30 Hoxv shall we plant and prune our Vineyards ? 



carry the vine higher than six feet at most from the ground. If you 

 carry your trelhs to the height of six and a half or seven feet, you must 

 increase the distance between the row^s ; otherwise the ground will be 

 too much shaded, and ripening of fruit retarded from lack of heat ; 

 besides, at that height the labor of securing the vine to the top wire is 

 much harder, and women and children cannot do it at all. 



Second. On the Delaware leave laterals ; on other varieties pinch 

 them back just so far on the shoot as you wish to save it for fruit next 

 year, a7id no far titer ; beyond that let them grow at will. 



Third. Except this, no summer pruning whatever. Let the shoots 

 grow, fastening them to the top of the trellis backwards and forwards, 

 thus forming an arbor over the fruit below ; and experience in various 

 places has proved this to be one of the best protections against mildew. 

 So far as I know, to Mr. Saunders, of Washington, belongs the credit 

 of first testing this and publishing the result. 



Fourth. As to time of pruning, I would in this latitude prefer spring 

 pruning for Isabellas, Dianas, and all rank-growing varieties whose 

 wood is liable to winterkill. Would prune Delaware, Catawba, and 

 all varieties short-jointed and hardy, in the fall, always leaving a redun- 

 dance of wood, as it is very easy to remove an excess of fruit or super- 

 fluous shoots ; and, finally, let every vineyai'dist study and observe in- 

 telligently the habits of different varieties, their needs, and adaptation 

 to particular soils and localities. In this way only shall we be able to 

 help each other, and avoid the costly mistakes of the past. 



As regards the saccharine quality of grapes grown upon vines planted 

 fifteen feet or more apart, our experience here shows no difference 

 when grown upon tlie sawc quality of soil. Excessive richness of 

 soil, producing rank growth of vine and great quantity of fruit, is in- 

 compatible with high saccharine quality ; the experience of centuries 

 has settled this. 



On the 35th of October last the Vine Valley Grape Growers' Asso- 

 ciation held a meeting for the purpose of testing grapes grown in the 

 valley and vicinity. Invitations were extended to our neighboring 

 vigncrons, but the entries were limited to grapes grown in the valley, 

 no fruit being present from other localities. L. M. Ferris, Esq., of 



