twelve hundred dollars from the sale of grapes, grown on one 

 acre of ground. 



SOIL, AND MANUKING THE VINE. 



The best and most natural soil for the grape is a dry porous 

 lime stone. It should be well drained ; cold and wet situations 

 are unfavorable for the vine. In manuring for the grape we 

 should never use animal manure ?mcomposted, — such was the 

 testimony at the National Fruit Growers' Convention. The 

 mineral manures, in consequence of their ingredients, have the 

 most effect on the quality of the fruit, while animal matter en- 

 courages the formation of wood too fast, and makes the vine 

 tender and subject to disease and, we think, mildew. The best 

 dressing we find,^s bone and oyster shell flour, manufactured 

 without burning. Bone dust contains the most nourishing ele- 

 ments, which, with wood-ashes, and a good surface soil, well 

 covered in the fall with dry leaves, are nearly all the materials 

 necessary for the vine ; the finer the dust of the bone, the 

 more immediately active it becomes. Bones are said to contain 

 a greater amount of phosphoric acid than from any other one 

 substance, hence it has been beautifully expressed that " there 

 can be no civilization without population, no population with- 

 out food, and no food without phosphoric acid ; and that the 

 march of civilization has followed the direction or supply of 

 this material." Of all fruits none are more impatient of wet 

 than the grape, a dry situation is absolutely essential ; there- 

 fore if the soil be at all retentive, thorough draining is neces- 

 sary. 



GRAFTING THE VINE. 



This is easily performed in the following manner. The soil 

 in the spring is removed from the base of the stock below the 

 surface. The vine is then sawed off and cut smoothly with a 



