42 THE GRAPE IN KANSAS. 



ten feet apart. I work the ground deeply until they come in bearing, then cul- 

 tivate shallow, for dust mulch. Prune by cutting back to two buds in the fall, 

 any time after the wood is ripe, and until March. My trellis is a wire, or strips 

 of boards, running parallel with the row. Summer prune when the season is 

 wet, as then the growth becomes too rank; this saves strength for maturing the 

 fruit. In dry seasons I do not summer prune, but save the foliage to keep the 

 fruit from burning. Bagging grapes is a success, as it keeps insects and bees 

 from the fruit. Gather by clipping the bunches with a sharp knife into a fruit 

 basket. I prefer the five-pound basket. have tried and discarded Ives, Per- 

 kins, and Clinton, quality no good, excepting for wine; Delaware, quality fine, 

 but the vine is not hardy in this locality; Pocklington, quality O. K., but ripens 

 uneven ; Norton's Virginia no good excepting for wine, for which it is very good. 

 Other varieties are good here, but the list recommended do best. 



J. A. WHITESIDE, Girard, Crawford county: I have 925 grape-vines growing 

 on light, sandy soil; a southern slope is preferable. Set first-class one-year-old 

 vines, eight by eight feet, with sweet potatoes between. Prune the 1st of Decem- 

 ber and the latter part of May. For a trellis I am using a catalpa-post railing, 

 but if I wanted wire I should use barbed wire. For tillage I use a five-tooth 

 cultivator, a double- shovel plow, and a small diamond plow. Mulch during the 

 fore part of winter with coarse stable litter. During the summer I cut the vines 

 back to the second joint from the fruit; later I cut back the laterals. Have tried 

 Concord, Moore's Early, Dracut Amber, Elvira, Worden, Niagara, Pocklington, 

 Salem, Campbell's Early, Early Victor, Agawam, Goethe, Findley, and Clinton. 

 Those which do best here are Concord, Moore's Early, Niagara, Agawam, and 

 Early Victor. I would recommend Concord for all purposes. They are a paying 

 crop, but there are better-paying fruits. I would not advise extensive planting 

 in this locality. 



L. M. HOWARD, Girard, Crawford county: I have 200 grape-vines, planted on 

 level black and gray land. I prefer one- to two-year-old vines, set ten by ten 

 feet apart. Cultivate with a plow and cultivator. Prune in January and Feb- 

 ruary. My trellis is made of wire. I prune in summer to let in the sun and air, 

 which improves the size. Have tried bagging them, but would not advise it. 

 [ Why ? ] Gather with a knife ; pack in baskets ; market at home. Realize forty 

 dollars per acre. I consider that they pay for home use. 



ALFRED WILSON, Pittsburg, Crawford county : Have 200 Concord grape-vines. 

 I would recommend Concord only, as it leads all others in this part of Kansas. 

 I plant two-year-old vines, eight feet apart. Cultivate with a plow, hoe, etc. 

 Prune early, before the sap starts, leaving two buds on new wood ; do not summer 

 prune. I think wire trellis is best. Do not bag any. Cut with pruning shears ; 

 market at home. They pay. 



J. H. SAYLES, Norcatur, Decatur county: We planted Concord, Moore's Early 

 and Worden in 1890, and in 1891 and 1892 had fine grapes, but in 1893 and 1894 

 they all died from drought. We must irrigate, or we cannot raise grapes here ; I 

 have been a fruit man forty years, and will sink more wells. Plant my vines 

 four by eight feet. Till with a small cultivator and a drag. Prune back to two 

 buds in November; I also summer prune, because it increases the fruit. My 

 trellis is posts and wire. Have bagged my grapes, and advise it for family use, 

 as we get cleaner and sweeter fruit. They have not yet been profitable. 



W. D. STREET, Oberlin, Decatur county: Have fifty vines, planted on level, 

 sandy bottom land. My variety is Concord. Late frosts and grasshoppers have 



