1872 The Western Pomologist and Gardener. IJfl 



manure in spring ; this year it got nothing but clear water at first and rain as it falls, and 

 is doing as well as last year, and vigorous enough for a house containing so many 

 vines. 



The ends of my present vinery are not glazed, having only a small window and door 

 on each end. Were I to erect a new one I would have openings in the front wall to allow 

 the roots of the front row of vines to extend into a prepared border outside. 



For those who may wish to try this plan, I would recommend the following varieties as 

 being the most successful with me, and of the finest quality : 



1. Black Hamburg. 5. Golden Hamburg. 



3. Muscat Hamburg. 6. Bowood Muscat. 



3. Champion Hamburg. 7. Buckland Sweet Water. 



4. Lady Downes. b. General de la Marmera. 



The first four are black or purple grapes, and the last four, white grapes. No. 1 is by 

 far the most profitable and best of the blacks, and Nos. 6 and 7 of the whites. Nos. 4 and 

 6 are the better of artificial impregnation, as they do not set the fruit very well. 



The principal trouble in following this plan, more than is required in out-door culture 

 of the native, is the necessity of thinning the grapes on the bunches to about one-half 

 when about one-quarter grown, to give room to the re.9t of the berries to swell. 



Gutting Back Grape Vines. 



A few persons are found in all grape growing districts, and particularly among hot- 

 house grape growers, who practice the cutling-in .system — as it is called — with a view 

 of enlarging the size and hastening the maturity' of the fruit. The process consists in 

 shortening the wood of the current year — or that producing the fruit — to within a few 

 joints of the outer cluster, and doing it about the time the grapes have attained to two- 

 thirds their full size. 



The reason for doing it is based upon the supposition, that the sap that would pass into 

 and nourish the growing shoot beyond the cluster, is all retained and kept back, the' 

 better to nourish and feed the grapes. This is simply a mistake, an error in judgment, in 

 not understanding the true theory of the movement of sap in vegetable growth. 



If*any advantage is gained in cutting off all beyopd four or five joints, why not cut 

 them off directly at the last bunch, and thus let all the sap stop there and go directly into 

 the cluster? and yet we know from trial this will no do; for the grapes will increase no 

 more in size, and if thej' mature at all, they will be sickly specimens of fruit. 



ELABORATION OF JUICES. 



The juices or sap as it ascends or passes through the pores of the wood, is more and 

 more elaborated and fitted to become the true and neces.sary food of the ripening clusters, 

 which have the power and do elect from the sap so conveyed, that part only, which is 

 fitted for its uses. 



Now in.stead of trying to force all the ascending sap into the clusters, wliich, while it 

 would to some extent nourish tliem, would also poisen them, for all the sap is not the 

 proper food for the fruit, — the effort should be to cause all the juice possible to pass the 

 point of union of the cluster with the vine, thus bringing the largest possible amount of 

 fruit food within the reach of the clu.ster. How to effect this : 



It can be done in no other way than by permitting the growing shoots beyond the 

 cluster to make all the growth they can, and instead of weakening the clusters it will add 

 greatly to their size and perfection in every respect. Every healthy leaf should be left 

 on — for the leaves are the lungs of the plant — and clipping of all or any part of those 

 immediately around or near the fruit is injurious always. Strip one of those leading 

 shoots of its leaves to the terminal buds and it will perish ; and in proportion as a lesser 

 quantity is removed, in the same degree is the injury produced. — Pacific Rural Press. 



One firm at Quincy, Illinois, is prepared to contract for 20,000 bushels of tomatoes, 

 and 150 acres of cucumbers, to be delivered this year, which quantity they intend to 

 pickle. 



