FRUITS. 207 



of soil or of pine boughs, would, for the more tender varieties 

 and for many of the varieties called hardy, be better still. It is 

 not much trouble to lay down vines where they have been 

 managed properly when young, which should be done by train- 

 ing them two or three feet to one side, with but a little inclina- 

 tion from the ground, before leading them up the pole or trellis ; 

 by so doing they can be laid on the ground without any crip- 

 pling of the main stem. But with all the drawbacks which the 

 cultivators of the grape have to contend with, I think with a 

 proper location and selection of varieties, it is more certain to 

 produce a crop, and one that will pay, than any other variety of 

 fruit which we cultivate. It is not subject to attack by so 

 many insects as other fruits. About the only insects that attack 

 the vines in thisvicinity being the thrips or vine hopper, on the 

 under side of the leaves ; they can be killed by syringing the 

 leaves with strong soapsuds ; and the rose bug, which eats the 

 blossom ; the latter must be picked off by hand, with the conso- 

 lation that after having been picked and destroyed for one or two 

 years, they will diminish materially. 



The effect of even a slight protection was strikingly illustrated 

 on the ground of Mr. T. F. Hunt, of Concord, one of the 

 exhibitors of grapes the present year. On a long trellis on his 

 grounds, covered with a vigorous growth of vines, the fruit 

 buds were entirely killed, and many of the vines have received 

 a severe shock, which it will take some time to recover from. 

 Near by were one hundred Concord grape vines, planted two 

 years previous, which had been allowed to remain on the ground ; 

 they blossomed full, and were tied up to poles the last summer, 

 and produced a fine crop of excellent fruit, which readily 

 brought at wholesale nearly seven dollars a bushel for the 

 entire crop. In this instance, simply their laying on the ground 

 saved the fruit buds from winter-killing. But for rather tender 

 varieties, to make it certain that they will not be injured in the 

 winter, it would be better to cover the vines ; the best way to 

 do this is, to lay the vines down on the surface of the ground 

 and cover with soil, being careful not to take the soil from near 

 the vine, so as to leave a hole for the water to stand about the 

 roots in the winter. Vines and tender shrubs are often injured 

 in the winter by covering with hay or manure, which ferments 

 and rots the buds. Covering with soil, so far as my experience 



