18 



PLANTING. 



In plantinc^ the vines, if llie border has been so recently prepared that the soil U 

 not apparently one homogeneous mass of dark mould, a sufficiency of fine rich garden 

 soil should be placed around the roots to receive their first growth, and it will be ad- 

 vantageous to have it sufficient for their entertainment during the first season. 



The plan is drawn to a scale of half an inch to the foot, and the vines are planted 

 two feet apart. 



They may be planted at once on a line with tlie trellis, but in that way it will be 

 impossible to fill the border uniformly with the roots, which is a very important con- 

 sideration. 



If the border is twelve feet wide and has a southern aspect, the trellis may be placed 

 within two or three feet of its northern side ; about the middle of the border, or five 

 feet from its southern edge, plant the row of vines two feet apart, placing a stake by 

 the side of each vine at the time of planting. To begin to prepare for the recepti(>n 

 of the vines, dig a broad basin six inches deep — probably about two feet in diameter, 

 and make a nice conic heap of the soil, for it is to remain thus placed all of the sea- 

 son. Kow, at the bottom of this basin dig the " hole" for the reception of the vine, 

 as if commencing at the surface of the ground, for the bottom of the basin is to be 

 tlie surface of the ground for the vine during the first season ; place the pruned stem 

 of the vine a few inches south of the stake, and inclining towards it at an angle of 

 forty-five degrees. If the vine is a very vigorous one, and makes a good growth the 

 first season, it will be strong enough to cut back to two feet, which at time of pruning 

 maybe done. Next dig a trench one foot wide and seven inches deep, in a line 

 towards the trellis and at right angles to it ; remove the stake that was set at the plant- 

 ing of the vine, about eighteen inches along the trench, in the direction towards the 

 trellis ; fasten the shoot down to the bottom of the trench, inclining the end of tlie 

 pruned shoot up at an angle of forty-five degrees, so that it may touch the stake a lit- 

 tle below the surface of the ground. Towards the end of June fill up the basin that 

 was made at the time of planting the vine with the soil that was taken from it, and 

 cover the shoot in the bottom of the trench to the depth of about two inches. The 

 second season a much stronger shoot will be made, and it may be cut back so as to 

 enable it to make half of the remaining distance to the trellis, and so proceed until 

 the trellis is reached. This does not prevent taking fruit every year according to the 

 strength of the vine, and the ground will become uniformly filled with roots which 

 will, under good treatment, continue indefinitely in health, and the vine will never, 

 in the latitude of New-york, fail of giving ripe grapes as early as the fifteenth or 

 twentieth of August, according to character of season. The crop thus to be ob- 

 tained may be easily calculated by counting the bunches on vine marked 4 on plate, 

 which are twelve less than I last season gathered from a vine but four years old, 

 trained in that manner. 



The subject is resumed at page 26, and very thoroughly treated, with many illustra- 

 tive engravings. 



PRUNING, 



The need of pruning the vine comes from its native habit of climbing, by which it 

 gains the top and extremities of the branches of trees, on which it finds support, to 

 give its leaves to the influence of the sun whose light is to it the foimtain of' life. Af- 

 ter the roots have been cared for so that their wants may be supplied within a small 

 compass, the branches must also b}'' pruning be brought to keep within prescribed 

 limits, and the number of its shoots regulated so that just as many large leaves shall 

 be formed as can be fully exposed to the sun, and only as much fruit carried as can be 

 brought to perfection. The shoots and fruit must also be equally distributed over the 

 allotted space. This is a process of such simplicity, and the reasons and mode of doing 

 it so obvious to common-sense, that no one need be in error or darkness in the matter 

 who will give tlie subject a little consideration. To give full directiona for this is not 



