Addresses — How to Raise Grapes. 177 



About the loth of August, cut back ends of strong growth with 

 the sickle. 



Prune early and promptly, but do not touch the vines when 

 in bloom. 



Poles are not renewed until they become so weak that they will 

 not be able to resist storms; white oak will stand three years. 



Let one or two leaves stand beyond the last fruit bunch, before 

 you pinch off the bearing cane. 



Do not neglect to protect them during winter. 



Mr. Hofer — I want to explain one thing more. In my system, I 

 have not a leaf or a stick on the pole which does not belong to it. 

 I do not raise any canes but those I shall need for another crop, 

 and the one which bears the grapes; and in my system, if you un- 

 derstand it once, if there is a leaf or a lateral which does not be- 

 long to the vine, when you are walking past it, rub it off, and you 

 can count every bunch of grapes. If somebody steals a bunch of 

 grapes from my vineyard, I can see where it was. 



Prof. Daniells — Would you not rub off the leaves from the other 

 side of the cluster? 



Mr. Hofer — No. That leaf on the other side of the cluster 

 should stand; the grape needs that; if you break that, it would be 

 just as if somebody took half of your lung out. I let one or two 

 stand beyond the last bunch, but no laterals. These leaves are 

 necessary there, but if you let that lateral stand here, and leave 

 nothing here but a blossom to grow, and take the leaf off on the 

 other side, that grape never would amount to anything; you don't 

 want to grow any brush — you just raise canes to grow grapes on, 

 and the extension goes into the canes that are growing up for next 

 year, and makes them strong. 



Mr. Plumb — I have no doubt that some of us, if we had time, 

 would like to pick Mr. Hofer pretty thoroughly. I know there are 

 some that would just like to get at him. I invited him here be- 

 cause I thought he could do us some good. He is a gentleman I 

 am wholly unacquainted with. I never saw him before, but I have 

 had some correspondence with him; but there is a pattern of a 

 trellis here which our friend Greenman has worked up; I have no 

 doubt but that when he presents his paper he will elaborate his 

 own system, and perhaps ventilate this some, so I want you to with- 

 hold your judgment until you have heard the rest. 



