230 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



fall, or if in the spring just as soon as tlie ground is dry enough. To do 

 this rightly, take a strong plow and plow as deep as you possibly can; in 

 the same furrow follow with a deep tiller plow, putting it as deep as the 

 horses can draw, turning the subsoil, or at least well pulverizing it, and so 

 go over all the land. If you have time enough, it will be better to let the 

 land lie for a few days or weeks before laying off your rows ; eight feet 

 apart is the preferred distance. To lay off your rows and have them straight, 

 take poles eight or ten feet Icng, and put them at the end of the rows; on 

 each pole put a handkerchief, cap, or a loyal, and if possible, a radical news- 

 paper; use the poles as a guide. Then, with a good team, plow a furrow 

 straight between the poles from one side of the vineyard to the other, 

 changing your guide poles for each row. After making the first furrow across 

 the field, returning make another furrow two feet from the first; so go 

 lip and down each row with the plow until you have thrown out a ditch, 

 say two feet wide, along where each row of vines is to be planted. Now 

 take Patrick with the spade and have him spade the ground you have so 

 plowed as deeply as he can. That is, have him spade the bottom of the 

 furrow thoroughly. If you have rotten manure, ashes or compost, go along 

 €ach row with your wagon or cart, and throw in two or four inches of the 

 manure into each ditch, covering the bottom well with it. Now put your 

 plow on again, and plow so that every ditch will be filled up and a ridge 

 formed along each row. By this plowing and spading, you loosen the soil 

 two or three feet deep. This frequent plowing thoroughly pulverizes the 

 soil, and leaves it in a fit condition to be penetrated by the tender rootlets 

 of the young vines. It will be seen that in preparing the ground in this 

 way you will have an open drain on either side of each row of vines. It 

 would be better if all these side drains could empty into an open drain, of 

 larger size, at the end or ends of these small ones. Now you are ready 

 for planting. 



" If you have no faithful German, go'to work yourself, with a common 

 garden-hoe, make a slanting shallow hole into your ridge where you wish 

 to plant the first vine. Take your vine from its water-bath in a bucket, 

 where it should be kept until the moment before planting, or from ita 

 grouted bed, spread out the roots and cover your vine. To every vine, put 

 down a small stake three or four feet long; to this your vine is to be tied 

 during the first year's growth; trim your vine so that you have but one eye 

 above the ground. Witli your six or eight feet pole measure off for your 

 next vine, and plant as before, and so on until you get through your vine- 

 yard. If you have anything suitable, it would pay you to mulch your vine- 

 row. It will save you many a vine during the hot, dry days of our summer, 

 and at the same time will enrich your ground. 



" You can now plow your ground between your rows, and between each 

 row of vines plant two rows of strawberry plants; keep these plants in 

 rows by frequently using the cultivator between the grape-rows and the 

 strawberry plant. B}^ this you keep your strawberries within bounds, and 

 at the same time 3'ou keep the ground around your vines in good condition. 

 Let no weeds grow in your vineyard nor among your strawberry plants. 

 By this plan of raising strawberries, last year I sold over $3,000 worth 

 from four acres of my old vineyard. These plants will pay you for all the 



