98 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



JL 



No. 9. — ^Vine three years after 

 setting out. 



year's horizontal, cut as they must be to one good 

 bud, its shoots to be trained as it was last year. 



No. 9 represents the 

 plant three years after 

 setting out, with its 

 branches cut as they 

 must be. The two lower 

 ones to three good buds 

 for bearing fruit. The 

 next two cut to one good 

 bud for wood. The next 

 two, to three for fruit. 

 The next two, to one. 

 The other two to three, 

 and the leading one 

 again to nine. The up- 

 per bud to have its 

 shoots continue upright 

 — the other eight hori- 

 zontally. 



No. 10 represents the 

 plant four years from 

 setting out, with its 

 branches cut as they 

 must be. The lower 

 two, to one good bud ; 

 the second two, to three buds ; the third two to 

 one ; the fourth two to three ; the fifth two to one ; 

 the sixth two to three ; the seventh two to one ; 

 the eighth two to three ; the ninth two to one, and 

 the leading shoot to nine buds, all to be managed 

 in the same way as last year. And in this way 

 you may continue your plant as for as there is room ; 

 ■when that is terminated, 

 cut off your leading 

 shoot, and regulate all 

 the horizontal branches 

 so that they may bear 

 fruit and M'ood alter- 

 nately to the end of the 

 grape vine's existence. 



It may be necessary 

 to observe, that in the 

 first mode described for 

 training the vine, the 

 two horizontal branches 

 or arms, to support the 

 upright shoots, are in- 

 tended to extend four 

 feet from each side of 

 the main stem, and on 

 each of them are to be 

 selected four upright 

 branches which will 

 make them abnut a foot 

 apart. It will be neces- 

 sary to rub off any inter- 

 mediate buds, so as to 

 regulate them, to be 

 placed at proportionate 

 distances. And after 

 they are once cut down 



to one bud, the next year's cutting down would be a 

 joint higher, and this may be allowed for a year or 

 two ; but whenever they get too far above the arms, 

 by cutting down to the lowermost new bud, they must 

 be cut down on the old wood near to their origin, 

 and only one good shoot allowed to grow; any 

 other bud to be rubbed off. And the same rule 

 must be observed in cutting all those trained on a 



on the leading shoot, it is only intendedcase in the 

 plant be very strong and ^igorous ; should it not 

 be so, it would be better to cut it to five, or even to 

 three buds ; in which case there would be only one 

 or two branches on each side instead of four, as ex- 

 hibited in the plate ; and the choice of numbers 

 should always be regulated by the strength and 

 condition of the vine. 



But the grape may be produced in large quanti- 

 ties, and of fine quality, without the exact pruning 

 detailed above. Plant and tend it as you would 

 any thing else that you wish to make flourish rap- 

 idly, and after it has covered as much space as you 

 care to have it, prune it, so as to leave the branches 

 free and clear of each other, and so as to admit 

 freely the sun and air. In this manner the plant 

 will not have so full a supply of roots, as under the 

 system of close pruning, but with proper feeding, 

 M'ill flourish and produce abundantly. There is no 

 necessity, therefore, of any person neglecting to 

 set grape roots, because he does not fully under- 

 stand the principles of after-culture. 



No. 10. — Vine four years after 

 setting out. 



ON WINTERING DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



There is no great amount of labor to be done out 

 of doors in this climate, during December. The 

 most important labor of the farmer now, is the care 

 of his domestic animals, to see that they be well 

 sheltered from cold and wet, and properly fed and 

 watered. The year's profit or loss, of the farmer, 

 depends greatly upon the manner in which he win- 

 ters his stock. The milk of the ensuing season, the 

 wool, and the ability for labor, all depend, in a 

 great measure, upon the care the farmer gives 

 his cattle, sheep and horses, during the winter. 

 The Cultivator, some years since, most truly said — 



"If there is one truth respecting animals more 

 deserving of remembrance than another, it is that 

 the animal, entering the winter months in high con- 

 dition, is already half wintered — that is, the care 

 and food required to bring him out well and hearty 

 in the spring will not be one-half as much as Anil 

 be required by the one that commences the winter 

 spring-poor. A fat strong animal, will be warm 

 and comfortable where a poor weak one can hardly 

 live, and the hearty vigorous one will digest and as- 

 similate food which the weak one Avould scarcely 

 taste." 



Regular hours for attending to all matters is 

 important, but in no department of the farmer's 

 business is it more important than in milking cows, 

 foddering or feeding, watering and carding stock. 



Cattle should be fed often, and but little at a 

 time, — say four times in the twenty-four hours, will 

 keep cattle in better condition and at less expense 

 than to feed but twice a day, being careful never to 

 give them so much at a time that they will leave 

 their feed before it is all consumed. 



Cattle thrive better when their dormitories are 

 kept clean and freely littered with dry leaves or 

 straw, being mindful not to forget tlie frequent use 

 of the card and currycomb. Cattle, horses and 

 sheep, should have salt where they can have access 

 to it whenever they desire it. A gentleman in- 

 formed me that some years since he lost many hors- 



horizontal plan. In directing vine buds to be left es annually, but since he commenced to salt his 



