> ANNUAL REPOET. 



The vine as planted should slant in the 

 direction in which it is intended to be trained 

 upon the trellis. This direction will depend 

 upon the prevailing winds. For instance, if 

 the trellis is built running east and west, and 

 the prevailing winds in summer are from the 

 west the vine should slant towards the east 

 and be trained in that direction on the trellis. This is an important 

 point in keeping the vine well spread upon the trellis. 



I am unable to see a difference in the success of my vines depend- 

 ing upon the direction of the rows. The rows may run toward any 

 point of the compass convenient, only be careful to lay them out hori- 

 zontally around the hillside to prevent the ground from washing. 

 Some south slope for a location is undoubtedly better, as hastening 

 a little the time of ripening, but the grape will do well on any slope, 

 even a north slope, and the matter of protecting the growing vine is 

 of far greater importance generally than the question of slope. 



The newly planted vine should be well cultivated, and permitted to 

 grow the first season without restraint, and in the fall pruned by cut- 

 ting off all branches and side shoots, and cutting the cane back to 

 within a foot of the ground. 



The vine should be buried for winter 

 by pressing the cane to the ground and 

 covering it with four or five inches of 

 soil, and later on, before cold weather 

 sets in, applying for protection, a mulch of two or three inches depth 

 of straw or other suitable material. This winter mulch is absolutely 

 necessary to insure the safe keeping of newly planted vines, and should 

 be repeated for several winters at least. The following spring a stake 

 six feet long should be set close to each vine. Permit only one bud 

 to grow, and that the strongest which starts, getting rid of the other 

 shoots by rubbing them ofi" while small. Tie this growing cane to the 

 stake as it grows, and if it is making a very vigorous growth it will 

 be well to pinch off the end when it reaches the top of the stake. The 

 laterals, which are the little branches that start out along the sides of 

 the growing cane, should also be pinched at their ends when they have 

 pushed out the second leaf. 



Thus, the second fall's pruning will consist in cutting off all the lat- 

 erals up to the cane, and in pruning this cane leave about two-thirds 

 of the growth it has made this year, not to exceed four feet. 



