274 ANNUAL REPOET. 



ing. Now, to a new beginner in planting, with the discussion we have 

 here, it seems to me it will tend to a confusion that will discourage 

 almost anyone. The papers are admirable, but there is a marked dif- 

 ference in the treatment by the two men who have both been so suc- 

 cessful. 



Mr. Smith. Mr. Doughty has a sandy soil, and Mr. Latham's is a 

 clay soil. 



Mr. Kellogg. That will explain the different modes of soil treat- 

 ment. One of the most successful orchardists in my county has a 

 good many vines. He said he had more consolation and more pride in 

 the fact that he had never pruned than anything else he did. The 

 Janesville was recommended in one of the papers, but to my thinking 

 the Janesville is good for everything but to eat. It is certainly a poor 

 quality of grape, but productive enough. It will bear good and bad 

 treatment. Now, I would say to those farmers that want to raise a 

 few grapes for their own use, not to be scared to death by these pro- 

 fessionals that pinch and prune all summer. Set out your vines, put 

 them down in the fall, and take them up in the spring, gather in their 

 season, and get your fruit. 



Mr. Latham. I want to say a few more words before this discussion 

 is closed. Of course, [ did not undertake to cover the whole ground. 

 I think the cultivation of the vine is pretty generally understood by 

 the practical members of this Horticultural Society. Mr. Doughty 

 mulched his soil instead of cultivating. That is a very good idea; 

 there can be no objection to mulching for a dozen or two vines, but if 

 you commence to mulch, you will have to keep it up; you can't leave 

 it off. You can make up your mind to that, because it brings the 

 roots to the surface, and if you leave off mulching and there is no snow 

 on the ground, the roots will winter-kill. My object in plowing in the 

 fall, was not to cultivate at all, to get layers with three or four inches 

 of soil over these. 



There are two ways to train the vine. H you choose to let your 

 vine grow in a loose manner it will grow along the fence, but in order 

 to get fruit you have got to leave the wood; that is all there is about 

 it. You have got to have a long vine with a great many branches, 

 and save the wood; if you don't, you won't have any fruit. If you 

 want to raise a few vines and get them in a neat, compact shape, then 

 summer pinching is necessary. When the growth gets to be what you 

 want it, one, two, or three feet, stop it right there. I very nearly 

 killed my stock of Delawares once, by following Fuller's directions. 



