GRAPE-VINE. 77 



in our hot climate is often highly injurious to the plant and 

 destructive to the fruit. If the heading-in of the leading 

 shoots be done early in the season, the fruit buds of the 

 following year are thrown out. As an experiment, I one year, 

 by successive heading, had the fruit of four successive years 

 on the plant at the same time, and the fall being favorable, 

 the second crop ripened its fruit. Where the fruit branches 

 are frequently topped, and the wood becomes ripe, the sap 

 ceases to flow and the fruit cannot ripen. This is the case 

 at the vineyard of Mr. Duhme. In our hot climate no 

 more lateral branches should be taken from the main shoots 

 intended for next year's fruit than to give them the neces- 

 sary length. The fruit branches should be topped when in 

 blossom beyond the second eye from the last blossom, and 

 after that allowed to grow without topping. In our cli- 

 mate, to ripen the fruit a portion of shade is necessary, for 

 where there is growing young wood there is of course a full 

 flow of sap to the fruit, without which it shrivels and 

 drops off. 



" This day I visited a German settlement on the Ohio, 

 commencing about twelve miles above the city and extend- 

 ing about four miles. The hill commences close to the 

 river and rises gradually ; the usual bottom land beiDg on 

 the opposite side of the river. The soil is porous, and well 

 calculated, in my opinion, for the cultivation of the grape, 

 and nearly the whole of the four miles is occupied by vine- 

 yards, and there are also some on the top of the hill. Two 

 of the vineyards belong to Englishmen ; the owners of all 

 the others are Germans. 



" Most of the vineyards in this vicinity (Cincinnati) have 

 suffered severely from the rot, and some vine-dressers, ex- 

 pecting in the early part of the season to make from 2000 

 to 4000 gallons of wine, will not make 100. Yet their 



