1871 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



223 



ture of the air can be as readily determined as can 

 Its temperature be ascertained. We can tell not 

 only whether it is very dry, or very moist, but what 

 proportion of moisture is present ; and farther, can 

 determine not only how much the vapor may light- 

 en the air, by rendering it buoyaut, even to taking 

 the pressure off the barometer to the one thous- 

 andth of an inch, but can as readily weigii the 

 amount in our scales and tell to the one-hundredth 

 part of a grain, how much exists in each cubic foot 

 of the atmosphere around us, at any time, and as 

 often as we choose to experiment on and calculate 

 it. All this has been frequently done, and that 

 done hundreds of times during the summers of 1864 

 and 1865 ; and they thereby proved to have been 

 very dry. Moreover, this dryness, when in extreme 

 was shown to have happened before or during the 

 the access of damage to the vines. Now, if such 

 seasons visited us but at long intervals, in the inte- 

 rior districts, we would not have so much cause to 

 deplore them ; but unfortunately, these extremes of 

 dryness and consequent sudden reduction of tem- 

 perature, this accompaniment, is no new thing over 

 a greater part of the Northern States, East, of the 

 Rocky Mountains. This periodical dryness of the 

 air appears to be the rule ; is the difficulty we labor 

 under in our climate as respects the cultivation of 

 the grape in the vineyard. It no doubt serves 

 many useful purposes. It may enable the farmer 

 to grow a crop of Indian corn in much higher lati- 

 tudes than he could otlierwise perfect it, as it is an 

 accompaniment also of high heat. It may enable 

 him to bring to perfection many other semi-tropical 

 plants in districts where they could not be grown, 

 uch as the sweet potato, sorghum, &c., but it ren- 

 ders our climate one of extremes, and unfits it, when 

 these extremes most prevail, for the profitable cul- 

 ture of the vine, either foreign or native. — Far7n 

 and Firegide. 



Grapes.— Training and Prnnlng.— Best Frnlt. 



The following paragraphs from the Pacific Rural 

 Press, on training the grape low for the production 

 of fruit of the highest quality are sound. This sys- 

 tem of low training is no less important or applica- 

 ble to Iowa than to California. Years ago in com- 

 mon with others, we held the notion that to attain 

 the best results in grape growing — size quality and 

 early maturity — the higher the training and the 

 more sunlight that could be brought to bear upon 

 the fruit the better, but a little practice in that di- 

 rection soon exploded the theory. The largest, 

 sweetest, and best flavored fruit to our taste , is to 

 be found on vines trained about two feet from the 

 ground and well screened from the direct rays of 

 the sun. As to what the Press says on the "time of 

 pruning" we have no experience, but give it for 

 what it is worth. 



" General experience in this State, where the at- 

 mosphere is so dry and pure as to induce a low de- 

 gree of temperature, in the night time, as compared 

 to that of the days, has proven that low training 

 and pruning is the best. The grapes being close to 

 the ground feel the influence of the heat absorbed 

 during the day by the earth, and given out during 

 the succeeding night ; while those higher up are 

 exposed to the greater extremes of the atmosphere. 

 Hence, grapes near the ground, or on low trained 

 vines are found to ripen in the same vineyard in 

 this State, from ten days to two weeks earlier than 

 the same varieties trained over trellices. It is also 

 found that the former are fairer, larger and more 

 highly flavored than the latter. 



Some claim that the mildew is not so apt to af- 

 fect the grape grown on high trained vines, where 

 the atmosphere circulates freely, as on those close 

 to the ground. We think reason and experience 

 are both in favor of the opposite opinion. Mildew 

 on a growing plant is not induced by the same 

 causes as mildew on dead and decaying matter. The 

 extremes of heat and cold, impediug the natural 

 flow of the sap is believed to be one of tiie chief 

 causes of mildew in the grape vine. As these ex- 

 tremes are greater at a distance above the ground, 

 so the inducing causes of mildew are proportionate- 

 ly greater ; and we find experience agrees with rea- 

 son on the subject. 



We think that the time, of pruning has more to do 

 with mildew on the grape, than the manner ; as we 

 shall show hereafter In accordance with the gen- 

 eral experience of the best cultivators, we would 

 recommend that vines be so trained and pruned as 

 to form the head from one to two feet above the 

 ground. The use of stakes may thus be entirely 

 dispensed with, and quite an expense saved." 



TIME OP PRUNING. 



" When the object is to Induce a rapid growth of 

 wood, as in young vines, before they are at proper 

 age to fruit, the pruning should be done in the fall 

 or fore part of winter. If, however, it is desired to 

 produce less wood and more fruit, the time of pru- 

 ning should be delayed until later in the season. 

 The time should als» be governed by the soil, to 

 some extent. On elevated land and a dry soil, 

 where the vine naturally forms but little wood, and 

 is inclined to bear too much fruit, pruning should 

 be done early in the fall, after the leaves have fal- 

 len. Then when the sap starts in the spring it will 

 swell the buds with force, and send out strong canes 

 and less fruit and spurs. 



On the contrary, vines growing on rich, alluvial 

 soil, where too much wood and too little fruit is the 

 natural rule, this tendency may be checked to a 

 great extent, by delaying the annual pruning until 

 late in the spring — even so late that the leaves on 

 the canes are forming. By cutting back the canes 



