10 THE GRAPE IN KANSAS. 



After the new growth has started about six inches from each bud the whole cane 

 should be layered about four inches deep, handling it carefully, so as not to break 

 the new growth. 



It is a good plan to cover it not more than three inches at first, and to fill up 

 the trench as the shoots grow. If covered four inches deep at once, the young 

 growth will sometimes rot, though this seldom happens, and some skilful grow- 

 ers fill the trench full at once. In the autumn roots will be found growing from 

 ^ach joint, and these may be cut apart. If this method of propagation is used 

 to some considerable extent, vines should be grown especially for the purpose. 

 It is not a good plan to use fruiting vines for layering, though it may be safely 

 done in a small way, says a Farm and Fireside writer, in concluding the advice 

 here reproduced. 



SUCCESSFUL GRAPE GRAFTING. 



An old Clinton vine stood at the corner of the woodhouse which was so vigor- 

 ous that its branches spread over everything within reach, but bore no fruit. In 

 April, 1896, I cut branches off close to the ground and grafted in a Delaware 

 grape and an lona. I used no wax; simply wrapped carefully with strings of 

 <iloth, pasted a little mud over the wounds, and covered all with earth except 

 the top buds of the grafts. Those grafts made a wonderful growth the first 

 season, owing to the far-reaching roots of the Clinton vine. At close of the first 

 season the lona vine was about eighteen feet long and the Delaware about 

 twelve. This season, with the vines one year old, the Delaware branch bore 

 twenty-four as fine bunches of grapes as I ever saw. The bunches and berries 

 were slightly larger than the Delaware generally grows and so compact on the 

 stems that they could not be picked off easily without beginning at the end of 

 the bunch. 



The lona branch bore about forty bunches of lona grapes of the finest quality. 

 This is a quick way of getting a grape- vine into bearing. I tried the same ex- 

 periment on a wild grape-vine down in the pasture. It grew just as vigorously, 

 but an inquisitive Jersey cow spoiled the experiment. 



PRUNING THE GRAPE. 



In pruning fruit-bearing trees, we prune for shape and to let in sun and air. 

 In pruning the grape, the essential point is to lessen the growth to save the vine 

 from exhausting itself, and either dying in its efforts at producing a prodigious 

 crop or producing inferior fruit or small clusters. On a grape-vine three or more 

 years of age, in Kansas, we can rely upon every healthy bud producing a shoot, 

 and most of these shoots bringing to light three or more clusters of embryo 

 grapes. Unless thinned these^are more than any vine can properly mature. The 

 best way to thin grapes is by pruning the vine at a time when it will be least in- 

 jurious from November to March is the time ; and as you can count on a vigor- 

 ous, thrifty vine doing its part, you should leave about one-third as many healthy 

 buds as the number of bunches of grapes you think the vine can or ought to ma- 

 ture. As grapes will average four or five bunches to a pound, and a vine may 

 bear from twelve to thirty pounds, it is easy to calculate about how many buds 

 to leave. If you prune on the arm and spur system that is, arms of previous 

 year's growth to be tied to the trellis, and spurs made of last year's growth, cut 



