Editor's Letter Box. 



339 



rubbish, and leave the ground in good 

 condition for spring. PIoav about 

 three inches deep, throwing the 

 ground up to the vines. If you mulch 

 your cuttings heavily, so that the 

 frost cannot heave them, planting in 

 fall is very advisable. — Ed. 



VVausa-w, III., Nov. 29, 1870. 



Editor Grape Culturist : 



Would you recommend grafting an 

 acre of Clinton vines, five years old, or 

 taking them out and resetting with 

 young vines ? 



2d. Do you think that either the 

 Martha, Goethe, or Wilder will make 

 as good wine as the Concord ? 



3d. Would 3'ou set cuttings in vine- 

 yard, or wait and raise the plants ? 



4th. You say, in pruning Concord 

 vines, to leave several eyes on she 

 laterals, but where the laterals have 

 grown from six to eight feet, why would 

 it not be a good idea to use them for 

 canes ? Kespectfully, yours, 



" Subscriber." 



[1st. We do not know what to advise. 

 Our experience has been unfavorable in 

 grafting Clintons. The grafts do not 

 take readily, although those which do 

 take, grow amazingly, and the stock 

 suckers very much. 



2d. Much better. 



3d. Setting cuttings in vineyard is 

 always an uncertain way of stocking 

 it. It may succeed tolerably well, and 

 it may not, as the season may happeu 

 to be. It also depends upon the variety, 

 as some will grow readily from cuttings, 

 while others will not succeed at all. 



4th. The length to which laterals 

 should be pruned, of course depends on 

 their strength, from two to eight eyes. — 

 Editor.] 



McKixNEY, 'J'exas, Nov. 12, 1870. 



Editor Grapk Cclturist : — I will 

 be glad to receive a little light on a 

 question or two. 



1st. We are told that a healthy 



grape should hold its leaves till frost. 

 Yet again, that a healthy vine must be 

 ripened to its very tip before frost. 

 Does not a grape-vine drop its leaves 

 as it ripens? Or must the wood be 

 well ripened and yet be full of green 

 leaves? I thought the ripe vine and 

 green leaves did not go together. How 

 is it? 



2d. If I want my grape vines to do 

 the best, shall I allow them to fall 

 around the first year with no supports 

 and no pinching or other attention, or 

 shall I tie to a stake as it grows and 

 keep laterals pinched ? Would not the 

 latter leave a cleaner, better formed 

 and more vigorous cane than the 

 former? Yours respectfully, 



Thos. ii. Logan. 



[1. Varieties differ in their habits. 

 Some will drop their leaves as soon as 

 the wood is ripe, on others they will 

 remain fresh and green until frost. 



2. Vines will grow more stocky and 

 compact, with shorter joints, if the 

 laterals are allowed to grow unchecked. 

 It is very immaterial whether they are 

 tied up or not the first summer. Clean 

 or mellow culture of the soil is much 

 more important. — Ed.] 



Eldorado, Ark., Nov. 10th, 1870. 



Mr. Geo. Husmann, St. Louis: 



Dear Sir: — I will send you this win- 

 ter a sample of wine made last Au- 

 gust, my first attempt, and by your 

 instructions. Judges say it is excel- 

 lent. My vineyard promises all I 

 could expect. I want to send you 

 some native vines to try. 



Wishing you complete success in 

 your efforts to enlarge the field of 

 grape culture, and the realization of 

 all your hopes financially, I remain, 

 sir, yours respecfully, J. C. Wright. 

 [Shall be pleased to receive a sam- 

 ple of your wine, as we have seldom 

 tasted anything grown and made 

 " down South," and will report on it 

 faithfully. — Editor,] 



