40 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Grapes. — The old saying that grapes should be planted on a south 

 slope with rows running north and south has proven a dead failure 

 with us. High level land on east slope has given best satisfaction. 

 In planting on level laud where there is no danger of wash, plant in 

 rows running east and west; thus the canes will never slide together 

 by a north and south wind. Have the rows six feet apart, except the 

 drive-\vay rows, which should be ten feet apart. Plant eight to ten 

 feet apart in the row. Plant in furrow made by running twice in a 

 place with a common stirring plow. Be sure that this furrow is ten 

 or twelve inches deep. In setting the plant dig three or four inches 

 deeper with a spade and leave only two or three buds of plant above 

 surface. We lose a great many plants by root killing unless planted 

 deep. Keep weeds out by thorough cultivation. In October, when 

 leaves have fallen, trim them to one or two canes and cover with dirt, 

 then a light covering of old hay or straw. Trail them up to a stake 

 the second year, and if they make an ordinary growth, the canes can 

 be left three feet long the second fall and be ready for the trellis the 



third year. 



I deem it advisable to cover all vines the first two or three years, 

 and if location and varieties are such that they will always need cov- 

 erino-, the cane must not be trained to stand perpendicular from the 

 root, but must be trained to lay almost on the ground with top trained 

 up and trained on the wire. This way the vine can easily be pressed 

 to the ground without breaking it. Always bear in mind, in trim- 

 ming, that it is easier to trim too little than too much, and that the 

 fruit grows on the new wood. Cut out all the weak struggling canes, 

 shape the vine up so that when tied on the wire the fruit wood will be 

 evenly distributed over the trellis. Never leave the fruit wood over 

 four or five buds in length. 



The above conclusions and directions are based on actual experience, 

 accompanied by failure and success, and if followed by any planter in 

 east central Nebraska, will give satisfaction. There is no visible rea- 

 son why any farmer should not have his table blessed with an abun- 

 dance of small fruits. 



A patch of ground along side of the garden, and the same size, 

 planted to small fruits will take less labor and produce more for the 

 table and give more satisfactory returns than the best garden I ever 

 saw in Washington county. 



