144 ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW-YORK 



In this case of garden culture it was trained on a fence seven feet 

 high, and trimmed on the renewing system in hills six feet apart. 

 This unfavorable result was doubtless due to the altered position 

 of soil, and the unnatural mode, (as I now view it) of trimming it. 

 Numerous notices of the Scuppernong grape at the south shew 

 that, except a little trimming in its- early growth, to give it a 

 clean upright stem, it receives no pruning at all, but is permitted 

 to run at w^ill over large trees and frames ujjheld by pitch pine 

 posts. See Transactions of the Patent office for 1853, page 306, 

 the report of Sidney Weller. 



2. But in the case of close planted grapes, in cultivated 

 grounds, an annual pruning is necessary. Here I have found the 

 benefit, after the necessary trimming of autumn, or early spring, 

 of never trimming during the whole summer's growth, nor in the 

 early autumn, except to nip the points of the long branches 

 which otherwise would be killed by the first frost. In this way 

 the whole summer's energy is expended on a much larger amount 

 of w^ood than is needed for the succeeding year. This w^ood will 

 also be found of less diameter than in the case of midsummer 

 pruning. But it will be better ripened, being less spongy and so 

 equally, nay, as I suppose much better suited to the purposes of 

 the succeeding year than the larger wood. I think it will appear 

 in the experience of most persons accustomed to the trimming of 

 grapes, that quite frequently, the vines of medium size, or even 

 small diameter, are found best ripened, and stand the Avinter the 

 best; nor are they less vigorous in the next year's growth. I am 

 aware that, it will be answered to all this, that in this way, a 

 part of the energy of the plant is diverted from the fruit to the 

 branches. But I think not. The entire amount of this wide 

 expanse of foliage goes to sustain the whole plant — root, vine and 

 fruit. Proportionally the fruit will receive more support than 

 upon the system of short trimming at midsummer. It is 

 undoubtedly true that, in refraining from midsummer trimming 

 you will need to plant your grapes wider apart, else a portion, 

 both of the leaves and fruit, will be smothered for the w^ant of air. 

 In the summer of 1852, 1 had on my grape fence, three fine vines, 

 of the Royal Muscadine grape. In my absence my German 

 laborers had trimmed two of them in the German mode — shorten- 

 ing the wood very much, and removing some of the leaves about 



