1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



337 



Fig. 3. 



"Winter Protection of Young Vines. — At 

 the close of the season, the vines may either be 

 bent down and covered with earth in the manner 

 usually adopted for covering raspberries, or they 

 may be left upright, and tied to the stakes, a 

 mound of earth being raised up around each, such 

 mound being at least 18 inches high. The soil 

 of which it is made should be taken from the cen- 

 tre of the rows, as, if we take it from about the 

 plants, we only cover the stem to expose the roots. 



Where the vines are left tied to the stakes, we 

 prefer to leave them unpruned. True, most of 

 the wood gets killed, but this is of little moment 

 since it is to be nearly all cut away at the spring 

 pruning. 



Management during the Second Year. — 

 As soon as the severe frosts of winter and early 

 spring have passed away, uncover the young vines, 

 and if not already pruned, 

 cut them to a good bud 

 within 9 to 14 inches of the 

 ground. They should be 

 shaded for a few days from 

 the sun and cold, which may 

 be very well done by stick- 

 ing a shingle before each, 

 though two shingles placed 

 so as to form an angle in 

 which the vine may stand, 

 will be better. 



Management during 

 the Third Season. — The 

 trellises having been con- 

 structed in such a manner, 

 that the lowest slat or wire 

 may be just below the base 

 of the second year's shoots, 

 that is from 9 to 14 inches 

 above the surface of the 

 ground, these two shoots 

 should be firmly, though not tightly, tied to the 

 lower slat, and all buds should be rubbed out ex- 

 cept three on each arm, (or shoot,) thus leaving 

 six on each vine. Each of these buds should pro 



good condition and the plants 

 healthy and properly set out, 

 would reach from 12 to 25 feet 

 unless stopped, and as it is up- 

 on every second one of these 

 that we depend for our next 

 year's supply of fruit, they de- 

 serve and will require great care 

 and attention in order that they 

 may finally be of equal strength 

 and well ripened. Every sec- 

 ond shoot should be stopped 

 when it has made a growth of 

 about two feet, and if any of the 

 others should so far outstrip 

 their compeers as to reach the 

 top of the trellis much before 

 them, they should be stopped 

 also, though except in the case 

 of excessive growth all the 

 shoots had best be allowed to 

 grow on until the first of Sep- 

 tember, when they may all be 

 stopped at once, unless it be 

 deemed best to allow the weak- 

 est a few days' longer growth, 

 in which case it is surprising how soon they will 

 overtake their companions. 



Stopping, or pinching, consists in breaking off 

 the end of a shoot, and its immediate efl'ect is to 

 arrest the further growth of the cane, or at least 

 its further lineal development, for the time being. 



Management of Fruiting Vines. — At the 

 close of the third season we ought to have a vine 

 such as is shown in Fig. 3, consisting of a stout, 

 strait, clean stem, 9 to 14 inches high, from the 

 top or head of which springs two horizontal arms, 

 each bearing two well ripened canes, 8 to 10 feet 

 long, and two smaller shoots of from two to five 

 feet. The two canes ought next season to pro- 

 duce three to five pounds of fruit each, and their 

 proper care during the winter is worthy of our 

 best efforts. 



Fig. 4. 



Winter Protection of the Fruiting 



Canes. — The method which we have proposed, is 



to place the trellis 8 to 12 inches in advance of 



the vine, the stem being brought forward beneath 



duce a shoot which, if the ground has been in | the first slat or rail, and tied up as usual. It will 



