ORCHARDS AND VINEYARDS. 



59 



the " Concord," and the vines were set six feet apart. 

 In 1857 they were allowed to grow at random, and in 

 the fall were pruned, as they had been at the time 

 of planting, to two or three eyes. In 1858 a single 

 cane from each vine was trained to a stake, and at the 

 autumn pruning cut back to about two feet. 



In the spring of 1859 a trellis was erected of posts 

 and wire. The posts were chestnut, two by two, set 

 two and one-half feet in the ground and rather more 

 than five feet out, at the distance of ten feet apart. 

 At each end, a post, three by five, was set in a foot 

 and braced. Upon these posts four strands of No. 12 

 iron wire were stretched, the lowest eighteen to twenty 

 inches from the ground, and the others at distances" 

 of fifteen inches. The strength of one man with a 

 little skill is sufficient to stretch the wires, in warm 

 weather. At each end the wires pass through holes in 

 the posts, and are secured by driving the bent end into 

 the wood, assisted by a staple made of the same wire. 

 The wires are fastened to the other posts by staples 

 driven into one side of them. The posts were entirely 

 covered with coal or gas tar, and a coat of the same 

 was applied to the wire, but I now prefer a asphaltum, 

 or paraffine varnish for the latter. 



The mode of training adopted was, to carry up a 

 single cane to the top of the trellis and allow four arms 

 to grow from each side, to be secured to the four wires. 

 These laterals were twisted around the wires as they 

 grew, and required no tying. In the autumn the wood 

 was cut back according to the strength of the vines, 

 leaving the trellis two-thirds full of bearing wood. 

 A few clusters of fruit grew this season on most of the 

 vines. 



