82 



THE GEKESEE FAEMER. 



deal of hoeing. The ground mn^t be kept clean 

 and light all lu-ound them ; and if it hardens after 

 a brisk sliower, I hoe it up tliorouglily with my 

 potato hook, which has live prongs. They must 

 have a ipiick, vigorous growth early in the season, 

 to bear well. I begin to pick as soon as they are 

 large enough, and pick at regular intervals of two 

 or three days, being very careful to cut off the pod 

 with a sharp knife, so as not to disturb the vine. 



For a main crop, I have liad tlic best success in 

 planting in rich, warm ground, after the middle of 

 May, when warm wcatlier could be depended upon. 

 It takes theni a long time to get over a i)ullback or 

 check from cold wet weather. Planted iu either 

 way, the treatment should be the same. 



I have practiced reserving some of the finest' 

 early pods and letting them ripen for seed. I have 

 improved my beans in this way, so they get often 

 a week's start of my neighbors. Most of the seed 

 that is used are the beans that ripen later in the 

 season, wlien they do not market as well. It is a 

 mistake. Tlie earliest and best should be saved for 

 planting. On the first appearance of frost, I cut 

 the viues at the bottom and pull the pole, placing 

 them in small piles raised from the ground. I 

 always pinch the tops after it gets so late in the 

 season tliat the pods can not fill, and also of such 

 vines as do not fruit well. All that is necessary, 

 in a fair season, is good, warm., rich ground, and 

 thorough cultivation and care. h. claek. 



Oeddes, K. Y. 



PRUNING TECE VINE -WHEN AND HOW. 



Many excellent articles, containing rules and 

 directions for growing, training, and pruning the 

 grape vine, have been published in books and peri- 

 odicals ; but few of them are adapted to the wants 

 of the majority of the readers of the Genesee Farmer, 

 though they may be very useful to the tyro in vine- 

 yard culture. 



Why do grape vines need pruning more than 

 fruit trees generally ? is a very natural and perti- 

 nent inquiry. Most assuredly they do not, in order 

 to be eciually fruitful. The pruning of either is 

 strictly a matter of economy, and not necessary to 

 the production of fruit. Botli are inclined to grow 

 too thick for the production of the most perfect 

 fruit; tlierefore, iu such a case we thin them by 

 removing a part. Experiments prove that young, 

 vigorous branches, produce the largest, fairest, and 

 best flavored fruit, on tree or vine ; therefore we 

 remove old and stunted brandies, to make room 

 for new and vigorous orfcs. Tiiis plan we can fol- 

 low to greater extent with the vine tlian the tree ; 

 for in the former, the new shoot bears the same 

 season that it first pushes out, and tiie next season 

 is in full bearing almost its entire length ; while in 

 the tree, a new branch from the main one or the 

 trunk recpiires from two to six years to become 

 equally fruitful. If you examine a vine, either 

 cultivated or wild, that has not been pruned, you 

 will see that, wlien a few years of age, the lateral 

 branches that first came out are all dead and fallen 

 off, and tliat all the fruit is on the main and lateral 

 branches near the extremities of the former. As 

 the vine grows older and pu.shes aliead, more and 

 more of the ground is unoccupied with fruit. 

 Taking the hint from this fact, we shorten in the 



main branch, and do the same with the laterals 

 cut them off for renewal. By so doing, we ) 

 vent the vine from getting beyond the trellis, 

 occupy the whole ground with fruit-beai 

 brandies. Had the vine plenty of space and tre 

 I am not aware that the product would be mat 

 ally increased by cutting at all ; still, I have ni 

 doubt that the i>i'oduct of an acre of ground wc 

 be quadrupled by judicious pruning, unless 

 same object should be attained by a yearly rem( 

 of a portion of the plants themselves. The en^ 

 be aimed at in pruning, is to prevent the brani 

 getting too thick, and to keep the vine withir 

 trellis or boundary. The amount of yearly sh 

 ening in may be Ir proportion to the room yon 

 give it. 



As to the time of pruning, I think that in t 

 we can pretty much study our convenience; 

 the vine being a more rapid grower, it will 

 always do to wait. They should be pruned w 

 they need it, taking care, however, not to 

 much from the first starting of the sap in the sp 

 till the leaves have attained their full size, as t 

 is at this time too much loss of sap by bleed 

 Of course, the winter is the best time for shor 

 ing in and cutting off for renewal. 



At the last meeting of the Fruit- Growers' A 

 elation at Eochester, a majority, I understand, v 

 in favor of the summer pruning of the vine, 

 this is meant the cutting oft' the branches of 

 current season's growth two or three joints al 

 the fruit after it has set, except such brancht 

 are wanted to fill up the trellis, or to take 

 ])laces of older ones to be removed the next spr 

 I have generally done this (if at all) after the i 

 has set; but Mr. Wilcox, of WestBloomfield, (• 

 is very good authority,) prefers to do it just as 

 blossoms begin to open, thinking thereby to 

 mote fuU setting. My own observation, howe 

 does not establish in my mind the propriety 

 mutilating branches while bearing a full suppl; 

 fruit, unless necessary to prevent crowding; b 

 would shorten in all branches that are not well 

 with fruit, unless wanted for the next year's bear 



Gorham, Ontario Co., N. Y., Nov., 1S58. S. B. 



RAISING MELONS WITHOUT THE USE OF HOT-BE 



The first requisit is dry land with a Soutl 

 exposure, or sheltered on the north by fence; 

 buildings. Second, Deep plowing and a thoro 

 pulverization of the soU. I then dig holes four 

 one way and six feet the other, suflBcient to 1 

 two shovels of good hog manure, well packed, m 

 the previous fall and kept sheltered ; then put 

 about two inches of soU mised with one 

 leached ashes. Plant your seeds, and I assure 

 melons and squashes will grow. As a protec 

 from early frosts as well as bugs, I use boxes m 

 as follows : Weather boarding 6 inches wide, 

 of them sawed 14 inches on one edge and 13 on 

 other, and two of them 15 inches on one edge 

 14 on the other, making a square 13 inches on 

 and 14 on the bottom on the inside. I then 

 cheap cotton cloth upon the small end. It adt 

 air and protects from frost and bugs. B< 

 beveled, these boxes may be packed in small c< 



* The committe award a Prize to each of the following eaaa] 



