THE MANISTEE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 377 



Mr. Earasdell replied that the Jiicunda, Green Prolific and Colonel Oheeney 

 all come after the Wilson. 



Mr. Mapes stated that the Jncnnda and Yfilson held on longer than the 

 Agriculturist with liim. 



Mr. Ilurd said that the Charles Downing had come up wonderfully in the 

 last few seasons. 



Mr. Ramsdell said it had the advantage of being adapted to a large variety 

 of soils. 



Edwin Eussell said that the Wilson was the most profitable with him as a 

 berry for general purposes. He had never tried many kinds. His experience 

 with Peak's Emperor had been that it was not as productive nor as sure as the 

 Wilson. The berries were of a large size and fine flavor, but it was not sure. 

 The first year he planted it, it bore more than it did the second year. He 

 would be able to judge better of it after the next season. 



A vote being taken, the meeting decided in favor of the Wilson, the Green 

 Prolific, the Jucunda, and the Colonel Cheeney varieties, as the best for mar- 

 ket purposes. 



SETTING AND CULTIVATION OF GKAPES. 



The Horticultural Society met at Dr. Ellis' office for the purpose of discuss- 

 ing the currant borer and his characteristics, but the members not being fully 

 prepared on this subject^ the subject of the setting and general cultivation of 

 grapes was taken up. 



Mr. Hurd said he had had some experience in setting grapes on sand. He 

 aimed to have two eyes above the ground. He watered them with slops 

 from the house. He dug a hole twenty inches deep and filled it up within 

 four inches of the top, and placed the stake in the hole on one side be- 

 fore filling up. He mulched with good manure. Some grew from four to 

 eight feet last year. He mulched again in the fall with well-rotted manure. 

 He thinks they made all the growth he wanted. He has set this year 

 eighty-one vines one year old, from the cutting of his own raising, and 

 they are all well rooted. The varieties set were mostly Concords, and the 

 balance were Delawares, Hartfords, and Eumelans. 



Mr. Mapes made inquiry as to how far apart the vines were set. 



Mr. Hurd set his eight feet apart each way, but if he had more to set he 

 would put them 12 or 15 feet apart each way. 



Mr. Ramsdell referred to the culture of grapes in New York State, and said 

 that the best growers had planted further apart each year until there were 

 many who planted as much as 20 feet apart each way, and Mr. A. C. Comstock, 

 a very noted grape culturist of that State, said he would plant 15 feet by 30. 

 Nearly all the growers in the Naples valley planted at least 12 feet apart each 

 way, and it was not until these men had had such remarkable success, and 

 taken so many prizes at the horticultural fairs, that their neighbors began to 

 see that they were correct in planting far apart. The speaker called attention 

 to the fact that he had seen one vine in New York State that was spread all 

 over a house, which yielded 44 bushels in one season. He did not see what 

 people Vt'auted to keep the vine on a stake for. He believed the mildew was 

 more often seen on closely-trimmed vines. He would plant his vines 12 feet 

 apart and 20 feet in the row, and if he had plenty of land he would plant 24 

 feet in the row. He knows that close prnninghas its advocates, such as Judge 

 Ramsdell, but after a few years' trial he thought they would find it not best in 

 the long run. 



