STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 355 



GRAPES. 



Our grapes were a very complete success last seasou. We have 

 about one hundred and twenty-five vines planted, about two- 

 thirds of them in bearing. Agawam, Massasoit, Lindley, Cham- 

 pion, Moore's Early, Delaware, Concord, Cottage and other vari- 

 eties are represented, and have fruited. If I was limited to one 

 variety I should choose the Cottage, a sweet, meaty grape re- 

 sembling the Concord in style of growth and very much earlier. 

 Of the above varieties the Concord ripened the last of all, and in 

 most seasons barely escapes the first freeze. My method of rais- 

 ing grapes is the simplest possible, and consists in a word of a 

 sunny spot, cultivation as for corn, a wire fence trellis, cane re- 

 newal pruning, summer pinching back to the third bunch, cov- 

 ering with a little dirt for winter, and last, but not least, standard 

 varieties. 



I find that one of the great drawbacks to the success of this 

 fruit among the farmers is their habit of buying one or two 

 vineSj at a dollar or two apiece, of some of the new varieties that 

 no one, not already well supplied with fruit, has any business to 

 experiment with. 



Another reason why more grape vines are not planted is the 

 idea generally had that deep trenching and manuring, and a deep 

 insight into the mysterious art of pruning are necessary; while 

 in fact very simple methods are quite successful. 



My advice to farmers would be to plant in a sunny, moder- 

 ately rich soil, a dozen vines of Concord, Cottage, Worden, or 

 Moore's Early, eight feet apart each way, to make the acquaint- 

 ance of his nearest grower, look over his vines, young and old, and 

 he will soon get the few ideas necessary for him to raise enough 

 of this luscious fruit for his family supply. 



In these days, when old Borealis is ruling with a high hand, 

 driving the cattle to their shed and the farmer to his fireside, 

 and piling up snowy monuments to his fury, let us think how we 

 can raise barriers to his authority, and resist his cruel monopoly. 

 Some few have had the shrewdness and energy to oppose great 

 banks of pines and spruces to this wintry foe, and now they and 

 theirs live in quiet content with the healthful climate of our 

 State. We must "educate the masses" on this subject. The 

 natural winter climate of the prairies of Minnesota is a howling 

 wilderness of snow and ice; under the protection of evergreens 

 the same situations are sunny, quiet, and only 40° below. 



