110 PULASKI COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



In earl}' Spring I am careful when the dirt is taken away not 

 to disturb any of the little buds. The young vines are after- 

 wards trained to a single wire trellis, placed on the tops of the 

 stakes between the vines, so that the fruit will be grown on the 

 spurs,which are trained horizontally on the wire and not fastened 

 to the stake. In training the vine in this way there is no place 

 for the insects to harbor, and then the rough bark of the vine 

 can easily be stripped off, and the main vine whitewashed, 

 which is a great help to it. This wire trellis is placed high enough 

 to admit of plenty of room for the cultivation, which is done by 

 mules. In the pinching-back season great care is taken to 

 preserve the most healthy of the young shoots, and in thin- 

 ning care is taken to leave the fruit clusters distributed as 

 evenly as possible on the entire vine. In thinning I pull off 

 one-third of the clusters, using the hand instead of the 

 scissors. The rot has not been bad in my vineyard for the last 

 four years. The grape crop is surest of all fruit crops, and 

 always finds a ready market at good prices. 



^ STRAWBERRIES. 



About five acres come into bearing every year. In plant- 

 ing the ground is thoroughly plowed with a large double plow 

 and team and harrowed well in the Fall. In the Spring the 

 ground is well mellowed with a heavy harrow and leveled. 

 Then it is checked off three feet each way (either with a 

 wheelbarrow made for the purpose or a log chain) and two 

 good and healthy plants set at each cross. A few days are al- 

 lowed for the plants to take root, when the cultivation begins. 

 It is kept up once a week until about the middle of August, 

 when they are allowed to cover the ground with young plants. 

 At first the plants are cultivated both ways, but soon the run- 

 ners are in the way, when they are turned in the direction in 

 which the row should be formed and worked only one way. 

 The work is mostly done by horse power. One or two good 

 hoeings is sufficient where the harrow or cultivator is used on 

 the ground once or twice a week. Before the work ceases, 

 and after a solid matted row is formed, the runners are kept 



