the posts set as 

 early in the spring as the weather will permit. I would recommend posts to 

 be seven feet long, and not less than six inches in diameter, and should be set 

 in the ground three feet and thoroughly tamped. The end posts of each row 

 should "be ten to twelve inches in diameter, and after being tamped solidly 

 should be well braced. The posts should be set thirty feet apart in the rows, 



