48 



The Grape Culturisf. 



PLANTING AND PEUNING. 



From the proceedings of the an- 

 nual meeting of the New York Grape 

 Growers' Association, held at Eoches- 

 ter, 18th ult., as reported in the Rural 

 Neio-Yorker , we make the following 

 extract on the subject of planting and 

 pruning and their relation to the 

 grape rot. We have not space for 

 comments in this number : 



President Pottle called for experi- 

 ence, lie remarked that it was 

 claimed that close planting destroys 

 the natural balance between the root 

 and top of the vino, and induces dis- 

 ease. Wide planting conduces to the 

 continued health of the vine. 



Mr. Hoag (Lockport) does not cut 

 very close in the fall or winter, as the 

 fruit sets better for leaving plenty of 

 wood. After tying up the canes in 

 the spring, and when the new growth 

 has reached even four or five feet, we 

 prune again, cutting out what we deem 

 necessary to sufficiently balance the 

 vine. The ground is often literally 

 covered with lopped branches, and 

 some people think we are spoiling our 

 vines. We do not shorten in, but re- 

 move the entire shoot, fruit and all, 

 that we touch. All varieties we cul- 

 tivate are treated by the same system, 

 and we judge of the amount of prun- 

 ing necessary by the apparent 

 strength of the vine. 



F. E. Elliott supposed it was against 

 good, received theory to prune out 

 the growing shoots. They have con- 

 nection with the roots. 



President Pottle remarked at con- 

 siderable length on the method of 

 pruning which has, substantiall}^, long 



been practiced at Naples, but which 

 lately has obtained prominence before 

 the public under the name of Bying- 

 ton's Sj^stem. Its main features are : 

 1st. Growing the fruit on long canes; 

 2d. Light Avinter pruning; 3d. Prun- 

 ing after the fruit has set; 4th. Tak- 

 ing out, at that time, entire shoots, 

 and sometimes canes, and thinning 

 the clusters, if necessarj^, on what is 

 left; 5th. No shortening or "pinch- 

 ing" of the shoots that are left; 6th. 

 Tying the vines so as to allow them to 

 run over the top of the trellis, instead 

 of clipping them ; 7th. Wide plant- 

 ing, or thick planting at first and re- 

 moving a part of the vines as the 

 vine3^ard acquires age. 



In the first vineyard planted at 

 Naples — McKay's — the vines were set 

 one rod apart each way. They were 

 highly manured, j\[r. McKay being 

 able to procure a large number of the 

 cai'casses of cattle which had died of 

 some disease, and these were placed 

 under the roots of the vines when 

 planted. For a few years the thrift 

 and produce of the vineyard were ex- 

 traordinar3^ Over six tons of fruit 

 were taken fi-om the acre in a single 

 year. The vines were trained fan 

 form, a)id finally their exuberant 

 growth caused them to interlock, 

 and summer pruning or "pinching" 

 was practised to restrain the growth. 

 Disease ensued. On two rows every 

 other vine was then removed, and the 

 space given up to those remaining. 

 In two years the trellises were filled 

 with bearing wood, which bore one 

 hundred pounds of excellent, well- 



