192 



The Grape Culturist. 



siderable interest, and if grape grow- 

 ers could be induced to report gener- 

 ally, the result would be of great in- 

 terest and value. 



[We give the statistics in full, as we 

 deem them, meagre as they are, of 

 great interest. We wish grape grow- 

 ers would think it worth their while to 

 report more generall}", and we ofler our 

 pages to them for the pm-pose. Much 

 useful information could thus be gath. 

 ered, and be of more advantage than 

 the discussions of any meeting which 

 lasts but a few days at best, and at 

 which much of the time is uselessly 

 consumed by other matters. Some of 

 the views expressed in the correspon- 

 dence, have drawn our attention, as we 

 think the}' are apt to mislead grape 

 growers. Air. Armstrong says that his 

 experience is againsc deep cultivation, 

 summer pruning and cultivation after 

 July. Has it never struck him, that 

 difierent seasons require ditferent treat- 

 ment? We cultivate shallow in wet 

 seasons, and never work the soil in any 

 shape while wet ; while in dry seasons 

 we consider deep cultivation and fre- 

 quent working all important, as loose, 

 well pulverized soil, thrown around the 

 vine, is the best mulch it can have. If 

 he leaves his vines without cultivation 

 after Julj^, pra}^ how does he keep down 

 the weeds in loet seasons, or how can 

 they withstand the drought in such dry 

 summers as those of 1867 — 1868 ? 



Mr. Bainbridge does not like to plant 

 in holes, and is perfectl}^ right in that, 

 only we did not suppose that anybody 

 followed that practice ^-et. We fancy 

 neither — trenching and inverting the 

 soil, nor planting in holes. Holes, 

 especially in tenacious subsoil, are so 

 many receptacles of water, and give the 



vine wet feet, as the phrase commonly 

 goes, thereby causing disease. Stir 

 the soil to an even depth, without in- 

 verting it, is our advice to all planters, 

 if they desu-e healthy vines. Messrs. 

 Bush & Son report the rot worst in cul- 

 tivated ground, and vines that were 

 pruned short, on rich soil, and where 

 summer pruning was done. We think 

 their ground may have been cultivated 

 during wet v,feather, when of course it 

 would enhance the rot. That those 

 vines should rot worst which were 

 pruned short, and made a rank growth 

 of young wood, is natural, and only 

 confirms our advice, "to prune long in 

 fall, and rub off what may be super" 

 fluous early in Spring." Give the vine 

 enough to do ; it will be much health- 

 ier, and the air can circulate through it 

 much more freely, than when pruned 

 short, and all its energies are led to the 

 production of young wood. That the 

 rot should be worse in rich soil and on 

 well cultivated vines, is also natural, 

 and ma}' be led to the same cause — too 

 rank and succulent growth. But when 

 they assert that it was worse on ^ines 

 that Avere summer pruned than where 

 it was neglected, we say, serves them 

 right. We saw how their vines were 

 summer pruned, or rather cut, slashed 

 and maimed, we would call it ; our 

 heart bled for the poor misused and 

 abused vines, and we told them at the 

 time that the}' had much better left it 

 alone altogether, than maltreat their 

 vines thus. We have found summer 

 pruning, if done at the proper time, 

 when the shoots are so young that they 

 can be easily pinched with finger and 

 thumb one of the best preventives 

 against rot ; but if done late, as they 

 did it, and the fruit bearing branch 



