146 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



out near the horizontal 

 branch, leaving one eye, and 

 then new shoots trained, 

 and so on. 



The Spu)' System — Is the 

 training up of the main 

 stem, and of spurs horizon- 

 tally, cutting back the spurs 

 annually to 2, 3, or 4 eyes 

 of the new wood, according 

 to the strength of the vine, 

 and number of spurs. When 

 the spurs have extended 

 too far, cut out a part, year- 

 ly, training up new ones, 

 thus changing all the old 

 wood to new, and as the 

 vines become old and un- 

 productive, cut down part 

 at a time, and train up new 

 ones. 

 The Pinching off of the Ends of the Side 

 branches is illustrated at b, c. The branch has 

 fruit upon it, but is still stretching away in a new 

 growth ; by pinching it off at the dotted line 

 above c, the growth will be retarded and the 

 •wood and fruit more thoroughly ripened. It must 



Fig. 7.— Siiur pruning 



barn manure, rich loam, slops from the sink- 

 drain, and mould from the forest, are all excel- 

 lent when mixed. If this is scattered over the 

 surface and worked under two or three inches, 

 the roots Avill not fail to find their virtues. 



How Ch-apes may be kept. — The most simple 

 mode of doing this, is to prepare cheap boxes six 

 or eight inches high, and of any convenient 

 length or breadth, and place them in layers two 

 or three deep, with merely a clean paper between 

 them, leaving the boxes uncovered for a few days 

 for evaporation to take place, and then place 

 them in a cool, dry spot. They are also kept in 

 barrels, packed in layers of cotton. 



We close this already too long article with a 

 few practical general rules for pruning the vine : 



1. In pruning, always cut upwards, and in a 

 sloping direction. 



2. Always leave an inch of blank wood beyond 

 the terminal bud, and let the cut be on the oppo- 

 site side of the bud. 



3. Prune so as to leave as few wounds as pos- 

 sible, and let the surface of every cut be perfect- 

 ly smooth. 



4. In cutting out an old branch, prune it even 

 with the parent limb, that the Avound may quick- 

 ly heal. 



5. Prune so as to obtain the quantity of finiit 

 desired on the smallest number of shoots possi- 

 ble. 



6. Never prune in the months of March, April 

 or May. 



7. Let the autumnal pruning take place as 

 soon after the first of October as the gathering 

 of the fruit will permit. 



In the preparation of the foregoing article, we 

 have not trusted entirely to our own experience, 

 but have examined the works of the best cultiva- 

 tors who have written upon the subject. 



Pig. 8. — Portion of a prape vine in bearing, representing the 

 bearing branches, from the sides of a last year's vine. 



be remembered that the vine always bears the 

 fruit on the present year's shoots, which have 

 sprung from buds on the previous year's growth. 

 The ripening of the fruit depends on healthy, 

 well-developed leaves, which supply food to the 

 forming berries, and therefore they should not be 

 taken off, as some say they do, to ''let in the 

 sun." 



Manures for the Grape. — Green, unfermented, 

 rank manure, is not the best — but a compost of 



Essex County Model Farm, — A correspond- 

 ent of the Traveller writes : 



"Your readers may not generally be aware that 

 the late Dr. Treadwell left by Avill, his valuable 

 farm in Topsfield, to the Essex County Agricul- 

 tural Society, to come into possession of the same 

 on the death of Mrs. Treadwell. The widow died 

 recently, and we understand the society are about 

 to take possession of the premises with the view 

 of improving it under the nian-agement of the of- 

 fices of the society, and to make it a model farm. 

 The property of the society will be all centred 

 there, and henceforth the cattle shows will be 

 held on the premises instead of being changed 

 ' from year to year to different parts of the county. 

 ] This will be a decided improvement and on ac- 

 I count of the central position of Topsfield, much 

 .more convenient for all parts of the county." 



13^ To raise esteem, we must benefit others ; 

 to procure love, we must please them. 



