VINEYARDS. 131 



tliey get the benefit of the manure in the garden across a 

 border of six feet. Twenty are in one row, ten to twelve feet 

 apart, on the west and north sides of my fruit garden, east and 

 south of a lieavy wall ; the land by them was underdrained 

 from three to four and one-half feet deep, and the plants set in 

 nearly the same way, except that for a part of them, the soil 

 having been made deep and rich previously, they were set 

 without any additional preparation. I prune in the fall, cutting 

 back nearly to the ground the first two years, and then training 

 them to the trellis, which is of wire, until they fill it. I 

 always lay the vines upon the ground for winter, covering the 

 more tender ones slightly with earth, and have never had one, 

 that was so protected, injured, after it had become established 

 in the soil. I do not like to have other plants grow near the 

 grapes, within at least six feet, and endeavor to keep the soil 

 free from weeds, and mellow on the surface, stirring it fre- 

 quently through the entire season. After the grapes have set, 

 I thin them, and pinch in the ends of the vines frequently for 

 several weeks. 



In 1860, fifteen of the vines bore freely, the fruit being of 

 good size and form, both bunch and berry, but on account of 

 an early frost, did not ripen perfectly, with the exception of the 

 Seedlings, which being very early, were gathered before the 

 frost, which occurred about the first of October. The present 

 season the crop has been abundant on all of these vines, and 

 nearly all the others set previous to this year commenced 

 bearing fruit, and the fruit has ripened perfectly, without 

 protection, even on the Catawba vines. 



I obtain new plants mostly by layering. When pruning in 

 the fall, I save such vines near the ground as are suitable for 

 the purpose, and after they have started in the spring, I bury 

 them slightly in the soil, after having first cut them a little 

 more than half off between the eyes ; each eye then usually 

 produces a good plant for the next year's setting. I have, 

 however, this year raised several hundred plants from cuttings 

 saved at the fall pruning, buried in the ground over winter and 

 planted in the spring, but they are not so strong or good as 

 layers. 



