oO State Horticultural Society. 



eastern or eastern slope. The rows should be planted north and south; 

 distance, 6x7, 7x8 or 8x9 feet according to selected varieties and natural 

 fertility of the soil. 



Second, to perform the greatest amount of labor in the vineyard 

 in the shortest possible time (performed by well experienced hands only) 

 with the least physical exertion, is a necessity to make viticulture a suc- 

 cess instead of a failure, as it is with so many; therefore, time and labor- 

 saving methods in the cultivation of the vineyard must be applied even 

 more than in the cultivation of anv other fruit, because time and labor 

 saving or wasting means dollars and cents, the final object in view 

 for all fruit growers dependent upon the returns obtained from the soil. 



Third, only a few, the best known varieties, the best adapted to 

 your particular soil and locality, those being the most profitable in the 

 market, should be extensively planted, and only a few plants of the new 

 untried varieties should be tried as an experiment, leaving this job to 

 noted horticulturists and the experimental stations of the land. 



Horticultural papers and practical vineyardists have given such a 

 vast amount of instruction on cultivation that I have little to ,add to their 

 good advises, only will say : Keep your vineyard clean of weeds. Plant 

 two-year-old strong vines or very strong one-year vines only. Cut your 

 vines back to three eyes the second year, letting only one, or, if the vine 

 is very strong, not more than two shoots grow. Shorten these the third 

 year to five or six eyes, not above two feet in length, just so they can be 

 tied to the lowest wire about two feet from the ground. Let them fruit 

 very moderately, from three to five pounds to the plant, pinching off the 

 surplus buds. This is essential to establish a good, strong, healthy vine- 

 yard, to be profitable for twenty years to come. Give your vineyard 

 every two or three years a liberal supply of good manure in return for 

 the crops drawn from it, no matter how naturally fertile the soil may be, 

 and do not forget annually to spray with the proper remedies to combat 

 fungoid diseases and insect pests. Second, not claiming that my method 

 of trimming and cultivating the vineyard is the best possible, still I shall 

 pursue the plan outlined here, until I have learned better, easier and 

 more profitable methods. 



On account of the high value of land in St. Louis county, from $300 

 to $500 per acre, I have stocked my vineyard to the utmost capacity and 



