1878.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



21 



on the lower half of the cane, or on the whole 

 lenijth of the viueyaril, cut these into about 

 three eyes ; bear each other vine the next year 

 as heavy as it is tboufjbt advisable, so as to 

 secure tlie fruit ripenini; aiul coloriiiLT well ; 

 ease the other in like proportion, which will 

 give vigor and assist tlicHi afterwards. When 

 the fruit is cut on those vines which have 

 borne the heaviest crojis, take Ibeni out ; and 

 when pruning the other,leave the side branches 

 about a foot long, wliich will till up the vacant 

 space ; next year train these branches hori- 

 zontally, and in the fall following, spur them 

 as advised above with the upright cane, and 

 at the same time leave another length on the 

 end of each; as these side branches continue 

 to be lengthened and till up more space, bear 

 those vines on eacli side of Ibera somewhat 

 heavier, and afterwards take them out. 



]?y this system it will readily be seen that 

 but few varieties can be grown in a limited 

 space ; but quality always gives tlu' most per- 

 manent satisfaction, and where variety is re- 

 ijuired it may be liad in tlie lirst instance, and 

 quality secured afterwards, if care is taken 

 in planting good sorts, in the right place, at 

 the commencement. It m,ay be thought by 

 some persons that so few vines are not able to 

 carry a full crop in a gi\'en space ; never fear 

 that, for if there is sufficient surface of well- 

 , ripened wood, the roots in good order, and the 

 expansion judiciously accumulated, the (inan- 

 ity of food may be gradually inci'eased, until 

 two or three hundred weight may be taken 

 from a single vine. Sliow me an instance 

 where the same longevity and continued fruit- 

 fulness has been gained by the ordinary walk- 

 ing-stick, confining to one cane, or the short- 

 cut method, and then I will believe that nature 

 can alter her course, and that man's sinsle 

 ideas can control the wonderful action of liis 

 Creator's intelligence. That Judicious short- 

 ening in at the right season and under proper 

 circumstances is not beneficial has been clearly 

 demonstrated ; we know that it tends to give 

 less vigor and healthy growth; both theory and 

 practice tell us so ; by it we gain a strong pro- 

 pelling power from the roots, without reduc- 

 ing their volume or enfeebling their energy ; 

 but to cut annually so free-growing a plant as 

 the grapevine to a mere .stump is, to say the 

 least of it, a barbarous mutilation of God's 

 providence, and is sure to end in premature 

 weakness, sappy and papery leaves, siiindly, 

 ill-ripened wood, and barrenness. By this 

 method, last described, the roots have ample 

 space to luxuriate in, and one vine would 

 eventually occupy and fill a whole border, 

 which usually has to accommodate a great- 

 number : and, as the head has a corresponding 

 expansion accoi-ding to the rcciuiremcnts of 

 the subject, a greater certainty of iieruianenee 

 and future vitality is gained ; and, as a matter 

 of profit, it is the mo.st benelicial, for tliere is 

 surely a more lasting gain where a trellis, or 

 even a vinevard, will continue to yield a good 

 cro)! for two or three generations, than when 

 the planting, making fresh borders, has to be 

 renewed every ten or, at most, fifteen years. 

 In making these remarks we would not wish 

 to be severe, for there are many persons so 

 situated, by peculiar circumstances, as to pre- 

 vent them from cariying out the most 

 natural or best methods of culture, oven 

 though they may be aware of the errors of 

 their present practice ; yet there are others 

 who have popular and (iractical preiudices to 

 overcome before they will be enabled to seethe 

 desirableness of asking thcmscilves a few 

 physiological questions, or take the tr(nd)le to 

 fiiul the answer in nature's vohuninous folios. 

 May we hope that these set notions and dogmas 

 may speedily vanish from this free country, at 

 least where the natural and jihysical industry 

 of man is unfettered; and where we may be- 

 come a pattern to the world, in cnod cultui'e, 

 if not in artificial grandeur. Wc cannot let the 

 present part of the subject pass by without a 

 few remarks on summer pruning : it has often 

 been advised, and that, too, by some <if the 

 best cultivators, to stop the bearing shoots at 

 an eye, or in some instances, two eyes above 

 the hunch ; and likewise do the same with the 



young cane when it has elongated to the top 

 of the trellis, or the upright support ; also, to 

 pinch out all laterals as they ai'e jiroduced, 

 thereliy making the operation into a rule. 

