98 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



of the vine into true sap. The practice of taking off the leaves 

 to let the sun upon the fruit came to us from England, where 

 their less vivid sunshine seemed to make it necessary, but most 

 cultivators even there have given it up as injurious. 



Vines of native origin seem to require more room than is 

 usually allowed in the vineyard. I plant eight feet by eight, 

 and this does not seem too much. It is the custom in Europe 

 to plant very close ; and I have been advised by an intelligent 

 cultivator, who was born in a vineyard in Germany, and who 

 had also grown the grape in this country for some years, to 

 plant the Concord grape in close order, with an assurance that, 

 if I try it, 1 never shall go back to wide planting again.' I shall 

 plant half an acre after his directions, and in due time report 

 the result. 



Vines may be trained to poles or the trellis ; I prefer the latter, 

 as more convenient for pruning and gathering the crop. 



Much has been said of late about girdling the vine to promote 

 early maturity, and to increase the size of the fruit. I tried 

 girdling many years ago, and have abandoned it from a con- 

 viction that it impaired the quality of the grape, perhaps from 

 .overcharge of unripened sap, possibly from debility induced by 

 disturbing the functions of the vine. As some cultivators may 

 desire to try it, I submit the mode of operation. 



With a sharp knife make a cut round the bearing branch, 

 and below the fruit, quite through the bark to the wood. Make 

 another cut one-quarter or three-eighths of an inch below the 

 first cut ; make a longitudinal cut through this ring of bark, 

 when it can be easily detached from the wood. Do this when 

 the grapes are of the size of peas. By this process the sap is 

 impeded in its return through the bark, while its ascent through 

 the wood is not interrupted. It forces the growth of fruit and 

 leaf by engorgement of the sap. 



Once in about a score of years this practice comes up anew. 

 It is now recommended as a new mode of enlarging the fruit, 

 and making it ripen before its usual season, but it is by no 

 means new, and only seems to be so because intelligent culti- 

 vators, who gave it a fair trial in its last phase, discarded it so 

 long ago. 



In reply to the interrogatories of the circular on fruits, I 

 would say that I grow most of the new grapes, but confine 



