288 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



is rooted, so that it reaches up to a sunny spot for leaves and fruit. I have 

 trained vines up a house-side three stories high. 



All sides of a house may be used, but on the north side the fruit will 

 not ripen well. A northeast exposure, on the sea coast, is not a good 

 one for grapes. One objection to an eastern exposure is bright suns after 

 frosts. Summer pruning is indispensable. In the angle between the 

 leaves, two buds start, and if one is not pinched out it will produce a shoot 

 that will bear green grapes in the fall. Care must be taken not to cut oif 

 the vines in the hard wood in the summer. The shoot must be stopped in 

 the bud, by pinching, and not by cutting away hard wood. Vines never 

 should be trimmed with ordinary shears, but by a very keen knife, with 

 a smooth cut. 



The bunch next to the main stem covers the bud of the fruit-bearing 

 branch for next year. In pruning in the fall all of the fruit-bearing 

 arm is cut away to one bud. It is better to prune in November than later, 

 on account of the exuding of the sap, which is considerable if pruning is 

 done in March, which damages the vine more the second year than the pre- 

 sent year. There are many advantages in pruning in November, but if 

 neglected then, it must not be neglected altogether, for upon that, and also 

 plucking off all excess of fruit, depends the success of grape-growing. 



NATIVE WINES. 



Mr. Rockwell, of Ridgefield, Conn., exhibited a large number of sam- 

 ples of Connecticut made wine, which were tested and several of them ap- 

 proved. To our notion, the fault of this manufacture is that he uses too 

 much sugar. 



RHUBARB WINE. 



Solon Robinson announced that he had a bottle of native wine that 

 very strongly resembled Sherry, which he would offer to the ladies and 

 gentlemen, in the beautiful silver goblet which "the friends of progress in 

 Connecticut " presented him for telling them they could better grow grapes 

 than corn upon their hard rocky hillsides. This wine was drank with 

 great satisfaction, and highly praised ; and then he told those who admired 

 its good qualities, that it was made from the juice of rhubarb (pie plant), 

 at the rate of 800 gallons per acre, in Wisconsin. 



Dr. Grant said the osier (or basket willow,) was best for training the 

 vines on, that his German vine-dressers fixed them firmly in their places 

 very quickly and beautifully ! 



Amos Gore had found hatter's shavings very good (the trimmings oflf 

 the edges of hats). 



Dr. Grant. — They are excellent. November is the best time to prune 

 the grape vine. 



Mr. Pardee. — Do grapes love the sun ? 



Dr. Grant. — Six hours in a day is enough for them. The brick walls of 

 your cities are favorable for the grapes because they are heated by the sun 

 and retain it well. 