 There is no doubt that many conscientiously 

 believe such a system to be judicious, and, be- 

 cause their crops arc satisfactory to them- 

 selves, they continue on in the same i)ractice 

 without further consideration ; but this does 

 not close up the avenu(^ for free discussion ; 

 neither does it i>rove that it is the ultimatum 

 of perfection. If we ])ursue the investigation 

 of this matter in a physiological manner, we 

 are led to understand that all summer ]iiuning 

 tends to les.sen the vigor, and cripple tlie 

 energy of all grape vines ; and practical ex- 

 perience, combined with observation, jiroves 

 the fad. Arguing from this point, we may 

 be accused of advocating no summer pruning 

 at all, to which we say, no suninier lu-uning at 

 all. If the greatest extension of liranches and 

 corre.siionding roots, or l)alk of timber were 

 the object, then the less jiruning the better ; 

 but the present position is a consideration of 

 circumstances and adaptability, iiidei)endent, 

 to a certain extent, of nature's action ; the 

 object being to coax her to accommodate her- 

 self to our conveniences, and as the grape vine 

 is one of the most easily trained of her family, 

 we have in this case a partial control. Wo 

 ought, then, to consider what we arc doing, 

 and how far we are acting in unison with what 

 are known to be established laws ; and to in- 

 fringe too far upon these is sure to produce 

 evil ; this or that man's dogmatical opinions 

 must certainly fail, unless they be based upon 

 this indisputable certainty. Where is the use 

 of following this " should be," or that " ought 

 to be," unless somewhat in accordance with 

 these natural demands ; yet we find a prolific 

 and luxuriating plant, such is as the grape 

 vine is stubbed, is cut close and sheared like 

 a convict ; we are nearly saying shaved, too ; 

 for the pinching back to one eye above the 

 fruit, is nearly tantamount to the close opera- 

 tion. The reason given for this peculiar treat- 

 ment is, that the fruit, and also the plant, is 

 strengthened by it.' How would it strengthen 

 one's toes by cutting off a finger, supposing 

 another would grow in its place ? or, would 

 an animal produce the finer offspring, if the 

 body were to be mutilated ? It is just possible 

 tliat any amount of gangrene would be the 

 consequence ; but:, as to the truly healthful 

 action, it is possible that we should be none 

 the gainer ; perhaps this kind of analogy 

 may be thought a very vulgar way of explain- 

 ing what might be shown in more delicate 

 words ; but, of coarse, the true meaning is 

 purposely explained, to show up the ridiculous- 

 ness of curtailing nature, as slated above; 

 the subject is a matter of circuinstances ; we 

 have to do with a family of (ilants that would 

 occupy a great volume of surface, yet wc 

 wish to have a large numl)er, comparatively 

 speaking, in a sni.ill space, and the best thing 

 we can do is not to weaken down natural 

 energy more than there is occasion for. Prun- 

 ing, properly performed, and in the right 

 season, is certainly a great service ; we find it 

 so, practically ; its good effects are every- 

 where to be seen when it is adojited ; but so 

 far and no farther is it advisable ; if proof be 

 required of the injury that may be done by 

 too close stopping, let anyone try the experi- 

 ment of pinching in closely the side slioots of 

 a part of his vines, and leaving the other sev- 

 eral joints longer, and he will lind at the end 

 of the growing season that those which were 

 left the longest are better ripened than the 

 shorter ones, providing the light has had 

 equal intluencc on both ; if the vines arc no 

 further apart than three feet, the distance 

 will allow a shoot on eacli side, of from fifteen 

 to eighteen inches, upon which there may be 

 from seven to eight leaves ; and allowing the 

 fruit to be on the second or third joint ; there 

 will still remain four or five leaves al)ovc it, 

 each of which will do its duty in elaborating 

 the crude juices and assimilating the car- 

 bonic acid absorbed, thereby adding to the 

 bulk and solidity of the whole structure ; 

