January 31, 1914 



HOETICULTURE 



145 



GRAPE CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



(A paper read before the Westchester 

 and Fairfleld Horticultural Society, by 

 Wm. Morrow.) 



Let us begin with the border. I have 

 had some experience with three differ- 

 ent kinds, viz: inside, outside, and a 

 combination of both, with an arched 

 foundation under the front of the 

 house, which allows the roots of the 

 vine to ramble in either direction, the 

 vines being planted inside. This I 

 consider the best for second or spring 

 starting, but for early forcing, the in- 

 side border has the advantage of the 

 roots being protected from the cold 

 compost outside, at a time when the 

 vine is in a brisk growing tempera- 

 ture. 



The make-up and material of the 

 border I will pass over at this time, 

 except to say that thorough drainage 

 is the most important part of it. As 

 to the planting, I prefer a young vine 

 that has just filled its pot with roots 

 for summer planting. This can be 

 set in place without any check to its 

 growth. Two-year-old dormant vines, 

 such as we get from Europe, should be 

 taken to some convenient place where 

 they can be carefully shaken out and 

 washed clean with hose, both root 

 and top, and then planted at once, 

 spreading out the roots to their full 

 length in planting. This washing 

 should be done at some distance from 

 the grapery, to protect that place 

 from undesirable citizens. These 

 vines ran 1 e cut back to the desired 

 length. From twelve to twenty inches, 

 according to strength, is a good 

 length to leave them. The cuts should 

 be gene over with Thompson's Styptic 

 or shellac, which will prevent bleed- 

 ing. Wnen this has had time to dry 

 on the cuts, one good watering is in 

 order, which will likely be all they 

 will need until the joung growth is a 

 foot or more in iangth. 



A fine spray from the hose should 

 te giveii every dark day, and several 

 times on bright days. It often hap- 

 pens that a young vine will make 

 much heavier wood up the trellis, than 

 it will in the first two feet of its 

 growth. This can be helped to some 

 extent by pinching out the top at a 

 length of five feet, so that the leaf you 

 leave is not more than one inch in 

 size. This should not be pinched 

 again until the end of the season. 

 Weak laterals will start and should 

 be allowed to make a few joints before 

 pinching, or rather should not be 

 pinched at all unless one of them hap- 

 pens to be getting too much head- 

 way at the pxi)ense of the main rod. 



All of these saoots should be cut 

 clean off at pruning time, as it is at 

 tne side of whero they grew that the 

 flowering snoot will come. If fruit is 



A TRIO OF TOTTY NOVELTIES. 



Chaldon, 



M. Dkouard, 



La Pactole. 



wanted this second year, one or two 

 laterals could be allowed to hold their 

 flower. These shoots will draw to the 

 .y:lass, which should be twenty inches 

 from the trellis. Pinched at two 

 joints ahead of the bunch, all the sub- 

 laterals should be rubbed off between 

 the bunch and the main rod, except 

 the one opposite the bunch, which 

 should be allowed to remain, but 

 pinched to one leaf at a time. As soon 

 as the wood of the young shoot will 

 stand to be bent, they should be 

 brought down a little at a time until 

 they reach their proper place on the 

 wires, in order to secure a good sized 

 flower, which should make a large 

 bunch. 



A little manure ■vater can be given 

 about a week before the flower opens. 

 This water should not be stronger 

 than cow manure, as the active young 

 roots can be checked at this stage, 

 and both leaf and flower would bo 

 scorched. During this stage the 

 temperature should not fall below 60. 

 It may run up to 90 by day with 

 strong sun but the floors and return 

 pipes should be sprayed several times 

 a d.".y or the pollen will get scorched, 

 and the set in that case is just as 



poor as a dark we.ather set, but witli 

 plenty of air pnd careful dampening 

 in sudden sunbursts the longest 

 bunches will set right to the tips. Care 

 should be taken not to wet the flow 

 pipes at this stage. As soon as you 

 are sure that the set is complete, a 

 good wash with the hose should be 

 given and continued every bright day 

 until color commenceji. 



Black Hainburgs and such like va- 

 rieties should be thinned as soon as it 

 is possible to do it, because if the 

 bunch gets close, the water will lodge 

 there for several hours and you will 

 iinil rusty bevries and spoiled bunches. 

 Muscats can be left until the berries 

 are much larger, as so many of them 

 are not properly pollinated that it is 

 better to go over them a second time 

 than to go too severe on them in a 

 sm;ill state, until you can be sure of 

 their condition. 



When the berries are commencing 

 to color, or the second swell, a good 

 dose of sheep manure water seems to 

 help them along. Nitrates in careful 

 hands can also be used and will do 

 Rood if not overdone. Don't put them 

 in careless hands unless you court 

 disaster. I have seen a line grapery 

 ruined by the use of nitrate of soda. 

 You may get a aood crop for a year or 

 two, but you will have to replant and 

 make a new border. 



