230 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Rather earlier than the Isabella ; the vine a prodigious grower, but 

 fails to ripen its wood so as to endure the winter. It might succeed 

 under very favorable conditions. 



Canby's August. A hardy prolific vine. Fruit earlier than the 

 Isabella, bunches and berries of medium size, and of good quality. 



Logan. Very hardy, and productive. Fruit nearly as large as 

 Isabella, of very good quality and one of the earliest. 



Garrigues. The vine resembles, in vigor of growth and general 

 appearance, the Isabella, and the fruit also resembles it, but it is 

 considerably earlier, and the vine hardier. 



Isabella. I notice this only because it is already disseminated 

 through the State more than any other, and to say that I never 

 have been able to ripen it. In favorable seasons, the fruit colors, 

 and many suppose it ripe ; but in Maine it never attains the excel- 

 lence which a longer season would give it. 



Northern Muscadine. A native Fox grape, introduced by the 

 Shakers, and one of the best of its class, being very sweet, early, 

 hardy and productive. Its foxy flavor, so repugnant to some, is a 

 recommendation to others. Its chief faults, other than this, are 

 firmness of pulp and its habit of falling from the bunch as soon as 

 ripe. 



The Franklin, commended as very early and good, the Anna, a 

 delicious white grape, the Early Hudson, North America, and 

 perhaps a dozen others, give promise of being worthy cultivation, 

 but have not yet been sufficiently tested to speak with confidence 

 of their relative merits. 



The method of pruning for out-door vines in this climate found 

 most satisfactory, is that called spur pruning. In order to train 

 and prune a vine right and easily, it is absolutely necessary to 

 commence right, and for three or four years to go on right, after 

 which there is no difficulty in always having the vine in good shape, 

 productive, and the pruning will be as easy as to whittle a shingle ; 

 nor is there any difficulty in the first years if we understand what 

 is wanted, and keep a proper plan in view. When the vine is 

 planted, let it be cut down to three or four buds ; when these have 

 grown six or eight inches, select tlic best one and pinch off" the 

 •others. Let the one reserved grow n\\ it will during the season, 

 the object now being to get as much root as possible, and the root 

 will be in proportion to the top. In the fall, after the leaves drop, 

 'Cut down the vine to three or four buds, and cover for the winter. 

 'The second year let two shoots grow, and two only ; tie them up 



