THE 



GRAPE CULTURIST. 



Vol. II. 



DECEMBEE, 1870. 



No. 12. 



DECEMBEE. 



WORK FOR THE MONTH. 



Pruning may still be continued, if 

 not finished in November, cuttings 

 made and stored SLway. This will also 

 be a good time to manure vineyards, 

 where needed. The best fertilizer we 

 have used is fresh surface soil from the 

 woods, especially where the soil has 

 been washed away from the vines. If 

 animal manures are used, they should 

 be well decomposed, mixed with vege- 

 table matter, etc. We have found but 

 little use for manures here, in the rich 

 virgin soil of our hills, and would pre- 

 fer a surface dressing of surface soil, 

 leaf mould, etc., to all others. 



Trellis can also be rejDaired and 

 made, and even planting may be con- 

 tinued when the ground is open and 

 works well. Eemember that every 

 days' labor now done, is so much 

 gained in spring, when you will have 

 work enough any way. A thorough 

 grape grower should always rather 

 be ahead of his work, thar^ pushed b}' 

 it, and the slovens, who always have 

 time enough, and spend the fine win- 

 ter days idling around the stove, or 

 worse still, in bar rooms and country 

 stores, spinning yarns for the edifica- 

 tion of the idlers, will find in spring 

 that their work is driving them, and 

 that the}^ cannot make up for lost time. 



If you have a collar full of wine, 

 you will find plenty to do even in bad 

 days, when you can do nothing out of 

 doors, as this is pre-eminently the 



month for the first racking. See 

 article on management of Avines in 

 November No. 



Eveiy vinter should have an outdoor 

 cellar, kept rather moist, for his grape- 

 wood, roots, etc. It can be easily 

 made by digging a hole, setting posts 

 inside, with boards behind them to 

 make the walls, then put rafters on 

 the posts, cover them with boards, 

 and throw ground over the whole. 

 With very slight cost, you will thus 

 have an excellent place to keep your 

 grape wood fresh. Prune the vines 

 in fair weather, bundle up the trim- 

 mings, and store in your cellar ; when 

 bad weather sets in, you can trim and 

 but them into cuttings, and always 

 have work on hand. By thus taking 

 advantage of every day and hour, 

 much work can be done in the winter 

 which is generally done in the spring, 

 you need not be driven by your labor, 

 and will feel all the easier and happier 

 for it. 



Clearing can also be made, and 

 ground got ready for spring planting. 

 Those who have not tried it do not 

 know how the diligent workman can 

 enjoy the winter evenings ai'ound the 

 family hearthstone, when a well spent 

 day lies behind him. He may be 

 tired, but it will be u healthy exercise, 

 and his rest will seem all the sweeter 

 to him, because he knows he has justly 

 earned it. 



