No. 105.] 503 



WM. A. SWAIN'S METHOD OF CULTIVATING ISABELLA 



GRAPES. 



The natural soil was a clay loam, very shallow, but made 2 J feet 

 deep, by trenching and adding good stable manure. Each vine has a 

 space of about 4 ieet each way, which has the best of tillage during 

 the summer, being highly manured and kept fine and clean. 



The vines were put in their place 3 years ago last fall. About one- 

 half were from cuttings put out the previous spring in a rich compost. 

 The other half were vines two years old, from R. T. Underbill. The 

 cuttings are much the largest and finest vines, and bore the largest 

 crop of grapes. They have always been trimmed in February ; the 

 first season's growth was cut back to within two feet of the ground ; 

 the second year's growth was one half cut back, so that a small pro- 

 portion of wood only might be left lo each vine compared to the size 

 of the root. The crop was about 1000 lbs. upon 22 vines. I used a 

 great quantity of strong ley made of oil soap, to water with during the 

 dry weather of each season. 



Very respectfully, 



^WM. A. SWAIN. 



Port R'Lhtncnd, S. L 



NOYES ON THE CULTURE OF GRAPES. 



Stonington, Jan. 1st., 1846. 



Sir : In answer to your circular, I send you a statement of my 

 method of cultivating the grape. 



Those which I exhibited were taken from vines five years old, al- 

 ways spur-pruned until the past season, when part were spur and part 

 cane pruned. The soil dry and sandy, the roots placed outside the 

 glasshouse in a border twelve feet wide, well filled with bones, the 

 stem taken under ground into the house, and trained to rafters eight- 

 teen feet long. 



On the first of December, 1844, I pruned all my vines, 56 in num- 

 ber, which are in four apartments, half spur and half cane trimmed, 

 and after the closest examination 1 am not satisfied which is the best 

 way. I have, the past Dec, 1845, been governed by the appearance 

 of the vine, and cut accordingly. On the 15th of Dec, 1844, I laid 

 the vines in a trench, inside the house, and covered them with dirt 

 four inches deep, then opened the windows and doors and left them so 

 until March 15th, when the vines were raised and washed, and on the 

 1st of April placed under the rafters. When the grapes were as large 

 as peas, I commenced thinning out the old and new wood when it was 

 found too much had been left at the previous pruning, and continued 

 to prune as often as once a week until the fruit was fit to gather, leav- 



