1871 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GAKDENER. 



2fi5 



such is not the case, but it is a matter of surprise 

 that the vine bears uniformly under them all; this 

 one fact showing another more important, that the 

 pains taken beyond a certain limit is only, in the 

 blunt old proverb, " the labor for the pains." 

 Therefore it may be boldly asserted that any one of 

 competent, ordinary skill can in a single season 

 learn to set, at a given hour in the morning, say at 

 nine o'clock, his ventilator for the probable temper- 

 ature of the day, and at another hour, say an hour 

 before sunset, close the ventilator, and he will bo 

 surprised to lind how very few days of the season 

 he will have failed in setting the gauge mark as he 

 ought ; how rarely a sudden change unanticipated 

 has come. Or if he prefer the usual meal hours of 

 the farmer, say 6, 123^, and 6}^, for the summer, he 

 will find a few moments thus at morning, noon and 

 night, will be all the time he need spend to do the 

 whole work of the grapery ; especially if a wife or 

 a child is at hand at the hour of 10 or 11 a. m., to 

 cast an eye on the thermometer, and slightly mod- 

 ify the temperature, if necessary. Thus in these 

 few leisure moments of the day, he can accomiilish 

 everything, except when the fruit is setting, or "the 

 bunches are to be thinned," and even these he can 

 see to, if he cultivates only for his own use, by a 

 little more attention for a few days at these times. 



Still further, to see how simple is the routine, 

 read the published thermometrical records of vari- 

 ous persons, and the results on the fruit. One reads 

 90 degrees to 110 degrees, another 80 degrees to 90 

 degrees, another 60 degrees to 80 degrees, and some 

 speak, incredible as it may seem, of even loO de- 

 grees to 200 degrees, or more at times in damp at- 

 mosphere. Yet they inform us they ripen their 

 fruit in about the same time. 



Sometimes the lowest degree ripens the fruit best. 

 Again, one says, "open at night for some ventila- 

 tion," another says, " do not ventilate at all at night 

 at any time," and each ripens good fruit. So that 

 among these diversities the whole attendance daily 

 resolves itself into do not burn the fruit by excessive 

 luat, and adhere rigidly to any plan of temperature 

 thai may be adopted. Or, in other language, com- 

 mence your grapery and take care of it by the sim- 

 plest, shortest, and most efficient plan you can de- 

 vise, and the luxuriant bunches are yours. 



The national importance of fine fruit needs no re- 

 mark here ; the only object is to make plainer the 

 simplicity and certainty of grapes under glass. The 

 peach of the South so plentiful in some parts as to 

 cause the peach brandy still to be more common than 

 the cider-mill of New England, evinces how readily 

 it can be grown. The farmer of the Middle and 

 Northern States, with his hundreds of varieties of 

 apples, peaches, pears, and plums, often in a year 

 fruiting fully that number of varieties to perfection, 

 adds to the national wealth. And could every one 



of these be persuaded to put up the glass structure, 

 more would be gained in production. Now, when 

 thousands of graperies are being built all over the 

 United States, and especially as the great "West be- 

 gins to erect them, it is the duty that every journal 

 devoted to fruit culture, explain what is necessary, 

 and encourage the ripening of those kind of grapes 

 whose exquisite flavors cannot be had out of the 

 vinery, for few taste or know what these time 

 honored fruits are. With the rush of American en- 

 terprise we are, in the Yankee phrase, "going into" 

 foreign grapes, under glass. We need progressive 

 consenvitism. Soon he who goes from Maine to the 

 Rocky Mountains will see vineries everywhere over 

 much of this territory. They are now being built, 

 and they should be made wisely. How far they 

 may be extended South experience mu.st tell. At 

 the North there is no choice, they must be built 

 there, and it is believed everywhere over our na- 

 tional Eastern domain. Wealth is already expend- 

 ing on them her highly-valued thousands, and pov- 

 erty too counts her dimes as she builds them, and 

 our advice is, build them well. Build wisely. 

 (Continued in next No.) 



Non Culture In Vineyards. 



By Jessie M. Mellborn, Covington, Ga. 



Editor Pomologist and Gardenek : — In your 

 interesting journal of August, 1871, on page 195, 

 we have an instance given of non cultivation, and 

 non prunning of the vine, and of their happy results. 

 And it is not unfrequently that we see in the various 

 journals instances of non pruning, growing the 

 vine in weeds, grass, and on trees, fences, &c., and 

 of the wonderful results. But, Mr. Editor, what 

 have these isolated cases to do with vinyard culture 

 generally? Who has followed this practice in the 

 field vineyard for five years in succession? I am 

 persuadad that if such neglect was followed for five 

 years in succession, that by the end of that time at 

 least, i*" not before, the vinyard would be run down ; 

 while those who cultivate would still improve year- 

 ly. I do not wish it understood that I am in favor 

 of this wholesale, close, short pruning in vineyard 

 culture practiced by some, but I do think that I 

 would prefer clean culture, but not deep ; and think 

 that I have valid reasons to give for it. But as my 

 experience is but limited in giape growing I would 

 ask, what says the Associate Editor to this plan of 

 non culture? 



It does seem to me that it is getting high time 

 that the science of grape growing should arrive at 

 least, at some definite and settled conclusions. Some 

 are advocating one mode, and some another, all too, 

 claiming valid reasons for their theory and practice. 

 In this multitude of council were the novice to read 

 all that is written, he would be left in complete con- 



