128 



TEE FARM. 



FIG. 1. — KEEPING GRAPES IN WINTEE. 



Keeping Grapes In Winter —Perhaps among the many methods and 

 devices employed in keeping grapes in their natural state for winter use, 

 there will be found none better than the simple ones we here illustrate and 



describe. The first method 

 is to take new soap boxes, 

 or any other box of about 

 that size, and nail cleats on 

 the iuside of the ends or 

 sides about one inch from 

 the top, and between them 

 bars at various distances, as 

 required by the varying 

 length of the bearing shoot 

 cuttings. The bars are 

 made by nailing a small 

 strip on top of each, as 

 shown in our illustration, 

 Fig. 1. As late as possible 

 cut off the bearing shoots 

 containing the bunches, with 

 pruning shears, and shorten them so they will crowd between the end of the 

 box and the top part of the bar, resting on the bottom part, thus hanging the 

 bunches in their natural position. By this method the boxes can be handled 

 without shaking the shoots off the bars, carried to the light, each bunch ex- 

 amined as winter advances, decaying ber- 

 ries or bunches removed, and the best 

 kept without any moldy taste, as is so 

 common when they are packed solid. 



Another method of preserving grapes 

 for winter, is in the first place to have the 

 bunches as perfect as possible. Cut 

 away all green, decayed or imperfect 

 berries. Air them sufiiciently to shghtly 

 dry or cure the stem, then keep the grapes 

 cool, dry and in the dark. Shallow boxes, 

 of about five inches in depth, are well 

 adapted to keeping grapes, but the wood 

 should not be of a resinous character but 

 wholly odorless, that the fruit may not be 

 tainted. Our illustration, Fig. 2, repre- 

 sents a plan adopted by the French, 

 which is to suspend 'the bunches from 

 hoops in a warm room or dry cellar. In 

 this position they may be readily exam- 

 ined at any time. It is said that grapes 

 will keep well treated in this manner. 



Ho-vr to Prune tlie Grape The FIO. 2.- 



custom has usually been to prune in 



February, but we believe it would bo 



better if done earlier. The excised ])ortious should bo cut up in pieces from 



one to two feet in length, as the buds might bo best adapted to planting, tied 



in bundles of, say, one or two dozen, and buried a few incheo under the soil 



-KEEPING GR.VeES IN 

 WINTEK. 



