Mr. Johnston's Isabella Grape Vine. 179 



Fig. 13 represents the vine as it now is pruned, and 

 covering a trellis twenty-four feet by twelve ; or rather as it 

 will be, May 30, 1853. The letter a shows where it was 

 stopped at the end of 1849, and the letter h where it was 

 stopped in 1850. It reached its present height in 1851, and 

 will now be kept where it is at the top of the trellis. The 

 vine is trained on the south end of the house, protected from 

 all winds except from S. to S. E. Mr. Johnston, in his ex- 

 cellent communication, has described his mode of pruning 

 and management to obtain such a vine, and any one who fol- 

 lows his advice carefully may produce the same results. 



It is not necessary, to produce grapes in the greatest per- 

 fection, that a vine should be just so symmetrical and pruned. 

 This may be neglected, and yet everything go on well ; but 

 when training is begun it is much easier to proceed systemat- 

 ically, as it lessens the labor and care required in its man" 

 agement. 



It matters not, therefore, whether the upright, horizontal, 

 fan-shape, serpentine, or any other mode of training be adopt' 

 ed, only that the plan is laid down in the beginning, and all 

 future growth made to obtain the end in view. This will be 

 a great saving of time over the no system, treatment. 



All that it is absolutely necessary to know is, that the 

 grape never fruits only on the young wood of the pre- 

 vious YEAR. Consequently every move must be made with 

 a view to seciu'e a succession of such wood, and to have it 

 STRONG, and well ripened ; to have it laid in at equal dis- 

 tances, so that the summer's growth will not be crowded, 

 recollecting that every inch of old wood is worthless, and 

 to be cut away only so far as it is wanted for spurring in the 

 young growth. Keeping these facts in mind every cultivator 

 of a grape vine, may be sure to attain a reasonable degree of 

 success. 



Mr. Johnston informs us he has " a plan for a vineyard, 

 and when the sign comes right he intends to try it without 

 fear. I will," he says, "take 3600 pounds of grapes from a 

 quarter of an acre of land, every pound of them worth at 

 least a shilling in the months of January and February. 



