PROFIT AT SIX CENTS A POUND. 309 



which Dr. Fisher practises. All I say is this, that I know 

 they can be grown at a profit in this way, and you can afibrcl 

 to sell them for six cents a pound. My vines, as I have said, 

 will average ten pounds to a vine. I could make them bear 

 twenty-five pounds, but I do not want to do it. It would in- 

 jure the vines, and I should fiiil to get much of a crop the 

 next year. 



One difficulty is suggested in regard to this method ; it is 

 said that we cannot get well-ripened wood. Well, I do. 

 That is the best answer I can make to that objection. When 

 a lateral gets out about a foot and a half or two feet, I pinch 

 it in. I then practise exactly the system that the Doctor 

 does. As soon as it pushes again, I pinch it again, — gener- 

 ally about three times. It depends upon the season. If it 

 is a very dry season, three times ; if a wet season, four 

 times. There is my vine ; it has nothing to do but ripen 

 wood, and it will ripen wood, if I do not leave too many 

 grapes on it. There are a good many laterals. If j^ou do 

 not want too many, leave but one eye. If you are not afraid 

 of having too many, leave tAvo eyes. 



Mr. Slade. Did you ever try to keep Concord grapes? 



Mr. Hyde. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Slade. In what way? 



Mr. Hyde. I have tried them as I have tried others. I 

 keep grapes very good until about Christmas-time, and I 

 often keep them into January. There are two or three ways 

 in which I have kept them. They should be kept cool, as Dr. 

 Fisher says, and sufficiently moist to prevent shrivelling. I 

 put them in layers in boxes like strawberry-boxes, with cot- 

 ton-batting or something to exclude the air as much as possi- 

 ble, and keep them just as cool as I can, without freezing. 



Mr. Everett. It is evident from the totally difterent 

 plans suggested by yourself and Dr. Fisher, that grapes can 

 be grown by two difi'erent methods, certainly, and uuques- 

 tional)ly that number might be increased. It has been my 

 pleasure to see the vineyards of California, just after the 

 grape-crop was picked. Three years ago the present month, 

 I travelled over that State, and I went through that remarka- 

 ble valley, the Napa valley, which has produced more grapes 

 than any other spot of land on the globe to the acre. When 



