554 THE VINEYARD. [OCT. 



light covering during winter or many of them will miscarry. Though 

 these plants are extremely hardy when once established, they are 

 rather tender in their infancy, and every advantage of season ought 

 to be afforded them, especially in those parts of the Union where the 

 winters are severe. 



As to the practice of pruning grape-vines in autumn, it is not 

 advisable, except where the winters are very mild. In the southern 

 States this may be done with great propriety as soon in this or the 

 ensuing month as the foliage shall have been shed, but by no means 

 before, as while the leaves remain on the vines will not have done 

 growing, and consequently the wood will not be sufficiently ripe 

 and hard. 



For further observations, together with the methods of pruning, 

 see page 155, &c. (See also the Vineyard for next month.) 



PLANTING WILLOWS FOR TYING THE GRAPE-VINES, ETC. 



In the latter end of this, or the early part of next month, you 

 should make plantations of willows for the purpose of tying up the 

 vines with the small flexible twigs thereof. 



Osiers or willows are also very useful in a garden for tying the 

 branches of espalier- trees to trellises, binding up lettuces, cabbages, 

 endive, &c., for blanching, tying bundles of trees or shrubs, making 

 garden baskets, &c., so that a small plantation or hedge- row of wil- 

 lows would be very useful in every garden department. 



The kinds most suitable for this purpose are the Salix viminalis, 

 or true osier ; S. fissa, or basket osier ; and S. vltillina, or golden 

 willow. 



Willows of those kinds particularly, delight in low moist situa- 

 tions (though they grow to good perfection in a strong loam), con- 

 sequently, soil that is generally useless or of but little value, may be 

 profitably occupied by them. Make choice of such ground and plough 

 it deep if possible for the reception of the cuttings ; if too wet for 

 the plough, form it with a spade and shovel into four feet wide ridges 

 with deep trenches between, casting up the earth out of the trenches 

 to form the ridges high and rounding ; in each ridge plant two rows 

 of cuttings, each row a foot from the edge, and the sets two feet and 

 a half distant from one another in the row. 



The cuttings or sets should be about two feet long, made from 

 strong shoots of two or three years' growth, and about two-thirds 

 of each set planted or drove into the earth, leaving the rest out to 

 form the stool ; each of these will throw out several shoots, and if 

 kept free from weeds for the ensuing season, they will provide for 

 themselves afterwards. 



The year old shoots being what are generally used for the various 

 purposes noticed, the whole produce must be cut down annually, 

 either in autumn or spring, to promote such growths. However, a 

 sufficiency may now be suffered to grow for two or three years when 

 sets are wanted for an additional plantation. 



If the ground can be ploughed, it will be attended with less trou- 

 ble, and the rows may be planted three feet asunder : the distance of 



