THE GRAPE. 37 



prepare my holes with the mound in center, and plant 

 just as when the roots are of full length. 



1 never use any water or muck for dipping my roots 

 when setting, but I keep them well wrapped in a wet cloth, 

 from which I take out one at a time, as wanted for 

 planting." 



As an item of record, it may be well to say, that single 

 grape vines trained upon a wall, say of a house or barn, 

 and well supplied with food at the root, will often produce 

 all that one family would need. On Kelley Island, we 

 once saw a vine of Catawba, the roots of which were 

 near where the daily wash of slops, soap-suds, etc., were 

 thrown from the house, and from which, yearly, two to 

 three hundred pounds of ripe grapes were gathered 



It is said that one of the largest grape vines in the world 

 is at Montecilo, near Santa Barbara, California. It is 

 estimated to be over one hundred years old, is nearly five 

 feet in circumference, and rises eight feet erect from the 

 root, where it branches out in every direction. It is said 

 to have produced six tons of grapes in one season, and 

 that fifteen hundred gallons of wine have been made from 

 't in one year. 



WHEN TO PRUNE. 



The best time is just at the fall of the vine leaf in Oc- 

 tober. Let the main pruning be at that time, if it be 

 possible to command that time ; but if the work cannot 

 then be done, do it if you can, before severe freezing 

 weather; if not then done, postpone it until there comes 



