1883-] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



8i 



not be captured in this way. The use of these 

 traps may be recommended for the destruction of 

 many other species of moths, and also for the Lach- 

 nostera (white grub beetles.) 



The only practical methods of preventing or de- 

 stroying C. pomonella are by the use of Paris 

 green or paper bands. 



CULTURE OF THE HARDY GRAPE. 



BY JOHN WOODING, PENCAYD, PA. 



It might be considered almost superfluous to say 

 anything on this subject, as so much has been 

 already said by others in articles and published in 

 book form, giving the various opinions and differ- 

 ing methods of culture. This reminds me of a 

 parson I once heard of, the rector of a small vil- 

 lage in the old country, who had his sermons 

 printed to last him, one for every Sunday in the 

 year, and when he got through he started on the 

 same batch again. So with grape culture, it will 

 stand going over again. It would be impossible 

 for me to enter into details on this subject here. I 

 don't think it would be necessary even if I could, 

 so \ will be brief and sum it all up in a nutshell. 



If good grapes are expected it is necessary they 

 should have good material to grow them in. A 

 prepared border should be made, excavated two 

 and a half feet deep and four or five feet wide, with 

 a layer of four or five inches of rough materials at 

 bottom, such as brick bats, old mortar, oyster 

 shells, &c., to act as a drainage. This is an im. 

 portant element in the matter, especially if the 

 ground is heavy, in which case the border should 

 be filled up with rotten sod and a good mixture of 

 cow dung. Horse dung is not suitable for grape 

 borders, as it contains too much fungus. Three- 

 year-old vines should be selected for planting. 

 Vines which have been grown in pots can be pro- 

 cured of any nurseryman in the neighborhood at 

 a moderate charge. They should be planted about 

 six feet apart, in a straight line up the middle of 

 the border, and not allowed to bear fruit the first 

 year. The second season they may be allowed to 

 bear four or five bunches on each vine ; and if 

 everything goes well a good average crop may be 

 expected the following year. 



As to the management of vines I think pruning 

 may be done any time, from first of January to 

 middle of March. If this matter is delayed longer 

 than the latter time they are apt to bleed too 

 much, which is injurious to the vines, as grapes 

 grow on the wood they make the current year. It 

 is indispensably necessary that this growth should 



come from the preceding year's wood ; hence the 

 necessity of pruning down to within two or three 

 eyes of the last season's growth. I find the system 

 of pruning generally in vogue is to leave old canes 

 year after year, until they have no good eyes or 

 joints capable of producing fruit bearing wood, ex- 

 cept a little growth at the extremities of the canes, 

 which you have to depend on for your next year's 

 fruit, and very poor stock at that. I think this sys- 

 tem ought to be discouraged and instead young 

 canes layered of the preceding year's growth in the 

 spring, which when sufficiently strong and well 

 rooted will take the place of the old cane which 

 can be cut away. 



In the process of growth and fruiting, if the lat- 

 ter comes too thick, the vines should be gone over 

 and the bunches regulated out with the thumb and 

 finger according to your own judgment and the 

 strength of the vines. When the young shoots 

 have made growth three joints from the fruit, one 

 joint should be pinched off, leaving two from the 

 : bunch, thus giving a tendency to check the flow 

 of sap, which is favorable to the fruiting. This 

 j operation will need repeating again during the 

 [ season. . Vine borders should be mulched at all 

 times with about four or five inches of cow dung. 

 A good sowing of bone dust in the fall of the year 

 will be beneficial. Mulching protects the roots in 

 , winter, keeps them moist in summer, and acts as a 

 I stimulant to the vines. The coarse manure may 

 be raked off in the spring and the rest lightly dug 

 in with a fork and the border again mulched im- 

 mediately. 



DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS. 



BY WALTER ELDER. 



There are four specially destructive I have no- 

 ticed within a few years back, and as I have pre- 

 vented their ravages I will relate my experience for 

 the benefit of others. The first is a smooth, pale- 

 green worm, an inch and a half long, which I first 

 found feeding upon the leaves of Mignonette and 

 Sweet Alyssum, in smali numbers. The hue depends 

 somewhat on the color of the leaves it feeds upon. 

 Another has destroyed thousands of acres of the late 

 cabbage crop. Three years ago last fall I found 

 the worms in vast numbers upon my cabbage 

 plants. I syringed a portion with a strong solu- 

 tion of carbolic acid soap, with flowers of sulphur 

 in it, and on the other portion dusted air-slacked 

 lime. All the worms were killed. 



One season I dosed the cabbages before the 

 time for the appearance of the worms, and the 



