Mr. Joluiston' s Isabella Grape Vine. 177 



That the grape vine can, however, in the hands of a skilful 

 man be made a neat, tidy and ornamental vine, is well known 

 from the many engravings we find in works treating upon 

 the subject ; though some will have it that such pictures are 

 manufactured, and not true copies of the originals. This, 

 however, we know to be an error, for we have seen them 

 trained in a variety of forms, and all methodical, symmetrical 

 and beautiful. Such a vine is that of Mr. Johnston, which 

 the annexed engraving represents. 



" I send you," says Mr. Johnston, " a rough sketch of my 

 vine, the one bought of Messrs. Hovey in the fall of 1845. 

 It illustrates all I have been talking about, respecting the 

 training, pruning and balancing the growth of the vine ; and, 

 as an illustration, it might be of interest to a raiser of this 

 very fine fruit, for I like to insist upon it it is a very fine 

 fruit, when properly grown, properly thinned, and, last and 

 most important of all, properly ripened. My household al- 

 ways prefer this grape to the white imported fruit, which last 

 always set untasted as long as the Isabellas last." 



In order that Mr. Johnston may be fully understood we 

 commence with the pruning and training of the vine from the 

 time of planting in 1845 : 



^ 



Fig.9. Fig. 10. Fig.ll. 



Vine planted in 1845. Vine pruned in 1846. Vine pruned in 1847. 



Fig. 9 represents the vine as it appeared at the time of 

 planting in 1845. It then had three shoots. 



Fig. 10 represents the vine after it was pruned in the fall 

 of 1846. The main shoot has two leaders ; one of the side 

 shoots two, and the other, one : five in all. 



Fig. 11 represents the vine in the fall of 1847, after prun- 

 ing. It then had all its leading shoots, seven in number ; the 



VOL. XIX. NO. IV. 23 



