224 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GAEDENER. 



1871 



of the past summer's growth, at this time, leaving 

 but two or three buds near the base, these buds 

 would then swell evenly and develop strong fruit 

 spurs and as a general thing, the result will be a 

 good quantity of well developed fruit stems and 

 blossoms." 



Supports for Grape Vlues. 



We remember reading, some years since, a paper 

 from the " Proceedings of the Philadelphia Acade- 

 my of -Natural Sciences," in which it was shown 

 wliy grajie vines grew bettor when running over 

 trees than anywhere else. There is a natural mo- 

 tion in the tendril of the grape, and the amount of 

 food required to produce this is a great strain on 

 tlie function of the vine. This motion of a tendril 

 in search of something to cling to, continues about 

 ten days, when the tendril dies. If the plant is 

 clambering over a tree, the tendril finds something 

 to cling to almost as soon as it is ready for support. 

 Then there is no waste of force in useless motion. 

 The whole energy of the plant is spent in producing 

 healthy growth. It is a little remarkable that no 

 use has been made of this discovery in practical 

 grape culture. 



In Lombardy and other portions of Italy, living 

 trees are very generally used as supports or natural 

 trellises for the grape vines; and it is not improba- 

 ble that this practice may be profitably adopted, to 

 a certain extent, in this country. It is generally 

 considered that the fruit of a grape vine, supported 

 by a living tree, seldom or never rots ; and thus one 

 point is gained, by this plan, in cultivating the ten- 

 der and delicate varieties. 



We know that the European .system of close 

 planting and close training will not do for our free- 

 groing and more vigorous American grapes, and we 

 therefore suggest a much greater distance in plant- 

 ing and wider opportunity for expansion— including 

 the live tree supports — to all who desire to solve 

 the problem of successful grape culture with our 

 native varieties. — Cor. Our Rome Journal. 



Grape Rot about Cincinnati. — At a meeting of 

 the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, June 22d, Dr. 

 Warden stated that the much dreaded brown or 

 speck rot showed itself on the 9th and 10th of the 

 month, when the grapes were larger than buckshot, 

 and so violent was the attack that many vines were 

 wholly despoiled of their fruit in a few hours. 

 Catawba, Concord, lona, Hartford, and the Roger's 

 Seedlings are almost totally destroyed. Ives and 

 Delaware, spotted. 



" Different modes of training and trimming seem 

 to be alike aflfectcd; those on arbors and trees, 

 untrimmed summer and winter, are attacked, and 

 some of them as severely as those closely trimmed 

 and trained to stakes." 



California Raisins. 



F. G. Jeffers, Visalia, Tulare Co., Cal., has been 

 manufacturing raisins from the following grapes :— 

 Rose of Peru, Muscat of Alexandria, and Fiber Za- 

 gos. These raisins are pronounced by good judges 

 excellent. Mr. Jeffers makes the following state- 

 ment concerning this product:— "I gathered and 

 spread on scaffolds in the sun, about the middle of 

 September, after tliey are partly dry, I put loosely 

 in large boxes under cover to finish drying ; in 

 about six weeks they were dry enough to box. The 

 Rose of Peru averaged this year about forty pounds 

 to the vine ; it took three pounds of green grapes 

 to make one of dry. The Fiber Zagos averaged 

 twenty-five pounds to the vine, and it took three 

 pounds to make one of dry. The Muscat of Alex- 

 andria averaged ten pounds to the vine, and took 

 only two pounds to make one of dry. The vines 

 are seven years old, and have brought grapes the 

 last four years. Our soil is a light, sandy one, and 

 slightly impregnated with alkali. I have not irri- 

 gated my vines since they were two years old." 



» * « 



liayerlng for Strength. 



With some varieties of grapes in France it is 

 found necessary for maintining a paying amount of 

 fruit to layer the vines annually, thus increasing 

 the number of roots. A trench is dug fifteen or 

 twenty inches long, commencing at the head of the 

 vine, and as deep as needed, eight or ten inches; in- 

 to this trench is thrown a quantity of good com- 

 poste or rich top earth. 



The vine is bent down and carried along its bot- 

 tom, a stone or block placed upon it, at the point 

 where it is bent up, and the trench filled with earth. 

 It is manifest such an operation will largely increase 

 the strength of the vine. With the lona, naturally 

 weak in the root, we have resorted to this mode of 

 improving its vigor, and with decided advantage. — 

 Fruit and Wine Beporter. 



1 ^ t 



" No. 13," Hnssman and No. 1. 



Ed. Pomologist and Gardener: — It is not a 

 good sign, that Prof. James Mathews, or any other 

 man writes so exclusive an article on " No. 13." 

 He ought to know no East or West. 



Hussman is incorrect as to the late ripening of 

 Rogers' No. 1 at the East. It is the best, or one of 

 the best and most valuable in the Cayuga Valley. 

 I had the honor to write of its wine qualities to 

 Mr. Hussman before he knew of it. He ought to 

 acknowledge it my due. 



S. J. Parker, M. D., Ithaca, If. T. 



' > ♦ « 



Pea Nuts.— a Chinaman in California, raised 

 twenty tons of pea nuts last season and sold them in 

 the Sacramento market. 



