Winter Meeting. 293 



Now we have the land prepared. For the planting of the grapevine 

 I prefer spring planting. I take good, strong one-year-old plants, cut 

 roots back to six or eight inches, spread them well in the furrow, as deep 

 as possible, and press roots down firm and fill in the loose soil. Set 

 plants six or seven feet in the row. Cut the top of the cane down to two 

 buds. 



• Now begin your cultivating and level down the furrow your grape 

 plants are planted in. Cultivate as often as possible, always after rain, 

 in order to keep the soil loose and weeds down. You may plant some 

 potatoes in between the grape rows, but you must not plant too close to 

 grape plants to hinder the cultivating. This for the first year. 



The second }-ear you cut growth back to two buds, in order to secure 

 plenty of roots. This cutting back the second year will develop the' root 

 system more firmly and strengthen the grape plant for the future. Now 

 tlie canes that will grow during the season, as they grow should be tier 

 to some stakes that should be set to the grape plant in order to cultivate 

 them and give them same treatment as first year. 



Now you are ready for your trellis, which should be *of posts, set by 

 every third grape plant, with a hane post at each end of grape row. Place 

 three rows of wire on post. I prefer number twelve galvanized wire, 

 the first wire eighteen inches from the ground and the other two wires 

 twenty inches apart. 



Now comes your pruning. There is not much difficulty in pruning 

 the second year's growth, as the canes are all the summer's growth. Three 

 or four thrifty canes can be left standing. Cut to second wire. Tie with 

 cord or willow. Cultivate as the previous season, but always level culti- 

 vating. Don't try, if you get grass or weeds in the grape rows, to take 

 a turning plow and throw ground on the grass or weeds and on to the 

 grape stock, for the grape stock will form a perfect layer of roots under 

 the mound of ground you have thrown on to it, which will have to be 

 removed, otherwise you will have the roots on the surface ; therefore, al- 

 ways use level cultivation. The crop of the second season's growth should 

 amply cover your expenses for plants, wire and posts. From now on 

 you will have to prune somewhat different by keeping your grape stock 

 down to the ground as low as possible.. Don't let it come above the first 

 wire from the ground if you can help ; always get your fruiting cane from 

 below the first wire, if possible, otherwise in a few years you will have 

 a grape stump in place of a grape stock. Keep your vineyard in good 

 fertility and you will have a vineyard that will look at you with dollars 

 and cents and will be good for fifty years to come. 



