196 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



of the shoot, with the bud in, is cut so as to fit into the shoot of the vine 

 into which you are going to insert the bud; it is left a short distance 

 above where the graft is inserted, which is cut to fit the piece containing 

 the bud; it is then bound with bass, and a small quantity of grafting wax 

 is placed around it to make a perfect union. The reason I have the shoot 

 larger than where I insert the bud, is to allow the sap to flow above; after 

 the bud has grown, all the vine above the bud is removed. 



Prof. Mapes asked if the shoot from the bud would ripen if grafted in June. 



Mr. Hite. — 1 have not seen vines grafted so, growing in the open air. 



The Chairman asked Mr. Hite to explain the manner of growing a grape 

 vine from a cutting. 



Mr. Hite. — After the border is properly prepared I dig a trench from four 

 to six inches deep, at the bottom of which I plant the cutting, say three or 

 four inches deep. I keep the trench open until winter, when I fill it up, 

 cutting down the shoot to about five eyes. The following spring allow 

 two shoots to grow from the vine; in the fall cut these two shoots back to 

 five eyes each, and tie them to the horizontal wire of the trellis. In the 

 following spring, when the buds begin to shoot, rub ofi" the buds on the 

 lower sides of each shoot. The shoots from the buds will bear fruit this 

 year; in the fall they should be cut back to two eyes. If you wish to 

 extend the vine, shoots may be left to fill the upper wires. Only one shoot 

 should be allowed to grow from an eye. The specimen I hold in my hand 

 shows the bad effects of leaving several shoots to grow from a bud. 



Planting Pear Trees. 



Prof. Mapes. — I have been very successful in planting pear trees. The 

 holes in which I plant my trees are dug four feet deep and four feet wide, 

 in the center of which I bore a hole with a borer used in setting telegraph 

 .poles, which allows the top root to descend. I use the top soil between 

 the trees to fill up the hole. "Barn-yard manure' should never be used in 

 planting out trees. I also mulch the trees with salt hay; between the 

 rows I cultivate root crops. I apply a gill of soluble nitrogenized super- 

 phosphate of lime and a gill of wood ashes to each tree, spread around the 

 soil within the circumference of the hole. I find that quantity of manure 

 sufficient. The soil should be constantly washed, the more the better. 

 Between the rows of trees I run a subsoil plow. Some years since I pur- 

 chased some adjoining land, on which were some large apple trees that 

 had not borne fruit for twelve years. I experimented on these trees, cut- 

 ting out a large quantity of limbs, and trimming them very close, washing 

 the bark with caustic soda, one pound of soda to a gallon of water, scraping 

 off the rough bark, and treating them with the phosphate and ashes. The 

 trees bore good crops for several years, until I found other croi:)S paying 

 me a great deal better -than raising fruit, which induced me to cut them 

 down. When I first purchased the farm I now occupy it was difficult to 

 use a subsoil plow. I think I used the subsoiler eleven times before I 

 could properly subsoil it. With a pair of mules I can run the subsoil 

 plow anywhere on my farm. 



The Chairman. — I observed around a number of your trees large quan- 

 tities of charcoal dust. What benefit do you suppose arises from its use ? 



