STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 53 



Mr. Mahan — Will not the buds of the vine be destroyed by this 

 covering .' 



Dr. Hi'MPHRF.v — No, sir, I think not, if the covering was put on in 

 the right time — that is — after the ground is frozen. If you cover the 

 unfrozen soil with the mulch I think there is danger. 



Mr. Bari,er — If I had to go to the trouble and expense of cover- 

 ing grape vines, I would never grow grapes for market. There is "where 

 the money goes." No wonder gentlemen complain "there is no profit 

 in grape culture." I was never guilty of covering grape vines — and if 

 they die for want of it — they die eternally .' That is, I will quit the bus- 

 iness, and turn it over to those who can grow them less expensively, for 

 market. But for family use I would be at the utmost expeme ami care ^ 



and I would recommend that everybody 



" F rom Greenland's icy mountains, 

 To India's coral strand," 



plant his "own vine and fig tree." Why not .'' 



Mr. Flagg — Does Dr. Humphrey train upon trellis, or upon stakes .' 



Dr. Humphrey — I train on trellis. 



Mr. Flagg — Do you fruit upon the old, or upon the new wood ? 



DjR. HuATPHREV — I fruit upon the new wood. I keep my vines near 

 the ground, and take great care to get fruit buds low down, near the 

 ground. 



Mr. Gamtsha — One would gather from Dr. Humphrey's remarks, 

 that he, by always covering his vines always had good crops. Now, it is 

 my observation that covering may or may not be of service. I have no- 

 ticed, in more than one instance, vines not covered produce better fruit 

 than vines covered, and that in the same neighborhood on similar soil 

 and situation, and of the same varieties. For instance, I had a heavier 

 crop this year on uncovered vines, than my neighbor, on vines carefully 

 buried with earth — the varieties and conditions were the same, except 

 the single difference of " protection," of the vines. The reverse is doubt- 

 less sometimes true ; so I say covermg may, or may not be serviceable. 



The point I wish to make is, that to know you are going to insure 

 your grape crop by burying the vines in earth, you must know what the 

 winter weather will be — whether wet or dry. I think that in the North, 

 where the vines can be kept dry, the general result is in favor of cover- 

 ing the vines; but in my latitude I do not think it is usually necessary, 

 but have usually found it sufficient to cut the vines loose from the stakes 

 letting them fall to the ground. 4 



