796 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



no more, for a good yield of fruit, and in pruning bearing vines, the old wood should be cut 

 away and the new wood left, a few strong branches being left each year to provide a growth 

 of canes for the next season. 



When old vines that have not been systematically pruned are to be dealt with, the main 

 canes should be left as long as space will allow, and each lateral or shoot pruned down to a 

 single bud. When the vine starts in the spring, or after the vines have obtained sufficient 

 strength to secure them against accident, the superfluous ones may be rubbed off, for several 

 will be liable to start out, and if all are allowed to grow they will not be strong and vigorous, 

 nor produce as good fruit as the well pruned vines. When the fruit has well set, the small, 

 imperfect branches should be thinned out, by cutting them off with a pair of scissors; this 

 will insure the growth of larger and more perfect branches of fruit, as well as fruit of a 

 better quality than if all the branches were allowed to grow. About this time also, the 

 bearing shoots should be pinched off about three leaves beyond the last bunch of grapes, so 

 that there may be no surplus growth to take the sap of the vine from the growing fruit, the 

 latter requiring it for its most perfect development. When the future bearing canes have 

 attained a desired length, the ends should also be pinched off or shortened in. Young shoots 

 from the roots or below the arms should be taken off as often as they appear, unless they are 

 desired to renew the main arms. The best time for the general pruning of grape vines is 

 when the sap is dormant, after the leaves fall in the autumn, since they are less liable to 

 profuse &quot; bleeding &quot; than in the spring. When the larger branches bleed badly, grafting wax 

 may be applied to check it. Summer pruning and care of grapes is a pleasant occupation, 

 and is attended with but little labor. After several years bearing, grapes are apt to 

 deteriorate in flavor and size. The vines may be rejuvenated by cutting down the main 

 horizontal shoots at the bottom of the trellis and permit new upright shoots to grow in their 

 places, which will produce as fine fruit as the first vine. 



Hastening the Ripening of Late Varieties, etc. The time of ripening of late 

 varieties like the Isabella and Catawba, may be considerably hastened by cutting off one-third to 

 one-half of the clusters when they are small. When the fruit commences turning in color a 

 few leaves that shade the clusters most may be removed, thus partially exposing them to the 

 strong sunlight, but care should be exercised not to remove too many leaves. In sending to 

 the city markets, grapes are generally packed in small paper boxes, or in baskets holding from 

 six to ten pounds each. The principal expense in the cultivation of grapes is in the care of 

 the vines, and gathering of the fruit, they requiring but little manure. The yield sometimes 

 attains to four tons of grapes per acre, but such large products are apt to injure the vines, 

 and it is better to limit it to about two tons per acre. The cost of cultivation, training, and 

 gathering is generally averaged from $75 to $100 per acre, while the sales per acre will range 

 from $125 to $600, according to the season, state of the market, variety, etc. 



Winter Protection of Vines. In very cold sections, many grape growers give 

 the vines protection in winter. When this is done, they should be taken from the trellis 

 before severe weather commences, and be laid upon the ground, fastened down with wooden 

 pegs, and a layer of two or three inches of soil given them. Straw or fine boughs should be 

 used instead of soil, where the earth is inclined to be too wet. Merely laying the vines upon 

 the ground is generally thought to be better than to permit them to remain upon the trellis. 

 Dr. Fisher expresses a different opinion, and says in this connection: &quot;Grape vines grown in 

 a proper manner will ripen the new wood as thoroughly as white oak will ripen its wood. 

 The grape vine is just as hardy as the white oak. If it is not ripened, it will winter-kill. If 

 it is ripened, it will not. If you overload the vine, if you attempt to grow so many grapes 

 that you do not succeed in ripening the wood, it will winter-kill. I have not laid down a 

 vine for five or six years, and I have not had a vine killed in that time, except one or two 



