AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 315 



Mr. Pardee gave interesting descriptions of some of tlie flowers named, 

 particularly recommending the Dyelytra, on account of its hardiness and 

 beautiful flowers. 



Andrew S. Fuller. — I want to call attention to the Yucca plant. It is 

 so common that nobody knows of it. Here are two plants that I grew 

 from seed. They stood out all winter, entirely green, and are two years 

 old, and will bear beautiful flowers at three years old. As to Verbena 

 seed, I advise all to save seeds, but you must attend to it ca)ly in the 

 morning. Pansy seed has been generally imported, but it can be grown 

 here, and the plants prove to be better than from imported seed. Mr. 

 Fuller made a free distribution of some hundreds of papers of flower seeds 

 of his own raising, at his Brooklyn nursery and gardens, to the ladies 

 who attend the Club. 



THE GRAPE VINE. 



Mr. Provoost, of Williamsburgh, gave his views upon vine pruning, 

 which differs widely from the ordinary mode. He turns down the branches 

 and lets them take root. He said : I do not prune at all in the fall, and 

 only cut away dead wood in the spring, or where the vines are too thick. 

 I have grown 28 bunches upon a single branch. I spread salt hay over the 

 ground to kill the weeds. I train vines upon trellises eight feet high, and 

 I carr}' down layers between the tows for new vines. The vine repre- 

 sented in the plan exhibited is 22 years old. I prefer wooden slats instead 

 of wires. Upon vines chafed on wires, so as to bleed, I have applied hot 

 pitch with success. The rows of trellis are eight feet apart, but I have 

 vines between the rows supported upon stakes. I have made 1,500 gallons 

 of wiije from an acre in one year. I never dig up the ground in my vine- 

 yard with anything but a hoe. I apply manure, and also sand, which I 

 find very beneficial. 



Prof. Mapes. — I should like to find out where the advantage of this 

 method of training lies. Is it from the number of roots ? If so, I think 

 there is a better way, by growing njore vines, and not such large, old 

 vines. I dig my holes four feet deep and four feet wide, to set a vine, and 

 that is filled with suitable soil, and I manure afterward with sut-h things as 

 the vine and fruit need. I don't find barn-yard manure as good as bone 

 manure and potash. I find no difficulty in training upon wires. I fasten 

 the vines to the wires with leaden wires. I trim the first branches hori- 

 zontally to the lower wire, and rub off all the upright branches but four, 

 and in trimming, I cut down in November, two of these iipright shoots to 

 a single bud, and let the other two shoots grow next year, and cut them 

 back in the fall, so as to grow the odd and even number shoots alternate 

 years for fruit bearing. Never trim vines in the spring. The cutting of 

 the fall can be kept fur use, if required, by burying in earth or sand. 



A grape vine is a rank feeder. You may, if you like, bury a horse near 

 the roots of a vine, and it will use it up in time. As to summer pruning, 

 I pinch off twice, the shoots of bearing canes, at the third leaf, beyond the 

 bunch. 



