Editor's Letter Box. 



Ill 



aud only the side buds remained. 

 Our Concords bore two-thirds of a 

 crop, the Norton only about one-fourth, 

 the Catawbas onl}' about one-eighth. 

 The Delaware and Cassady, two of 

 the most fruitful vines we know, will 

 often, if uninjured, push forth all three 

 buds^ and we have seen and ripened 

 nine bunches from a single eye, on 

 three shoots, on a Cassad}' vine. We 

 know Chariton county to produce 

 some famous wines, and have no doubt 

 of the success of grape culture there. — 

 Editor.] 



OLivEii's I'liAiRiE, Feb. 17, 1870. 



Mr. Editor : A few days ago, in 

 digging up the rooted layers of our 

 grape-vines in order to transplant 

 them into the vineyard, 1 found, two 

 inches under ground, a fine bunch of 

 C3'nthiana grapes perfectly sound and 

 good to eat. 



This grape must have grown and 

 matured beneath the soil, for I cov- 

 ered the layered canes in the begin- 

 ning of June last, directly after bloom- 

 ing time. 



Western grape growers are unani- 

 mous in calling the summer of 1869 

 the worst season for rot and mildew in 

 grapes they ever saw. If in such a 

 season we can raise healthy bunches 

 in the wet soil, what a country for 

 grapes must ours be ? 



Yours trul}', Herman J.^iger. 



[The above is from Newton county. 

 Mo., and the correspondent asks: 

 Have you seen anj'thing like this 

 already ? We answer that we have 

 frequently found sound bunches of 

 grapes on layers, in fall or during 

 winter, which had been covered in 

 midsummer. They keep perfectly 

 plump and fresh, and we have thought 



seriously of trying it on grapes to 

 keep over winter. Every farmer 

 knows that apples can be kept in ex- 

 cellent condition by just covering 

 them with leaves and soil to keep out 

 frost, although they will decay rapidly 

 when exposed to the air afterwards. 

 Why should it not be possible to keep 

 grapes by the same method? — Ed.] 



Mr. Husmann : 



As I am endeavoring to grow a few 

 vines of the Concord and Clinton ; 

 also of the Scuppernong, a question 

 has presented itself to my mind as to 

 the practicability of cultivating with 

 the ploiv near the vine. For instance, 

 I planted the Scuppernong thirty (30) 

 feet apart each way, and cultivated 

 the ground in cotton last year, and 

 expect to do so again this year. 



What 1 wish to know is this : Will 

 I or will T not be injuring the vines 

 by cultivating the one in cotton and 

 the other in vegetables, allowing a 

 breadth of space of four feet for vine- 

 row ? If you will advise me some 

 about this matter, from your great 

 storehouse of experience, I shall be 

 greatly obliged to you. 



Very respectfully, J. Dozier Bass. 



Pittsburg, Upsher County, Texas. 



[We do not think you will injure 

 the vines by planting other vegeta- 

 bles among them, provided always 

 you do not get too close to the vines, 

 so that the vegetables or other crops 

 you grow draw the substance the vines 

 ought to have. AVe frequently plant 

 potatoes or cabbage among our vines 

 the first season, and have not seen 

 any ill effects from it, although we 

 have raised remarkably fine vegeta- 

 bles.— Ed.] 



