*212 



The Gra2)e Culturist. 



ground by spading two feet, although 

 second bottom hind. I manured with 

 an old pile of leached ashes, and what 

 seems to do well for Virginia Seed- 

 ling and Delaware, applies not to most 

 of the Labruscas in this place. My 

 Concord grapes rotted last j-ear con- 

 siderably, although bunches and ber- 

 ries were of enormous size. 



The Concord vines I received from 

 you were planted on a high limestone 

 hill, open to south and east. With 

 the most ordinarj' treatment they 

 made a very healthy growth, and 

 produced some fruit the second year ; 

 and this 3'car fruit and wood fur 

 outdo my two years older vines. 



In the last Grape Calturist a 3Ir. 

 Smith, from Pekin, Ills., seems to be 

 inclined to lose money by propagat- 

 ing Virginia Seedling by cuttings, 

 which will be a sure failure, the way 

 he intends to operate. I tried a 

 method to grow Virginia cuttings in 

 the open air with success. This is the 

 modus operandi^ which may appl}- to 

 Cynthiana and the similar kinds : 



Make your cuttings, as soon as the 

 leaves are dropped in fall, at least 18 

 incites long^ burying in the ground 

 over Avinter, in the manner Mr. Sam. 

 Miller described in your paper. Select 

 a well shaded place in the woods, 

 naturall}' moist, not ivet, beneath one 

 of our giant oaks; prepare the ground 

 two feet deep before winter; in spring 

 plant out to the depth that the top 

 1)ud is level or a little below the sur- 

 face, then shade the whole bed in the 

 following manner : Put forks, made 

 from little saplings, every eight or 

 ten feet in the ground, lay sticks in 

 them, cover with oak brush (which 

 have at that time yet their leaves and 



will keep them) rather thickl}-, and if 

 3'ou stick or pile some brush on the 

 south side, where the hot, mid-day sun 

 can shine under this brush roof^ you 

 will not lose 20 per cent, of your cut- 

 tings, provided you selected the per- 

 fectly ripened, gray-bluish looking, 

 moderately sized wood. I made the 

 trial with 200 cuttings, and would 

 have been glad to have had five years 

 ago such roots from that tree peddler 

 who sold me poor roots for fifty cents 

 a piece. Tlicy are convenient to 

 water under this roof; but I did not 

 water, and I got extra-fine and strong 

 plants. Respectfully yours, 



Dr. X. Horn, 



[We must all learn b}' experience. 

 Three or four 3'ears ago we did not 

 know yet that the Cassady required a 

 northern slope. We are of course 

 glad to hear from your section, and 

 are glad to find your report, in the 

 main, a favorable one. If the Dela- 

 ware does well with 3'ou, plant it b}' 

 all means. There are few grapes 

 better or more profitable, where it will 

 succeed. You overdid the thing in 

 manuring the Concord in the rich soil 

 you speak of. The Labruscas gene- 

 rally are not gross feeders, and do 

 better on moderately rich soil. You 

 can not very easily make it too rich 

 for the Norton or Delaware. 



We have but one objection to 3'our 

 mode of raising plants from cuttings : 

 you make them too long. You would 

 make better plants if you made your 

 cuttings nine inches, and put them 

 down perpendicular. Tr}- it.] — Ed. 



Will it hurt grape vines to trim 

 them late, so that they will bleed 

 much. I talked with several' Gar- 



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