1 68 Culture of the Grape in Cities. 



cultuvist, but rather for the benefit of any, who, having recently taken the 

 grape-fever, are earnest inquirers after elementary and practical knowledge. 

 Has the reader a small unoccupied space — say ten feet long and from two 

 to three feet wide — beside any fence of his lot where the sun shines for 

 six or eight hours per day? Then let him rejoice in the assurance that he 

 may have his four favorite vines, — an lona and a Delaware, for instance, 

 with an Israella, and a Diana or Allen. Does he ask how? In this 

 way : Procure the four vines from some reliable source, and plant them in 

 a row, at intervals of two and a half feet, leaving half that space between 

 the outer vines and the ends of the border. Train the vines perpen- 

 dicularly the first season ; cut them down within a few inches of the 

 ground in November. The second year, grow single canes from each 

 stem, until, by measurement, you find that each is just long enough to take 

 its place in the centre of the trellis in the course you have assigned it to, 

 and then pinch off the terminal bud. This will cause the highest lateral 

 buds to grow rapidly. Train both branches perpendicularly to the end of 

 the season, and cut them off at the distance of a foot from the point of 

 separation. In the spring, fasten the cane to the trellis at the selected spot, 

 and lay down these branches right and left, and secure them to the trellis 

 as the permanent arms of the vine. Each arm should be permitted, the 

 third season, to put up only two or three fruit-branches, yielding some 

 three bunches apiece; and, if thrifty, the arms should be lengthened a 

 foot or more every succeeding year, until they attain the full dimensions 

 of five feet and occupy the entire trellis. 



When I speak of measuring the distance to the spot on the trellis to be 

 occupied by the centre or branching point of each vine, I mean this : A 

 trellis should be constructed of the exact length of the border, say ten 

 feet; stout cedar-posts, sunken two feet into the ground, and reaching to 

 a height of nine feet, should be placed near the ends of the border ; and 

 to these posts should be nailed four well-seasoned strips of scantling, three 

 inches wide and one thick; the first, one foot from the ground; the others 

 at three, five, and seven feet elevation : complete the trellis by fastening 

 two wires of stout galvanized iron above each of the four horizontal strips 

 or bars. In the centre of each bar drive a grape-hook or nail, leaving the 

 head slightly projecting. Select one of the two inner vines to occupy the 



