HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 371 



and early frost of fall; if sheltered by nature or a belt of ever- 

 greens so much the better. 



The best vineyards in Michigan are on a ridge of land about 

 one mile wide and one hundred and fifty feet above the wdter^ 

 surrounded on three sides, east, north and west by the St. Joseph 

 river and Lake Michigan. 



SOIL. 



For soil a deep, warm, sandy loam which will give the earliest 

 start in spring and make a moderate growth of well ripened 

 sound wood is better than a richer muck or colder clay in this 

 climate for we need all the warmth we can secure in our short 

 summers to develoj) the fruit and bring the growing vine to per- 

 fect maturity. 



A stiff clay with proper exposure is better than muck, while 

 the limestone along the Mississippi below St. Paul is quite desir- 

 able. 



To prepare for planting, plow deep and fine, for the long, 

 slender roots will penetrate far and near, and draw nourish- 

 ment from every available atom of soil within reach. If the soil 

 is poor and you desire to fertilize it, employ ground bone or wood 

 ashes for that purpose; stable manure will promote a rank 

 growth of wood and late unrii^e fruit to be killed by the first 

 frosts of autumn, to the great injury of both root and vine. 



PLANTS, PLANTING AND CULTIVATION. 



A cheap way to secure the best vines for planting, with the ad- 

 vantage of knowing what you have got, is to grow them from 

 cuttings; this may be done in a small way by making cuttings of 

 two or three buds from mature new wood; when you trim in the 

 fall pack in moist sand or moss in the cellar over winter, and in 

 spring secure a box; requisite size two feet high; fill two-thirds 

 full of rich dirt, and set the cuttings with the top bud just above 

 the surface, pressing firmly about them. I^ail a thin piece of 

 cotton cloth over the top and place it in a sunny spot near the 

 kitchen door, where you will not forget to sprinkle with warm, 

 soft water every evening. In a few weeks the box will be full 

 of growing vines ready to transplant to a plant bed where you 

 can have them handy when you need, at one, two or three years 

 old. Use the best first; a strong one year old plant is better 

 than a weak one at three years. To buy vines will cost from 



