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TRANSACTIONS OF THE CENTRAL 



placed in the soil to be transformed into collar and root, and is expected to become the base of a 

 healthy fruitful stem. 



These violations are all the tree can stand. Many of them die in the process. The living ones are 

 now nursed to plethora, that they may soon become nice salable trees. At the end of three or four 

 years, when the poor tree has concluded to ' ' let bygones be bygones, ' ' and has become plump and 

 cheerful, from high cultivation; it is astonished, quite out of existence in many cases, by the thrusts 

 of Paddy with the spade, who has been sent to ' ' dig trees. ' ' The poor trees are mangled, pruned, 

 bundled, jolted, dried, frozen, watered, and " set out," until one would think every vestige of tree 

 life is extinct. Yet a few of them will grow! And, after enduring the cattle, rabbits, weeds, grains, 

 grasses, blights, insects, bad neglect, and, sometimes, worse cultivation and pruning, actually 

 regain their health and normal balance of forces, producing fair crops of fruit for many years. It is 

 tbenthatwelaud the variety. Xtishardy. We sing its praises far and near. "We call it the Duchess, 

 the Golden, the Transcendent, and pay high prices for it! Whereas, by a little more care, a little 

 more knowledge and attention, finer fruit could be had in equal abundance. 



The grape vine is grown from buds, cuttings and layers. The latter would appear the more natural 

 plan; and one can hardly conceive of a surer or better way for the out-door propagations of the 

 vine, thanby the proper layering and treatment of good, ripe, old wood. The transplanting of vines 

 is not hazardous, as we usually cut away the top quite as much as the root. But it is the treatment 

 of the vine, in the vinej-ard, which ignores the laws of plant life. Annually the top is cut away, 

 while the root is left whole. This begets and perpetuates an inequality of forces. For a few years 

 the evil is not large, and a few good crops of grapes are gathered. But the evil is a growing one. 

 The roots become too strong for the diminutive tops. The leaves are not plenty and powerful 

 enough to properly elaborate the sap, sent up by the roots. The plant is fed on crude undigested 

 food. The roots, leaves, fruit and whole plant become diseased. In this weak, unsound condition, 

 the leaves mildew and drop off, under adverse climatic influences. The grapes rot, or fail to ripen. 

 And the wood of the whole plant is unfit for propagating purposes, or for subsequent fruiting. Nor 

 s.hould we be surprised. No other tree or plant would stand such pruning any better than the vine. 

 By removing the tops of growing plants in the season of rest, we always obtain a tender imperfect 

 water shoot, as the result. Water sprouts can not be relied on for fruit. The leaves are spongy and 

 the wood seldom ripens. In apples and pears, we reject the water shoots when cutting scions; yet, 

 in the grape vine, we expect them to bear fruit, and rely on them for propagating purposes almost 

 entirely. Various plans have been proposed to prevent, or remedy this cause of our grape troubles. 

 We are directed to layer the vine, annually, a few feet, in the direction of the row; occasionally 

 cutting it off above the older roots. This keeps the roots weak and maintains the balance of forces 

 between the rootlets and leaves, and produces desirable results. 



Another plan is to prune very little, allowing the vines to spread themselves on large trellises, thus 

 allowing more and more top as the roots grow stronger. This plan has been followed in one reported 

 case, until high trellises have been extended thirty-three feet — from vine to vine— and some very 

 large crops of grapes were gathered. But trellises must have a limit, and the vines must, some 

 time, reach that limit; and then the same old trouble begins. We have heavy pruning, followed by 

 sporadic growth: poor leaves, bad fruit and unripe wood, for next season's uses. 



Another reported plan is to prune very little during fall and winter; untangle the vines from the 

 trellises in the fall, prune just enough to prevent re-entanglement, and make them more easily han- 

 dled. Leave them thus until June or July, until after leafing and blooming, and until the fruit is 

 firmly set. By this time the first forces of the roots have been expended on a large number of buds; 

 a sufficient number of leaves have been formed to elaborate and distribute healthy sap to all parts of 

 the plant. And now, at this late period, it is contended, the top may be reduced without injury. 

 The vine-dresser, therefore, proceeds to lop off branch after branch, and to thin out cluster after 

 cluster, and to fasten the remaining wood to the supports. There is reason in this process, and one 

 reported case of some years' duration seems to promise valuable results. It preserves the balance ol 

 power between the root and top through the first part of the season, when growth is most rampant, 

 and afterwards directs it into the fruit branches and fruit, and does not give so much tender, unripe 

 wood. 



From this short view it appears that there is much need of study and experiment in the department 

 of plant life and plant treatment. The '-balance of power" in horticulture is of quite as much import- 

 ance as is the balance of political and military power among the kingdoms of Europe. If they have 

 their Bismarcks and Napoleons, we should also have ours in the fields of botany. Though our victo- 

 ries are peaceful, they are none the less important. A valuable product or process added to the 

 achievements of agriculture or horticulture, is worth far more to the world than is the transfer of 

 provinces and baronies from kingdom to kingdom. 



God placed man in the garden of Eden, and designed him to be holy andhappj': and so far as we 

 approacli tlio primeval state of purity, in that degree will we value and enjoy the practices and sur- 

 roundings of horticulture. As time passes on, the names of mere military heroes will fade in the 

 distance, while the heroes of agricultirre and horticulture will be more and more appreciated. Every 



