246 TRANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTURAL 



team of horses and a plow, run through often enough throwing the 

 soil out until you have a trench as deep as you wish it; if two feet 

 deep the better; then stretch a line the length of the trench made 

 with the plow. Now we are about ready to set our vines. Always 

 commence at the same end to plant, and set your first vine with a 

 stake for a guide, but make your trenches twelve feet apart for trel- 

 lis, and set vines six feet apart in the trench. For the first two years 

 plow both ways with a one-horse doul)le-shovel plow. And for 

 stakes alone I would set vines eight feet apart each way, and always 

 cultivate each way with a horse and plow; it saves hand-hoeing and 

 hand-rolling. By the last mode of cultivation named Ave can grow 

 grapes of the best quality and for a less price. The masses of the 

 people want grapes, and want them as cheaply as they can get them. 

 T would not let more than two young canes stand to each stake; by 

 this method you can astonish the natives with large clusters of 

 grapes. The length of canes may vary from one to four feet in 

 length. This mode needs but little summer pruning. All we have 

 to do in summer pruning is to pull off the surplus vines that come 

 out below the fruit. The advantage of this mode over trellis is, the 

 foliage forms on an umbrella shaped top and protects the fruit from 

 heavy dews and rain. 



PRUNING. 



Certain individuals claim to prune the vine so as to cause it to 

 fruit, as they say. Vines will not fruit for soine people after being 

 pruned. There is only one thing about it — prune enough and use 

 judgment about your work, but do not prune as I have seen a neigh- 

 bor do. He cut ofE all the last year's growth and then said that his 

 grapes were a failure. This mode of pruning reminds me of a man 

 going out into his field and cutting off the heads of wheat as they 

 came out, to make it branch and produce a good crop in a poor sea- 

 son. And again the all-wise pruner will tell you unless you prune 

 your vine at a certain time it will Ideed to death. This idea appears 

 to be handed down from generation to generation by tradition. If 

 any one will show me a man that has seen a vine bleed to death, I 

 will shoAV you ten thousand that have not seen any such thing. 

 Prune hardy vines from October 20th to .lune 20th, the following- 

 season, but the hardiest vines are better pruned in the fall, before 

 freezing weather, and laid on the ground and a couple of inches of 

 dirt strewn over them, while tender varieties must be protected if you 

 want any fruit from them. If you want well-grown clusters on the 

 tender varieties pinch off the laterals to one joint at first, letting but 

 one leaf remain, but do not pinch off the end of the leading vine as 

 you would be likely to start the buds that were intended for the next 

 year's fruiting. I have had in one season as much as one hundred 

 pounds of Concords from a vine, and all saleable; and I have had 

 Delaware vines produce as much as fifty pounds to the vine, but it is 

 too much in one season — it hurts the vine to let it overbear. 



