FARMERS' REGISTER. 



63 



cult to describe the precise rules. Those who 

 love tlie grape should cut boldly, and acquire 

 knowledge by experience and close observation. 

 Every branch should at this pruning be strongly 

 tied to the trellis. 



The second pruning ; or building, takes place 

 about the lOih ol' JMay. The buds have then 

 thrown out their branches an inch or two, and 

 generally two or three branches at every bed, or 

 joint. These must all be reduced to one shoot, or 

 branch, always leaving ihe stoutest or best shoot. 

 They are disengaged with a slight touch, and a 

 short time would suffice for many vines. 



The third pruninii; takes place about the middle 

 of June, and sometimes earlier, and is best per- 

 formed with a pair of shears, or scissors. At this 

 time I cut oli what were called laterals — a branch 

 growing out of the green wood on the side oppo- 

 site to the fruit. These laterals may be broken or 

 cut off quite down to the main branch at any 

 time during the season ; but it is better to remove 

 them early before they have acquired size and 

 at the expense of the rest of the vine. 



The fourth and last pruning is called stopping, 

 or shortening, and is done with a shears or a 

 knife. It should be done about the middle of July, 

 when the fruit has attained about half its growth. 

 I then shorten all the branches having iruit on 

 them, (except iliose retained Icjr permanent run- 

 ners,) by cutting them at two or three joints for- 

 ward o!' the fruit. This is a heavy and essential 

 pruning, and divests the vine of much green 

 wood and leaves, and is considered important to 

 the developement and ripening of the I'ruit. I 

 would, however, particulaily caution the opera- 

 tor against at any time removing the leaves of 

 the vine, except such as are attached to the late- 

 rals and shortenings, and come away with them. 

 The leaves are vitally important to the ripening of 

 the fruit, which is always the best in the deepest 

 shade. Such fruit as by accident becomes ex- 

 posed to the sun, is sure to be very inferior and 

 sour. 



About the 8ih of June, while the vine is in 

 flower, and throwing its peculiar and delicious per- 

 fume all around, its greatest enemy, the rose bug, 

 makes its appearance, and feeds with voracity on 

 the sweet and delicate blossom. In a few days 

 after their first appearance, thousands are seen, 

 carrying destruction throughout the vineyard. The 

 best remedy 1 could ever devise, is to go among 

 the vines early in the morning, before the sun 

 has warmed them into activit\', and they are then 

 easily made to fall into the hand or on the ground, 

 and may be crushed and destroyed. A few 

 mornings spent in this way will clear the vine- 

 yard, as they are a short-lived enemy. 



In the latter part of July, the blight or rot takes 

 place where the Isabella vines are cultivated in 

 fields, but it is seldom seen among those cultivated 

 in cities. Great quantities of fruit will become 

 brown, and sometimes black, and fall off. It is 

 not easy to account for this destruction, which is 

 seen as much on the high as on the low vines, and 

 no less on fruit exposed to the sun, than on that 

 in the shade. As an experiment, I discharged 

 with a syringe, lime-water, sulphur-water, and 

 Boap-Buds upon them, and also sifted dry sulphur 

 on the fruit, but without any sensible effect. I 

 feared I should lose all my grapes, but to my sur- 

 prise, 1 had a great crop, notwithstanding the rot. 



I have since supposed it may arise from exube- 

 rance of the vine, which, hke the peach and ap- 

 ple tree, may perhaps thus disburden itself of a 

 portion of its fruit ; but even on this principle it is 

 difficult to account lor its non-appearance in cities, 

 where the quantities of pure fruit are quite^aston- 

 ishing. 



I have observed in the cities, that spiders and 

 caterpillars are in some degree destructive to the 

 green fruit. Spiders will get to the centre of the 

 clustre and cause the fruit to fall in single grapes, 

 but the caterpillar attacks the stem, and the whole 

 green cluster falls to the ground. 



I have in a few instances trained the vines upon 

 large apple trees ; but I do not think this mode 

 is to be recommended where other supports can be 

 had. The fruit was interior. 



In the city of Brooklyn, and among high build- 

 ings, my vines have not failed to produce abun- 

 dantly every season, during the last fourteen years. 

 This is an interesting fact to all who cultivate the 

 grape. At my vineyard in the country, they 

 have declined very much, which I attribute to 

 the neglect and ignorance of the tenants on the 

 place. Even in the country they are much bet- 

 ter around the buildings than in the open air. 

 There are from three to five clusters on every fruit- 

 bearing branch. I have in a lew instances seen 

 six. The extremities of the vine generally pro-^ 

 (luce the best Iruit, and there is often much differ- 

 ence in the quality of the fi'uit on the same vine. 

 They may be trained a great distance over large 

 arbors, and on the roofs and around the upper 

 windows of our high houses. New branches will 

 sometimes grow from twenty to thirty feet in one 

 season. 



The vine is sometimes propagated by layers, 

 which consists in bending down the branch into 

 a channel dug in the earth, and burying it at pro- 

 per depth, in a curving line, with the end above 

 the earth. Roots will start plentifully from the 

 part in the earth, and when it is well rooted may 

 be cut from the parent vine and transplanted, if 

 proper care is taken, the cuttings as well as the 

 roots may be sent a great distance. I sent a 

 quantity of cuttings, packed in moist sods in a box, 

 via New Orleans to Arkansas, and had the satis- 

 faction to learn they were all alive on their arrival, 

 and had been successflilly planted out. 



Nothing is lost in a vineyard, as the green trim- 

 mings in summer are good for cattle, and winter 

 trimmings, when not required for propagation, 

 make good fuel. 



Of Wine. 



Although I was successful in making some good 

 wine, yet a portion was spoiled, and I do not flatter 

 myself that I know much about it. An excellent ' 

 little book, published by Mr. Adlum, of George- 

 town, who was a great cultivator of grapes and 

 manufacturer of wine, was my best guide in wine- 

 making. I would respectfully advise such as wish 

 information on this subject, to obtain it, and fol- 

 low the rules there laid down My experience, 

 however, may be of some service, and I cheerliilly 

 give it. 



The grapes were gathered and thrown into tubs, 

 without breaking the clusters, or separating the 

 ripe from the unripe. The were broken by a 

 common pounder, and merely cracking the skin 

 is sufficient, and care should be taken that the 