 and, if so, iucrcasiug the amount and greater 



firmness of the roots ; for, according to the 

 amount and action of the foliage under favor- 

 able inlluences, so are the underground ex- 

 fiemities encouraged. As slated elsewhere 

 the grapevine is a plant of great longevity, 

 notwithstanding which, with the practice of 

 some vine-dressers, it is considered to be worn 

 out in a few years, and fresh i)lantatioiis have 

 to be made i)eriodi(ally ; this may, in vine- 

 yard culture, answer the purpose ol the culti- 

 vator ; and by the method of only allowing a 

 few feet of bearing surface to each individual, 

 a great amount of fruit and of suitable 

 (piality for this purpose may be- obtained from 

 a limited extent of land employed. Here is 

 evidence that too much curtailing of the plant's 

 natural disposition shortens life and weakens 

 down the constitution to such an extent as to 

 make it worthless, compaiatively sjieaking, 

 in a very short lime. Considering that there is 

 not a very great exi>eiise in replanting a vine- 

 yard, th(; means may be said to justify the 

 end. It behooves us to think well how we 

 may pay back a permanent interest on 

 the capital invested ; and if there be any 

 method that will keep a trellis or vine in 

 healthy bearing for a long time without the 

 requirement of renewal, surely it must be 

 wisdom to adopt it. If the grape vine is a 

 long liver and allowed to extend, and soon 

 worn out if kejit in a .small comiia.ss, is it not 

 reasonable if we wish permanency, that all 

 availalile space that we have in the superficial 

 area of a trellis should be covered with healthy 

 leaves, in order to better concentrate and store 

 up the food for future developnnmt ; and add 

 each year a layer of well-organized albumen to 

 the previous existing sound vascular tissues. 

 If we take into account the glutted prepara- 

 tions that are often compounded for vinery 

 borders, and the consequently immense en- 

 couragement given to luxuriating growth, it 

 really appears surprising that such close cut- 

 ting as is generally i)racticed, does not either 

 kill or cause disease in less time than is the 

 case ; and it is justiliablc that the present 

 ravages of mildew in this free country have 

 been accelerated by this cause. Such are the 

 writer's ideas upon the subject, and as the 

 present object is to enlighten the learner, they 

 are submitted to approval or censure, as each 

 liractical and successful cultivator may think 

 fit, with the con.scientious belief that such is 

 more becoming the jn-esent age of progress, 

 and if followed up will be the means of ])ro- 

 longing the heallhfulness and fruitfulness of 

 grape vines. — Ke.spectfully submitted, Daniel 



Smeycli. 



♦ 



For TuK Lancasteb Fabheb. 



THE DITANY. 



A communication from Major Spera, of 

 Ephrata, this county, gives a statement that 

 he found the common Ditany, Cwiila Mari- 

 ana, in the latter part of November or begin- 

 ning of Ueceinber la.st. enveloped with thin 

 plates or funnel-shaped icy formations around 

 the dry stems of last year's growth. 



About the Ice Around Ditany. 



The communication published in the JVeto 

 Era, with respect to the common Ditany, 

 t'unila Mariana, having been found by Major 

 Spera, of Ephrata to have funnel-shaped ice 

 or frost-work surrounding the remains of the 

 last year's stem ; by a pencil sketch he shows 

 the frost-work to commence at the base of the 

 stem, through the thawed opening of the soil 

 surrounding the stem, building up and daring 

 out the frost-work, so as to have no contact 

 with the stem at all. 



This corresponds with my own observations, 

 made the Cth of December, 18.56, and pub- 

 lished in the llorticuUural Journal of Piiila- 

 delphia, then edited by J. J. Smith, (new 

 series. Vol. VII., p. 7.3), in which I also re- 

 fer to Dr. Darlington's notice of this fact, 

 l)rior to my observation, as I learned by con- 

 sulting his Flora Ceslrica, publislied in 1853, 

 D. 10'.). 



In an article published in tlie Scientific 

 American for February 24th, 1877, (Vol. 

 XXXVI., p. 110,) in answer to a certain 



