STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 81 



we have ^ot. That a variety is doin^ finely in a h^cality contipjnous 

 to our own, and the soil of which is apjiarently similar, is not 

 I)ositive evidence that it will do equally well with us. As an evi- 

 dence of this fact, I have no variety of grapes that uniformly is as 

 healthy, productive or profitable as the Hartford Prolific. With 

 me it Hcrer drops its fruit, and it iierer rots, while a half mile away, 

 on nearly the same soil, the berries drop from the cluster ere it fully 

 ripens. 



Many of the newer varieties have too thin leaves: these leaves 

 have not sufficient pupescence on their under side, that is, they are 

 glabrous, which makes them too susceptible to the attacks of the 

 ''leaf-hopper,'' (Eri/fhroiieura r/7/s^, which, in this locality, is one 

 of the worst ])ests the grape-grower has to deal with: only by per- 

 sistent effort can it be kept in check, and such effort as it is not 

 likely that but few growers will put forth. 



Prentiss and Pocklington have not. thus far, fulfilled the ex- 

 pectations of the majority of those who have fruited them in this 

 locality: perhaps they have not yet "struck "" the soil, e.tc, which is con- 

 genial to them. It was quite a long time before we knew what soil 

 to choose for the " Lady." T condemned it upon the rich, friable, 

 river-bottom soils, but on the clay bluffs or heavy prairie soil it ''does 

 itself proud,"" and is a grand variety. Roger's Hybrid No. 4, 

 (Wilder), comes the nearest to the foreign varieties (vinifera) that 

 can be successfully grown out of doors in this latitude. 



It is extremely productive and quite as hardy as Catawba and 

 many other of our full-blooded Labruscas; but like all other varie- 

 ties of its class, a different method must be practiced in its annual 

 pruning from that of our native Labruscas. 



All of the hybrids, descended from the viuiferas, should be 

 pruned to sliorf spurs on Jony arms of older ivood ; while the Lubrus- 

 cas, in profitable culture, should be pruned with the young canes as 

 long as from three to five feet, cutting out the old wood and getting 

 the cane from as near the base or collar of the vine as possible. The 

 Fuller system of training canes of young wood upright from a sec- 

 tion of spurs on a horizontal arm of old wood, does very well for 

 the amateur with a half dozen vines, and also looks pretty — either 

 where well done in the vineyard or on paper; but the grower who 

 follows out any such plan, and sells his grapes at from two to four 

 cents per pound, will, in my opinion, from a financial point of view, 

 '■'■ (jet left.'' An exception to his, however, might be made in the 

 hybrids of the vinifera class; yet they will do better if pruned as 

 before mentioned with short spurs on older wood. 



I desire to add my testimony against Summer pruning; with me 

 "it don't pay."' and I am inclined to think that it is an injui-y to the 

 fruit, and, })erhaps, detrimental to the vine. Carry the young growth 

 on wires above tne fruit, making a canopy to shed the rain and dew. 

 It will prevent rot. 



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