328 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ever inspected. To this vineyard your Committee have unani- 

 mously awarded the First Prize of $30. 



Vineyard No. 2, being on a sidehill, had washed somewhat, but 

 the general remarks made upon the first mentioned apply equally 

 to this. Here we found the Niagara, and we are sure that we 

 only express the opinion of all present, when we sa}' that its 

 condition exceeded our expectations ; and those who had doubts 

 in regard to its ripening qualities are now quite ready to give it a 

 place with the Concord as a very desirable late grape. The 

 following statement by Mr. Hayward will be read with interest 

 b}^ all : 



To the Garden Committee of the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society : — 

 My vineyard No. 1 contains twelve hundred vines, all Concords, 

 except one row containing a considerable number of varieties. 

 It was planted in 1877, in light gravelly loam, the vines being set 

 six feet apart in rows eight feet apart. The vines are trained on 

 a four-wire trellis, fruiting two arms of six feet each on each 

 vine, at the same time growing two canes for renewal. 



When the shoots are about eighteen inches long they are cut 

 back to six leaves ; also cutting all tendrils and all but two of the 

 growing fruit buds. All laterals are cut back to one leaf, which 

 has to be done two or three times each season, according to the 

 vigor of the plant. When the grapes are about the size of peas, 

 the clusters are straightened, counted, and cut down to thirty or 

 less. My aim is to raise ten pounds to the vine. 



The renewal canes I have sometimes kept cut back to six feet 

 during the summer ; but for the past two years I have let them 

 grow as far as they would, which has been from eight to twelve 

 feet, and then at the fall pruning cut back to six feet. I do not 

 know which is the better way. 



I have tried to raise grapes without fertilizing, but of late years 

 have applied chemicals to the value of about one cent per vine. 

 This year I have doubled it. On this vineyard I have applied 

 this year — 



100 lbs. Sulphate of Ammonia, 

 325 " Muriate of Potash, 

 400 " Dissolved Bone-black, 

 75 " Sulphate of Magnesia, 

 300 " South Carolina Rock Phosphate. 



