176 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE 



line of the trellis was of necessity up and down the hill. I had 

 succeeded finely with two arms in my garden, and soon as the 

 vines in question had produced two canes they were cut back, 

 laid down in oftposite directions, and fastened to the lower bar 

 of the trellis, one arm forming an acute, and the other an 

 obtuse angle. The result was, the former, or ascending arms, 

 produced strong canes, while those produced by the latter, or 

 descending arms, were very feeble. To remedy this, the 

 ascending arms were all cut away, and the descending arms 

 extended to fill the vacant space. The lesson taught me by 

 the failure was this : Unless the shape of the ground is such 

 that the trellis bars are nearly horizontal, vines with only one 

 arm are more easily controlled than vines with two. 



The reason why some persons don't succeed in growing 

 grapes, is not so much a want of knowledge on the subject, as 

 neglecting " to j^ractice what they know." They see them at 

 their neighbors, eat of them, declare grapes are the best fruit 

 ever grown, will have them growing on their own premises ; 

 — yes, next spring they will plant a dozen vines. They are told 

 how to do it, and they do it well; examine them in a week or 

 two ; yes, the buds are starting, the vines are all alive, and we 

 shall soon have grapes of our own ; but, alas for the poor 

 vines! This is the last thought given them, until ripe grapes 

 in the fall hanging on our neighbors vines remind us of the 

 neglect of our own. We examine them, and instead of find- 

 ing a good cane four or five feet long, as we ought to, we dis- 

 cover on the ground, covered up with weeds, two or three 

 shoots and as many suckers, none of them being more than a 

 few inches in length. AVe are discouraged ; give it up ; and 

 whenever the subject is afterwards introduced, say we are very 

 fond of grapes, but don't know how to raise them ! This is 

 not a fancy sketch; but founded upon facts that have come 

 under my own observation. I will give one or two, among 

 manv, in corroboration : 



