Slimmer Meeting. 63 



WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2 P. M. 



THIRD SESSION — PROGRAM. 



Varieties and Culture of the Grape — Jacob Rommel, Chamois, 

 Mo. 



Best Market Varieties — H. Wm. Thies, Ferguson, Mo. 

 Spraying in the Vineyard — E. J. Baxter, Nauvoo, 111. 

 Discussion on Grape and Cherry. 



GRAPES. 



(Jacob Kominel, Oliainois, Mo.) 



Looking over the annual reports of our State Horticultural 

 Society, I find all subjects relative to grapes so fully reported that 

 I am at a loss as to what to add that will be of value. I will, 

 therefore, confine myself to a few remarks on the subject. 



To obtain satisfactory results with grapes, as with other 

 fruits, it is necessary to know what kinds are best adapted to ordi- 

 nary cultivation and seasons. We have many varieties of grapes, 

 and opinions on the various sorts differ so much that we often have 

 to do a good deal of thinking to determine which will be the most 

 profitable under our particular conditions. Some grapes do well 

 in certain localities and on certain soils, but if put under differ- 

 ent conditions they will not be so satisfactory. Therefore it is 

 well to know which varieties are most generally successful and 

 which are best for your particular use. 



It is most important to train the vines and give them proper 

 attention and cultivation, and to do the work at the right time. 

 This is where many fail. Pruning must be done judiciously in the 

 fall as well as in the summer. Many fail to do this work at the 

 proper time and others fail to do it at all. If grape vines are 

 allowed to grow at will, with no summer pruning, and are per- 

 mitted to mat over the fruit, so as to exclude air and sunlight, you 

 may expect poor fruit, or none at all. Grape vines do best on high 

 and dry land, with plenty of air and light, and not too much moist- 

 ure. Too much rain and a wet soil cause rot and mildew. We are 

 then compelled to spray with Bordeaux mixture, which must also 



