MY HOME IN A VINEYARD. 229 
MY HOME IN A VINEYARD. 
‘ MRS. ISABELLA BARTON, EXCELSIOR. 
I have been asked to write of my homeina vineyard. It seems to 
me that the idea of a home in the vineyard is a very good one, for 
one must spend most of their time there throughout the season. I 
shall make no effort to instruct any of you old grape growers and 
will merely talk of my own home. 
I have been accustomed all my life to seeing the grapes grow, for 
every one in our country had his own grapevine and peach tree, 
but the conditions here are so different I had everything to learn 
over. I can think of nothing more discouraging than the outlook 
in a vineyard in springtime just after the vines are taken up. Every- 
thing seems dead; one does not feel like making much of a stay 
there at that time. But what a transformationin the next two or 
three weeks! How the buds grow! I have sometimes thought the 
grape vine must come next in growth to that famous gourd vine we 
have all heard tell of. How fast the canes grow! Those that are 
not long enough to tie today are away above the average tomorrow. 
I commence tieing as soon as the canes reach the second wire; if 
left too long a hard wind whips them off badly, and I find it difficult 
to keep up with them. Inthinning and pruning I follow the law of 
the survival of the fittest. I try to keep laterals pinched off; if left 
to grow, the whole business soon becomes bewildering. 
I find Delaware, Moore’s Early and Agawam the most profitable 
grapes to grow, the two first as table grapes, the Agawam for jelly: 
There is a peculiar flavor about Agawam that makes it particularly 
nice for jelly. I find the five pound basket most useful for market 
and am careful to pack good grapes only. 
There is anew grape, called the Campbell’s Early, that is 
being brought out in the east. We have some of the fruit here. 
I think for a new variety it is certainly something very nice, 
and something it would be well for us to keep watch of. 
‘ Mr. Jewett: Is there any one here who has any experience 
in grafting grapes? 
Sec’y Latham: I have never done much grafting of the 
grape vine, but I think it would be a desirable process. The 
grafting is done below the surface of the ground. It is per- 
 fectly practicable; I have grafted three or four vines, but not 
to amount to anything. 
Mr. Schiller: I would like to know whether fall or spring 
; pruning would be best. Where I came from they are all fruit 
_ growers, and there are nice vineyards there, and all their 
: pruning is done in the fall. They grow the grapes for the 
money that is in them, and they claim fall pruning is the best. 
Thad a Frenchman working for me, and he told me never to 
prune in the spring. 
