366 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ill effects of a drouth such as that of last summer. Tlie most effectual and 

 practical means within my knowledge is the constant and thorough tillage of 

 the soil. According to my observation wherever the soil was kept finely pul- 

 verized and stirred by the horse-hoc or cultivator, or if in the garden with a 

 good steel rake, at least once a week, the most severe drouths we ever experi- 

 ence here do very little harm. I have never seen better growth of nursery trees 

 than during the past summer, and this is always the case in a dry season, with 

 thoronirh cultivation. I have noticed the same effects in orchards. Where the 

 ground was cultivated well the trees remained healthy in foliage and matured 

 their fruit, whilst those not cultivated dropped both foliage and fruit to a great 

 extent, and at the same time were injured for the future. The same effect has 

 been observed in farm crops. When in California we were told by fruitgrowers 

 that the first impression there was that no fruit could be grown without irriga- 

 tion, but they had ascertained by experience that for trees irrigation was 

 unnecessary. Thorough cultivation was sufficient, and in the most flourish- 

 ing plantations we visited, the ground was kept so fine and loose that we sank 

 into it over our shoes. We were surprised at the result. 



PRUNING THE VINE. 



Mr. Geo. W. Campbell, the able Secretary of the Ohio Horticultural Society, 

 gives the Rural New Yorker his plan of pruning the grape, which we reproduce 

 here : 



In my own practice, I prefer what is called the " annual renewal system," 

 which allows a young vine in its first fruiting to bear no more than it can bring 

 to maturity, and at the same time grow one or more strong and healthy canes 

 from as near the ground as practicable for next year's bearing. The bearing 

 Avood of the present year is cut away and the new wood takes its place. This 

 practice, with slight modifications, is continued during the life of the vine, is 

 readily understood and applied, and a little observation and experience render 

 it quite simple and easily performed. 



A cultivated vine is in an artificial condition, and all its energies are directed 

 toward the production of the greatest quantity of fruit within its alloted space ; 

 and some vines respond so readily to this artificial treatment that they are dis- 

 posed to overbear, and set more fruit than they can mature. Attempting to 

 grow too much fruit may so overtax the powers of the vine that it can neither 

 ripen its grapes nor mature its wood perfectly for next year's bearing. Vines 

 so treated are unhealthy and short-lived. It is better, however, to avoid the 

 evil of overbearing by thinning out the fruit, especially all the small and 

 imperfect bunches, than by too close pruning; for an abundance of healthy 

 foliage is necessary for the ripening process. 



The summer treatment consists in thinning out the fruit upon vines disposed 

 to overbear ; early pinching off the ends of Iruit-bearing shoots two or three 

 joints beyond the last cluster, and then removing all superfluous shoots except 

 what are started from below and arc needed for next vear's bearing. This, with 

 an occasional pinching of the end of a too rampant shoot will be all that is 

 required. And when one has learned so to gauge the capacities of his vines as 

 to bring each year his crop of fruit to perfect maturity and at the same time 

 have a sufficiency of sound wood for the next year's crop, he has learned all 

 that is necessary for successful grape culture. 



