120 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



MY METHODS OF PLANTING GRA1»E VINES, RASPBEIIRIES 

 BLACKHERKIES AND 0THE:R SMALL PRUITS. 



G. S. Christy, Jolinsoii. Nebraska. 



Mr. Christy: Mr. President, Ladies, and Gentlemen: I had 

 another meeting that I sliould have attended at this time, but I Tvill 

 talk to you a little while on the planting of small fruit. I believe it 

 would be well to take up the grapes first, froxn the fact that grapes 

 "will grow in almost any part of the state. Now there are only a few 

 varieties that I would advise planting. We plant the Concord, Moores 

 Early, and I always like to have a few Woodruff red, although 

 further north they will not ripen up quickly. However, I think that 

 is one of the finest grapes, especially for canning. The Woodruff red 

 is the one I like best in the winter. The Niagara is the best for 

 white. 



The red and white grapes are more subject to diseases than the 

 blacks, and should not be planted unless you expect to spray and care 

 for them. The blacks will come nearer taking care of them- 

 selves. There is one mistake in planting grapes that a. great many 

 people make. That is, in planting them they do not plant deep 

 enough. More mistakes are made in planting the grape than almost 

 any other fruit. If the root system is shallow they are liable to 

 winter kill, and the roots will not grow deep unless planted deep. 

 Rows should be eight feet apart and vines five to six feet in the row. 

 With a fourteen inch plow make a double furrow plowing as deep 

 as possible by going a couple of rounds. It will then be easy to 

 make a hole eighteen inches deep. With good two-year old plants you 

 should be able to plant to that depth. Tamp the dirt firmly around 

 the roots and then with a common corn cultivator, plow the vines 

 every ten days, and in a short time you will have your rows all 

 leveled up. Be sure to allow only one cane to grow the first year. 

 They should bear the third year. Just so you leave a few buds stick- 

 ing out on a good two-year-old vine it will do the rest. 



There is one thing, and I do not know where the trouble comes 

 in, with grape vines. Often the roots get so near the surface that a 

 hard winter will sometimes kill the vine. That is one objection and 

 the greatest objection to mulching grapes. You mulch grapes a few 

 years and you will find that the roots come so near the surface that a 

 hard winter is liable to kill them. Never mulch grape vines. 

 Keep them well cultivated all through the season and you will have 

 good grapes. 



Now as to pruning. All varieties except Moores Early should be 

 pruned according to the ancient custom of two buds, but if you are 

 an old fogy you cannot leave four or five buds. Do not plant Moore's 

 Early. Whenever you prune Moore's Early tot two buds you will make 

 a mistake. The first two buds I think are very seldom fruit buds, but 

 the third, fourth and fifth are generally fruit buds. You can tell the 



