STATE HOETICULTURAL SOCIETY. 271 



Do not be afraid of giving these vines good care. They will amply 

 repay you for your extra trouble. Use a one-horse plow spring and 

 fall, and cultivate and hoe repeatedly during the summer. 



There is only one way of raising good crops of fine grapes, and when 

 you have learned to practice that, you have the key of success to any 

 branch of business or avocation in life. Do it most thoroughly. 

 Plant only as many vines as you can look after aright. A dozen vines 

 properly treated, will bring you more profit than a hundred neglected 

 ones, and perfection in this little matter may show you the road to 

 success in greater things. 



DISCUSSION. 



A Member. Do you plow early in the spring? 



Mr. Latham. I do plow early in the spring, and I plow late in the 

 fall. The first thing I do in the vineyard in the spring is to plow, and 

 the first thing I do after getting the vines up is to plow — not deep 

 enough to break the roots. I suppose the plow does cut some roots, 

 but no harm is done plowing twice a year, if I don't plow deeper than 

 three or four inches. I do not think the vines are injured by taking 

 off a few roots. By taking off a large number it might injure them. I 

 pinch off the end of the vines; I do not remove the leaves. You will 

 have to pinch off a foot of the vine some times; I just pinch off the ends 

 for the purpose of checking the growth. 



Mr. Pearce. Last fall, during our State fair, Mr. J. B. Rogers, of 

 New Jersey, was here, and I took a great deal of interest in what he 

 said in regard to trimming, and in regard to fruit growing generally. 

 First he condemned late cultivation and deep plowing. He would let 

 the work in the spring be thorough but in the latter part of the season 

 he condemned deep plowing and cultivation. He favored very shallow 

 plowing, just surface work, before the grapes ripened. After the 

 season of ripening commenced, he said we ought to stop cultivation 

 entirely. I was with him probably ten or twelve days altogether. 

 Again, he was very particular about the trimming, that is by pinching 

 back. He did not allow the vines to run over a certain length; I 

 think about four feet was the height preferred; anythingover that was 

 equivalent to a certain amount of weeds. In speaking of pinching 

 back he said the laterals were the parts on which the finest fruit could 

 be grown; those must be watched very carefully. By pinching you 

 check the forward growth, throw the sap down into the fruit-buds and 

 develop those. He said the whole process was in the hands of the 



