64 



SUMMER PRUNING THE GRAPE VINE. 



resembles, and its fruit is larger and higher 

 flavored than that of the Franconia. Both 

 these varieties will, however, hold theirplace 

 in our gardens, because they are sorts of 

 great merit ; but we are inclined to give the 

 FaslolfTthe first rank for large size and pro- 

 ductiveness. 



The fruit, as will be seen by the preced- 

 ing drawing, is much more roundish, or 06- 

 tusdy conical, than that of the true Red 

 Antwerp. The canes are also stouter, more 

 upright, and the leaves rather longer and 

 more pointed. It has the excellent habit 

 of ripening its berries in long continued suc- 

 cession. Its cultivation is of the easiest kind, 

 as it grows in any good garden soil. To raise 



the largest fruit, however, and to secure a 

 supply for several weeks, the ground should 

 be trenched and manured two feel deep 

 before planting it. April is probably the 

 lest time for transplanting it in this latitude ; 

 though October and November are favorable 

 months. 



The FastolfT Raspberry ripens about the 

 same time as the large Antwerp. With us 

 it was in perfection this season about the 

 fourth of July. Its luxuriant habit, large 

 size and good flavor will soon make it 

 widely known in own gerdens, as it is un- 

 doubtedly the greatest acquisition of the last 

 twenty years to this class of midsummer 

 fruits. 



SUMMER PRUNING THE GRAPE VINE. 



Almost every one having a garden, culti- 

 vates a grape vine. If he cannot grow a 

 Black Hamburg or Muscat of Alexandria, 

 under glass, in such a way that a single 

 cluster will weigh five pounds, he can at 

 least raise that hardy and prolific native 

 sort, the Isabella, in such abundance that a 

 single root will give him every year fifty 

 pounds of fruit. 



This is the month when that which is 

 Gomrnonly known as the summer pruning 

 of the grape vine takes place, all over the 

 country. (We confine our remarks now 

 chiefly to hardy grapes.) The native grapes 

 are very luxuriant growers; they make 

 every season of life to themselves a great 

 mass of foliage ; and the almost universal 

 practice is to cut off, when the grapes are 

 about the size of peas, every shoot, two or 

 three joints beyond the outermost bunch 

 of grapes. 



This is done under the impression, first, 

 that to leave so much young wood and foliage 



is to rob the growing fruit of its fair supply 

 of food ; and second, that every bunch should 

 be well exposed to the sun, in order to assist 

 it in coming to full maturity. We our- 

 selves practised this mode of summer prun- 

 ing for several years, even after we had 

 doubts of its propriet}'-, and were frequently 

 disposed to lay to its charge the diminished 

 size of the grapes, of which we are now con- 

 fident it was the cause. 



In 1843, our attention was attracted by 

 an article from the able pen of Dr. Lindley, 

 on this subject. It began with the follow- 

 ing propositions : — 



" (1.) If all the leaves which a tree will 

 naturally form, are exposed to favorable 

 influences, and receive the light of a bril- 

 liant sun, all the fruit which such a plant 

 may produce will ripen perfectly in a sum- 

 mer that is long enough. 



"(2.) If all the leaves of a tree are exposed 

 to such influences, all its fruit will advance 

 as far towards ripening as the length of the 



