Upon Improving the Taylor Grape. 



291 



Ground xnviy also be pre[)ared for fall 

 planting, b}^ plowing and snbsoiliug. 

 Even if it should be impossible to plant 

 it, it will be all the better in spring for 

 being exposed to the atmosphere. 



In the latter part of the month plants 

 may be taken up from the cutting bed 

 and propagating grounds. Be careful 

 to get all the roots you can, and e?pe- 

 ciall}' not to burst them off at their junc- 

 tion. By all the roots we do not mean 

 their entire length. If they are cut off 

 with a sharp spade a foot from the vine 

 they are abundantly long. But we mean 

 that they should not be split or bruised. 

 "We are trying to invent a plow now for 

 digging several hundred thousand, and, 

 if we succeed, will give a descrfption of 

 it to onr readers. 



Do not dig 3'our plants, however, be- 

 fore they are thoroughly ripe. The 

 brown color of the wood, and dropping 

 of the leaves, are the best indications. 

 Never allow the roots to get dry. They 

 should not be more than an hour out of 



the ground, and, if the sun shines, the 

 roots should be covered even dmino^ 

 that time. Sort into first and second 

 clasS; and, if 3-ou intend to keep them 

 out of doors, choose a dry, sandy spot, 

 and heel them in in rows, in a shallow 

 trench, lading them slanting, and thin 

 enough so that all the roots can be cov- 

 ered with naellow earth. Cover up to 

 above the crown, and then throw some 

 rubbish, dry leaves, straw, etc., over 

 them to prevent their lifting hj the frost. 

 Cuttings may be made, and the vines 

 pruned as soon as the leaves have 

 dropped. W'c will try and give a few 

 general rules about pruning in a sepa- 

 rate article. A friend tells us that he 

 pruned his Herbemont vines immediate- 

 ly after the first frost, made the cut- 

 tings, and had much better success with 

 them than usual. AVe advise our read- 

 ers to try this, an J report. We shall 

 certainly do so, as the Herbemont is 

 difficult to propagate if the cuttings are 

 made late in fall, as usual. 



UPON IMPROVING THE TAYLOE GRAPE. 



Friend Husmanx : 



The article from Frederick Miinch, 

 in the August number of the Gkape 

 CuLTURiST, induces me to give you some 

 account of a seedling, or hj'brid, from 

 the Ta^-lor, fertilized or crossed with 

 pollen from the Grizzl}^ Frontignan. 



Some 3'ears ago it occurred to me, 

 in the course of my hybridizing experi- 

 ments, to make the effort to obtain hy- 

 brids between the Taylor and some 

 foreign varieties, and I accordingly^ pre- 

 pared two bunches upon a Tajdor vine, 

 fertilizins: one from Chasselas Fontain- 



bleau, and the other from Grizzly Fron- 

 tignan. I recollect distinctly that the 

 two bunches thus artificial!}' impreg- 

 nated were the only compact or hand- 

 some ones upon the vine. All the rest 

 were characteristically loose, uneven, 

 straggling and imperfect. 



From the seed of those two bunches 

 I raised some twenty or thirty vines ; 

 but they are now reduced to two ; one 

 in bearing, the other not. The vine in 

 bearing has been always apparently the 

 most healthy and vigorous of the lot. 

 In unfavorable seasons only has it 



