ILLINOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 205 



mence working them up. From t.vo thousand five hundred bearing 

 vines only four years old I sold three thousand pounds of grapes and 

 obtained six hundred gallons of clear juice without pressing the husks. 

 After fermentation had nearly ceased, I put one-quarter of a pound of 

 sugar to each gallon, and about the middle of December I racked it 

 off from the sediment and put one-quarter pound sugar to the gallon 

 again : I put the husks into large casks, and put untothem two hundred 

 and fifty gallons of sugar water. In about six weeks the pulp was dis- 

 solved and the liquor clear enough to rack off. I drew off three hundred 

 and sixty gallons without pressing the husks, then added two hundred 

 gallons of sugar water to the husks which yet remains on them. 

 I shall not be greatly disappointed if these last experiments make 

 vinegar instead of wine; should it do so, the profits will be nearly the 

 same. To make wine will require more sugar ; to make vinegar requires 

 more water, thereby increasing the number of gallons. 



Having noticed in Wm. Saunders report of the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment of the Patent office, his experiment of planting a small collection 

 of native vines outside a rude structure made by placing a few sashes 

 against a common board fence. Some of the vines were trained under 

 the glass roof, and others to a trellis four feet from it, exposed to the 

 atmosphere; the satisfactory results of the crop under the glass and the 

 great excellence of the fruit, induce the belief that if this mode of 

 growing our native grapes were generally known, many would avail them- 

 selves of its benefits. I have tried similar experiments in a simpler and 

 less expensive manner by training the surplus foliage horizontally above 

 the fruit so as to protect it from our heavy dews, and the result has 

 been very satisfactory in improving the quality of fruit. 



P. Mannv. 



This paper was followed by remarks by Messrs, McWhortcr, 

 Bryant, McAfee, and Spofford. who took the ground that a clay soil, 

 such as our trniber ridges, is the best. Mr. McAfee spoke highly of the 

 Rogers hybrids, in certain localities, but doubted if they would do well 

 south of this latitude, and Mr. Spofford in favor, of the Clinton. 

 Mr. McWhorter had not found grape culture profitable on our prairies, 

 for want of market. 



Tne culture of the soil was considered by Mr. Spofford, who advo- 

 cated a sort of icrraiiilture, — that is, surface-stirring of the soil with the 

 aid of a fork, to the depth of ten inches, 'I'he object of this is to open 

 the soil to the air, dew, and rain, in order thai these Iok rs would be 

 able to supply the roots with plant-food. 



Mr. McAkkf. had had good success in grafting the grape as late as 

 July fiftcenih, Vinesmay be laid down in a trench, and the grafts are 

 inserted by splinting the slock, but no wax is used, the vines being 



