1884.] THE farmer's small-fruit garden. 51 



Mr. Jesse P. Rogers, of New Jersey. I believe one of 

 the great points in trimming grapes is to get very fine fruit — 

 large, heavy clusters. To do that, with most vines, short 

 trimming is required ; say, of the Concord, from four to six 

 feet. Rogers' Hybrid has been spoken of here. Almost all 

 of the Rogers' Hybrids, the Diana, and several others of that 

 style of grape, need very long arms — twenty, thirty, or forty 

 feet; and, with arms of that length, as a general rule, the 

 grapes are a great deal better. No arbitrary rule can be laid 

 down for trimming grape-vines; but they must be trimmed 

 according to the nature of the vine itself. But I should think 

 that a vine not trimmed at all would run all over creation, 

 and get away from us. The very gentleman who said, tliis 

 morning, that he would keep oats from his horses if they ran 

 away from liim, now says :. " Trim your grapes very long." 

 I am sure his horse would get away from him there. 



Mr. Fenn. I have made a practice of taking the laterals, 

 such as I wanted to fruit next season, and cutting away the 

 old wood, retaining the new, and from those branches which 

 put out, I have obtained not only the 'best fruit, but the 

 largest, and finest bunches. I have a Diana vine, which Iset 

 out more for shade than anything else. I would not under- 

 take to say how many grapes that vine has borne ; but I know 

 it has borne a great many. It is in a locality where the 

 grapes do not ripen very well ; they do not get sun enough, 

 and some seasons I get a poor crop ; but a majority of the 

 seasons they ripen well. A great many claim that I am 

 severe in cutting; but I always cut away the old wood, retain- 

 ing the new, and I have the best results from that system of 

 pruning. I only give it as my experience. I don't know 

 whether it is best for others to follow it or not. 



Mr. Blot. I have always done that way myself. I had a 

 three-year-old grape-vine this year that gave me thirty pounds 

 of grapes. What I want to know is, as between cutting to 

 four or five feet, as they do in Europe, and seven or eight 

 feet — which would be the most profitable ? 



Mr. Augur. I have listened with very much interest to 



