Grapes and Grape Culture. 



79 



the roots are at the lower end, are 

 better regulated in their depth of 

 growth, and plowing is done with less 

 danger of tearing out roots, I have 

 some Norton's Yirginia plants and 

 they do tolerabl}" well, although not 

 as good as others. 



Lenzburg, St. Clair Co., Ills. 



Dec. 25, 1868. L. W. 



We clip the above from C'llnian's Rural 

 World, as it contains some exellent sugges- 

 tions. 



The ohjcctions the writer raises against 

 layers, are t'> a certain extent will founded. 

 We will give the objections we have against 

 layers here, and though they differ somewhat 

 from those of L. W. wecertKinlj arrive at the 

 same conclusion that layers are not as good 

 as plants grown from cutiii gs or single tyes 

 The reasons we have, may be given in very 

 few woods. 



1. A layer is not, as yet, an independent 

 plant. It has been attached to the mother 

 plant, has drawn a lar<re share of sustenance 

 from it, and has therefore not been established 

 "on its own foot ng." A plant from a cutting 

 or single eye. has made all its growth by its 

 own intrinsic and independent vigor, and 

 may bo con«idend firmlj'e-tablislied. The 

 layer, being cut from the parent vine, ha-* to 

 conform to new cunditiuns, and sometimes 



the change is too much for it, it languishes 

 and even dies. Tt is like taking a child from 

 the mothers bi'east, and feeding it at once on 

 meat and bread 



2. The layer ha« formed all its roots near 

 the surface of the ground. In planting it in 

 the vineyard, you must necessarily plant it 

 mucl de<»per, than it has stood before, itsroots 

 are farther removed from air and light, and 

 it will take it some time to become accustomed 

 to that change. The plant grown from cut- 

 titg, or single eye removed to the open ground 

 in .June, has formed its roots further below 

 the surface, in fact, almost where they will 

 be, when tran.-fplanted to the vineyard, there- 

 fore is not so much affected 



We knovj, that good and healthy vineyard.'^ 

 can be made from both, layers and cuttings, 

 for we have sutHciently tried both. But our 

 preference would be for the latter. 



The method of reversing the cuttings in the 

 hot bed certainly deserves to be trii-d. We 

 have formerly tried it in open air, with very 

 good results. AVe should be glad to hear 

 from L. W. further pai-liculars, especially in 

 regard to the varieties h« has tried to pro- 

 pagate i]i that manner. 



He is als > correct in the advantages which 

 plants grown from short cuttings present ovtr 

 those grown from lo»g cuttings, as generally 

 practiced by our German and Prir-ncli vine 

 diessers. The short ruUings will make 

 stronger and better ripened roots. Ed. 



GEAPES AND GEAPE CULTUEE. 



The characteristics of some of the 

 most popular varieties of grapes, atid 

 their adaptibilitj^ to certain soils and 

 locations, should be considered na 

 turally in the pursuit of our subject; 

 and the present paper will be devo- 

 ted to their consideration. 



While it is true that a ^q\v varieties 

 of grapes seem to flourinh, and yield 

 satisfactory results, in any soil of mo- 

 derate fertility, and in almost any lo- 



cality "within the limits of grape-grow- 

 ing, it is also true, that there are 

 many others which seem suited only to 

 special soils and locations. There are 

 others also, which partially succeed 

 almost everywhere, but only do well 

 where their individual and peculiar 

 wants arc regarded. 



Of the first of these three classes, 

 the grape which seems to adapt itself 

 most generally to all kinds of soil 



