326 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



"Why plant the rows ten feet apart?" 



"In this latitude the grapes want all the sunshine they can get 

 in order to ripen and color them well, and ten feet gives the sun a 

 much better chante than eight ; and then one-third of your space is 

 not continually in the shade of the row below it." 



'"Which way would you have your rows?" 



"I prefer east and west, and at least on a south slope should cer- 

 tainly plant them so." 



"How many vines would probably suffice, for a small family like 

 mine?" 



"Well, perhaps fortw Don't make the common mistake of plant- 

 ing too few." 



"Shall I plant cuttings, yearlings or two-year-old vines?" 



"Plant two-year-olds, every time and no others." 



"Where shall I get the vines?" 



"From your nearest reliable nurseryman, or some other in your 

 own or adjoining state." 



"Well now, w'hat varieties shall I plant, and how many of each ?" 



"That is rather a hard question, and perhaps no two grape grow- 

 ers would make you out similar lists. I think this would do fairly 

 well : 10 Delaware, 10 Concord, 10 Brighton, 5 lona and 5 Rogers 

 No. 15 (Agawam). Unless your location is quite favorable, sub- 

 stitute some other for the lona." 



"Well, now suppose that before I sent off mv order I should con- 

 clude to plant sixty more, for commercial purposes, to pay the ex- 

 pense of keeping up and working the vineyard, wdiat varieties 

 would you recommend for these sixty?" 



"Just add this postscript to your order: 'P. S. Please send me 

 sixty more of your best tw'O-year-old Delawares."' 



"You seem decidedly favorable to the Delaware." 



"Yes, sir ; both for excellence and profit it is the king of Minne- 

 sota grapes." 



"How is it best to plant?" 



"Be careful to have your vines all run in the same direction, and 

 if they run from west to east, then plant them at an angle of about 

 forty-five degrees, sloping toward the east." 



"W'hat care will they want the first season?" 



"Practically none, but to keep the ground well cultivated and 

 clean, and the vines mav lie upon the ground. The second year one 

 or more small stakes will be needed for each vine, and the third year 

 you will want a trellis. 



"In what shape would you train the vines?" 



"For this latitude, train as a single arm or vine, with upright 

 branches, tied to the wires, while the arm is tied to the lower wire 

 and dropped down when pruned for covering." 



"Well, now, about that trellis?" 



"You have intimated that vou would not mind a little extra care 

 and expense for the sake of having things about right. Then put 

 in a good, dry, six feet white oak, cedar or tamarack post, every 

 eight feet, and brace the end posts. Your post will stand four feet 

 or a little more above ground. Don't make your trellises more than 

 ten vines long. I like six much l^etter. Now put on four strands 



