'li\ 



The Grape Cultunst. 



the masses. If the people knew once 

 ho^y main' doctor's bills thej' could save 

 b}^ drinking it, it would become neces- 

 sary to plant several thousand acres 

 more of it, and medical gentlemen 

 would have " more rest." 



We are afraid you are too hard upon 

 the birds. You will find it out when 

 too late that the insects are worse than 

 the birds. We intend to return to this 

 subject some future number, when we 

 are not so crowded. We must post- 

 pone our own report about the crops 

 here for the same reason, and we are 

 not unwilling bo do so, because it is 

 safer to count the chickens after they 

 are hatched, and grapes when they are 

 gathered, than before. We will only 

 say now that the crop of the leading 

 varieties is satisfactory, and of the 

 Norton's the most aluindant we have 

 ever seen. — Ed.] 



yxoxE's Prairie, Adams Co.. III., ] 



July 21st, ISG!).' )" 



Mr. Gkorge Husmann : 



Dear Sir— In perusing the July 

 number of the Grape Culturist I 

 noticed an article on the "Trailing 

 Chain Culture of the Vine," and I am 

 much pleased with the idea. 



AVe have had continued rains here 

 since the Ist of May ; I think there 

 have been few^such seasons since Noah's 

 flood. During this time we have had 

 but little sunshine, and the result is 

 that my grapes (mostly Concord) have 

 rotted badly; my Delawares are per- 

 fectly sound yet. Now, my vines are 

 trained to single stakes, and spur 

 pruned, 5 by 5 feet apart— too thick 1 

 know. 1 am going to take up every 

 other row this fall. Xow, I notice 

 that the clusters that hang close to 

 the earth, and those that lay partial 1}' 



on the same, have not rotted so bad 

 as those up on the stake; I also notice 

 that vines that have lain on the ground 

 till after blooming, have universally 

 set the largest clusters and more in 

 number, which, I think, points to hori- 

 zontal training as the most natural to 

 the vine. I also notice with our wild 

 grapes that the}' climb large trees, 

 and that the branches running hori- 

 zontally bear nearl}' all the fruit. Now 

 I have 1,000 Concord vines that are 

 ready to bear a full crop next year; I 

 planted them 5 by 10 feet apart, and 

 thought of trellising them this winter, 

 but 3'our article on chain culture has 

 nearly upset ni}- plans. I have some 

 notion of trying that method next 

 season^ on part of my vines at least. 

 Please give us your opinion in the 

 Grape Culturist. I have 1,000 Con- 

 cords bearing their second crop this 

 year; but, owing to the cold spring 

 and wet summer, the crop will be 

 light. The vines look healthy, and 

 are making tremendous growth. 



Please excuse this lengthy article, 

 and intrusion on your time. 



Yours truly, S. 8. Groves. 



P.S. — I will just say here that I 

 have no neighbors that are growing- 

 grapes, and I have to look abroad for 

 all my infoi'mation in this branch of 

 horticulture; but the future promises 

 better, as a few are beginning to plant 

 vines. Will h pay to transplant six 

 3'ear old vines ? and what is their value 

 compared with one and two years old 

 for that ])urpose? 1 shall dig up 600 

 Concord vines that have borne two 

 years this fall, in order to thin my 

 vine3'ard. S. S. G. 



[You will find our opinion on trail- 

 ing chain culture in this numbci-. It 



