Editors'' Letter J)on\ 



213 



mans who sa}' bleeding will not hurt 

 the grape vine, that in Germany the^- 

 prune all through spring. Pletise 

 inform through jowv Journal ; and 

 also learn us how to make wine 

 through 3-our paj^er. 



S. S. BOTTENFIELD. 



[You will find reply in June num- 

 ber, on page 172.] — Ed. 



Edgewood, Ills., May 2, 1869. 



Mr. Editor: Will you please give 

 me some information about ti*aining 

 grape vines to three stakes^ the stakes 

 tied together at the top and spread at 

 the bottom. I have heard that it is 

 coming into general practice in Ohio 

 and in the southern part of this State 

 (Ills.); please let me know how to 

 train them, and its merits, and what 

 you think of the plan. 

 Respectfully j^ours, 



E. A. Hegeman. 



[If you wish to encourage rot and 

 mildew in j^our grapes, you could not 

 design a better plan than this tripod 

 system. The leaves and fruit are all 

 crowded together in the middle of this 

 tripod, presenting an impenetrable 

 mass of foliage and fruit, which 

 is enough to dampen off the fruit of 

 the most healthy kinds. One of our 

 neighbors followed it fifteen years 

 ago, and always got only one-third 

 of the crop, on his Catawbas trained 

 in this manner, than he could get 

 from vines of the same variety 

 trained on trellis. Of all the modes 

 of training for strong growing vari- 

 eties, Ave still prefer the fan shape, 

 on three horizontal wires, as cheapest 

 and best.~\ — Ed. 



^VooDnuIDGB;, San Joaquin Co. , Cal. , \ 

 May 13, 181J9. \ 



Messrs. Husmann k Frings : 



Gentlemen : I am a t3'ro in wine 

 making, and would feel obliged, if it 

 is not putting you to too much 

 ti'ouble, if you Avould answer the 

 following questions : 



1. What is the most effective and 

 economical machine for crushing the 

 grape in large quantities, and, at the. 

 same time, comj^letol}" separating the 

 berries from the stalk or comb. 



2. In Apploton's edition (1860), of 

 ''Ure's Dictionary of Arts, Manufac- 

 tures, and Mines," vol. 2, page 87, 

 there is an account of a cask-making 

 machine in England, by which the 

 largest casks can be made from the 

 raw material in five minutes! Do 

 you know of any machine of that 

 character in operation in the United 

 States ? 



3. Whore can one find the fullest 

 and most reliable account of the de- 

 tails of the manufacture of port 

 AViNE, as practiced on the Douro in 

 Portugal, together with some infor- 

 mation respecting the varieties of the 

 grape used, and the geological char- 

 actor of the most esteemed soils ? 



Hoping to hear from you shortly, 

 jiermit me to remain 



Yery respectfully yours, 



Henry Adlam. 



[There are many machines for 

 crushing the berries speedily and 

 effectually. A pair of Avooden rollers, 

 one foot in diameter, running against 

 each other, AA'hich can be set by screAvs 

 or Avedges to any required Avidth, 

 ansAver the purpose. Stone rollers 

 are better still, and a very good mill 

 for that purpose is made by Geiss & 



