2£0 



The Grape Cnlturist. 



tilth has a tendency to do away with 

 pestiferous insects. 



"NVe can certain!}- all learn some- 

 thing of one another, and it would be 

 interesting, no less than satisfactory', 

 to know if we are more or less favored 

 than others following the same pursuit 

 as ourselves. 



"We have been using the Hexamer 

 pronged hoe for hoeing out our grape 

 rows; and we think they must be 

 more ett'ective as well as much lighter 

 to handle than your two-pronged hoc. 

 The}' have six light prongs al)Out 8 

 inches long, of well tempered steel, 

 and perforni their work admirably and 

 very rapidly. 



We should like to hear from some 

 one not particularly interested in the 

 sale of Salem vines, something relative 

 to their progress this year, and would 

 like to know where any number of 

 them can be seen in bearing. 

 Yours truly, 



Edward J. Hipple. 



[Your suggestion is a timely one, 

 and we should be happy to have such 

 reports from all parts of the country. 



The Hexamer hoe is an excellent im- 

 plement, but we are not sure whether 

 it will work satisfactorily in stiif, tena- 

 cious soil. In light soil, and for after 

 cultivation, it would be excellent. 



AVe think that yon can find the 

 largest plantation of Salem vines at 

 Salem on Erie, with Messrs. Harris'. 

 We shall try to hear something about 

 it in time for next"number.] — En. 



Augusta, Mo., .)iiIy2;M, lS(i!). 



Messrs. Editors : The time of grape 



rot being this season somev/hat later 



than usual, it may be in time to save 



.some of the grapes l)y applying the fol- 



lowing remedy. Take away the earth 

 from the roots of the rotting vines, say 

 six inches deep ; cut away all dew-roots, 

 or robbers as they are called ; scrape 

 the rotten bark from the neck of the 

 vine, and cover up again wiih dry soil. 

 You thus stop the source of rotten sap, 

 that first affects the leaves and then the 

 grapes also. 



Yours respectfully, 



Conrad Malt.inckrodt. 

 [We fear your remedy will not prove 

 very effective. Fifteen years ago, when 

 the practice of cutting off 1 he so-called 

 "dew roots" was general, we tried it 

 on the Catawba. We had cut a'l the 

 "dew roots" of a three-acre vineyard^ 

 as was then considered indispensable, 

 except the two upper rows. In thinking 

 about the practice, it seemed to us so 

 unnatural that we concluded we would 

 not cut them on the two rows mention- 

 ed. The vines in these two rows grew 

 more vigorously, did not rot as much 

 as those of which the roots had been 

 cut, and are yet much the best in the 

 vineyard. Many flourishing vineyards 

 in the neighborhood of Plermann have 

 been entirely ruined by their owners' 

 perseverance in this time-honored prac- 

 tice, and all successful vintners there 

 have abandoned it. Especially with 

 the Concord we should consider it dam- 

 aging in the highest degree, as that 

 variety forms nearly all its roots near . 

 the surface, and you cannot force it to 

 root down in the cold, stiff soil. How- 

 ever, ''there is nothing like trying," and 

 we are obliged to you all the same ; 

 would even recommend our readers to 

 try your remedy on a small scale and 

 report results. We do not believe that 

 there is such a thing as "rotten sap," 

 nor that the sap can circulate thi'ough 



