TRANSACTION? OF NORTHERN ILL. HORTICT-LTURAL SCXIETV. 325 



varieties. My Hartfords, Dianas and Isabellas, all froze to the ground. 

 Cuyahogas, Northern Muscadines, and Rebeccas all froze dead, root 

 and branch ; while my Concords, that stood along side of thcni, were not 

 hurt, but bore very heavy the past season, some vines carrying as much 

 as forty or fifty pounds to the vine. One-half of my vineyard lies directly 

 to the west, and the other half directly to the southeast, without any 

 wind-break or protection whatever. The vines in the west half of my 

 vineyard did not set so much fruit, the past season, as those in the south- 

 east did, but it ripened nearly one week sooner, which it freciuentiy does. 

 The soil is what we call good, dry prairie, inclined twenty-five or thirty 

 degrees. I find by having a heavy foliage on the top rail or wire that I 

 get better fruit, and it ripens much earlier, but at the same time I want a 

 free circulation of air underneatli my fruit. I have had fruit exposed to 

 the dew and sun that did not ripen before frost, while that which hung 

 mostly in the shade ripened up well. I would rather not have the sun 

 shine on my fruit from ten o'clock until two, as I find that I get much 

 better fruit by having it shaded about noon time. My plan is now to set 

 all vines eighteen or twenty inches deep, and cover the Concords for two 

 or three winters, and after that let them stay on the trellis or stakes with- 

 out any winter protection ; and prune all tender varieties early in the 

 season, and cover them well for winter. 



DISCUSSION ON GRAPE CULTURE RESUMED. 



Mr. Budd wished to speak of his experience in grape cuUure. He 

 commenced planting vines shallow, according to the books, but had 

 given that up years ago. He now plants in mellow earth, fifteen to 

 twenty inches deep. With shallow planting he lost some vines, but with 

 deep planting, none. He does not cover his vines in winter — they are 

 Concords. 



Mr. Piper asked about the insect which was destroying his Dela- 

 ware vines. 



Mr. Wier replied that it is not an insect but a miie, as it is not 

 divided into three segments, as are true insects, etc.* 



Gen'l Wilson, of Sterling, said he would like to show that he didn't 

 know any thing about raising grapes. He was sixty years olil when he 

 left the army ; and in 1S67 planted 5,000 Concord vines, on a level, 

 rather low, piece of ground. In 1869 it was flooded with water, but had 

 been afterward surface-drained. He at first covered his vines with earth, 

 but discontinued the pra( tice after a few trials, and w(juld not now have 

 Concords covered. He had to unlearn all that he had learned from books 

 on grape culture. Two years since, he went to Nauvoo, and there learned 

 that it is as easy to make wine iis it is to make cider. He prunes just as 

 the growth is starting in spring — about the midille of .\pril, in this lati- 

 tude, and his vines do not bleetl. 



The President stated that inasmuch as a paper had been read before 

 the Society which reflected somewhat upon a gentleman then present, he 



* For full descriptions and illustrations of these insects, see pages J78-183 of this volume.— Ed. 



