SECKETARY'S REPORT. 75 



But at the base of all this pruning lies the great fact, that if 

 you have too much root power, you cannot handle the top, and, 

 therefore, you must not feed your vine too much. If it will 

 bear a little more feeding, give it to it afterwards, so as to make 

 the vine grow to the size you want ; but if you have too much 

 root power, you must let the top grow, and it may be in many 

 cases impossible to give it proper extension ; certainly it would 

 be in vhieyard culture, after it had filled your espalier. 



If, now, you have your vineyard, or your vines in open field 

 culture, you will look the third year for your first crop ; and 

 you may take, as I have already said, from well established 

 vines — those vines which are in good health, and making their 

 half a yard or two feet of new wood annually — five pounds to 

 the vine, safely. Much more has been taken, without apparent 

 harm, but in presenting to you these facts out of my experience, 

 I take the sure and safe side, that you may not be disappointed. 

 Although I might state much more extravagant results, much 

 larger crops which I know to have been taken in successive 

 years from young vines, I forbear to recommend such a course 

 to you, because, when you begin the culture of the grape, I 

 want you to have absolute success and long-continued success, 

 and this method will insure it to you. You may take, then, 

 five pounds to the vine the first year ; the next year, ten pounds 

 to the vine ; the third year, of cropping, you may take fifteen 

 pounds to the vine ; the next year, and from that time forward, 

 you may take twenty pounds annually to the vine. I know a 

 piece of ground, of such soil as I have described, in the town 

 where I live, and belonging to townsman of mine, which for 

 three successive years has given crops exceeding this estimate 

 largely, without any application whatever since they were 

 planted, seven years ago, but wood ashes, at the rate of fourteen 

 bushels to the acre. It is not liberal to the vineyard, it is not 

 fair treatment of the vines, to crop them in such a heavy way, 

 nor do I believe that in the end it will be so profitable to the 

 vineyard owner ; but it is true that the very first crop taken 

 from this vineyard was at the rate of nearly three tons to the 

 acre ; the second crop was at the rate of seven tons to the acre ; 

 and the crop he took from it this year, being the third crop, 

 without enriching in any way, was at the rate of eight tons to 

 the acre. These are excessive crops, and not to be counted on 



