ht SS eee panel 
288 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
My grapes were laid down in the fall and covered with soil. Sometimes 
I cover them with very coarse manure. Last spring I uncovered them as 
soon as the ground was all thawed out. They put forth leaves and blos- 
soms in time, and late enough to escape the hard frosts (they sometimes. 
suffer about the last of May) and were in prime condition, that is, healthy 
and well advanced on the 4th of July. 
The very cool weather in July and August alarmed me lest frost should 
overtake them at the usual time for frostin September. They were late, 
but the frost was still later—later than usual. Wordens commenced to 
ripen September 4th, and Hartford, Concord, Brighton, Salem and White 
Anh Arbor came in succession up to the first of October. Salem ripens 
better after a frost has killed half the leaves than any other kind and 
has a good flavor. Concords color after a part of the leaves are killed, 
but aresour. I marketed about 1200 pounds, besides all we could use in 
the house for jelly, for canning and eating. The wholesale price was 
four cents per pound at home and six cents at retail. 
I must say that drouth has less affect ona well cultivated vineyard — 
than on any other kind of small fruit grown here. By well cultivated 1 
mean that in times of drouth the ground should be stirred with the 
horse cultivator as often as once ina week. I have neverin the dry- 
est times had grapes fail from drouth with frequent cultivation; whereas 
without such cultivation, frequently from lack of moisture the stems 
dried up and were unable to supply nourishment—in fact were dead before 
the grapes ripened. WhenI had only a few vines I used to put paper 
bags on the clusters, which gave them a cleaner appearance, but it was. 
too much labor for anything but experiment and was a help to the night- 
thieving cowards who are too lazy to raise their own fruit. 
DISCUSSION. 
Mr. Murray: On the question of the bees puncturing 
and destroying grapes, I may state that I have been 25 years 
in the bee business, and that I can keep my bees as near my 
grapes as I am to these gentlemen here, which is about 
four feet, and they do not harm the grapes. I have read a 
great deal on the subject, and watched closely, and I would say 
that the gentleman makes in his paper one statement that con- 
tradicts his own assertion. He says the bees take the grapes 
and suck out the juices until there is nothing left but the skin, 
in which there is alittle round hole. It is not the bees, but the 
yellow jackets that make those punctures and cut those little 
round holes. I have frequently found that to be the case. It 
is well known by those who understand this juestion that the © 
yellow jackets dothis. The yellow jacket makes that puncture, 
and then the bees, after the grape is cracked or punctured, 
either by the yellow jackets or in any other way, pitch 
in for their share of the juices. But that does not occur 
until after the skin is broken. That is what has given the 
