110 



THE CANADIAN HOKTICULTtJRIST. 



with the price fifty per cent, over ordi- 

 nary figui-es, and buyers anxious 1 



But this question is one not lightly 

 to be settled in one article or by one 

 man. My experience warrants me in 

 claiming the " Hill System " the best 

 for all ordinary soils and varieties. 

 Now let the gentlemen of " Matted 

 Row " leanings speak up for their sys- 

 tem that Horticulturist readers may 

 come to an intelligent conclusion before 

 the planting season is upon us. 



CULTIVATION OF GRAPES. 



As location, aspect and soil are of the 

 tirst importance, and as they are ques- 

 tions that stand foremost on the in- 

 tending planter's mind, demanding solu- 

 tion, I will endeavor to put a few stray 

 thoughts together bearing upon the 

 above important subject, hoping that 

 they may prove a benefit to some. 

 Nearly any soil will grow grapes, at 

 least for home consumption, and some 

 varieties are so thrifty, and have such 

 a strong constitution, that they can be 

 grown almost any where,but with grapes 

 on a large scale, either for market or 

 wine, or both, good and paying results 

 can only be z'eached in the best loca- 

 tions. (And I would say right here 

 that I do not approve of the manufac- 

 ture of grapes, or anything else into fer- 

 mented wine, to be used as a beverage, 

 as it is one of the branches and a feeder 

 of one of the greatest evils in Christen- 

 dom, intemperance.) The most suit- 

 able location for a vineyard in this 

 beautiful northern land of ours is a 

 situation near some of the larger lakes, 

 and elevated at least 40 or 50 feet 

 above them, or smaller bodies of water, 

 for if near the level of bodies of water, 

 especially small bodies in this latitude 

 the situation will very likely be subject 

 to early and late frosts. Large bodies 

 of water are not so injurious as small, 

 as they absorb heat in great quantities 



during the summer and give it off 

 slowly in the fall ; this affects the sur- 

 rounding country very materially by 

 preventing early frosts. In the spring, 

 the water being cold, it keeps the at- 

 mosphere cool for a considerable dis- 

 tance from the shore, and consequently 

 prevents vegetation starting so early as 

 it otherwise would. My vineyard is 

 located about four miles north of Lake 

 Ontario, and fully 500 feet above it, at 

 Baltimore, on the south-eastern slope 

 of Elcho Height ; it is more exempt from 

 early frosts than some other parts of 

 the province thought to be more highly 

 favoured by nature. The very destruc- 

 tive frost that visited the larger portion 

 of this continent on the 10th of last 

 September, left the tenderest vegetables 

 here almost uninjured, a part of my 

 Concord, Delaware, Brighton, and all of 

 Lindley, Hartford, Champion, Crevel- 

 ing, and other early ripening varieties 

 matured before the heavy frosts injured 

 them. I would not recommend the 

 planting of any variety, in this district, 

 ripening much later than Concord. In 

 selecting a situation for a vineyard all 

 the surroundings should be closely ob- 

 served and taken into account. If the 

 land has no protection from the north 

 and north-west see what the facilities 

 are for supplying one by a belt of trees ; 

 Norway spruce is the best. Would 

 recommend the declivities of hills and 

 mountains inclining to the south as the 

 best exposure for a vineyard ; and the 

 next in order are the south-east, east, 

 south-west by south, but never a north 

 or a full western exposure. Virgil 

 said, "nor let thy vineyard bend to- 

 wards the sun when setting," and these 

 words are as applicable now as they 

 were thousands of years ago. A loca- 

 tion protected from the cold north 

 winds, so as to insure sufficient heat to 

 mature the fruit, is also desirable in a 

 cold climate, but in a hot one the heat 

 may be so great as to exhaust the 



