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tbey are not liable to late spring and early fall 

 frosts, which are the greatest hindrances to the 

 profitable culture of the grape in this coun- 

 try. It is the ameliorating influence of open 

 water on the air that recommends the shores of 

 the great rivers and lakes for fruit-culture. 

 This benefit is lost at a very short distance back 

 from them, more especially on the northern 

 shores of the lakes ; hence the southern shores 

 are more suitable for fruit or vine culture, as the 

 coldest winds have to pass over the water to 

 reach them, and are warmed on the way. It is 

 this that makes the shore of Lake Ontario, from 

 Hamilton to Niagara, one of the best fruit-grow- 

 ing localities in Canada. If it were not for tlie 

 [;reat accumulation of ice at the northern end of 

 Lake Huron, the shores of that lake at the 

 southern extremity would be equally good. 



For the garden culture of the grape it is more 

 difiicult to give suitable brief directions than 

 for the vineyard culture ; as the situations and 

 soil where they are required to be planted will 

 be so various in the former, while in the latter 

 no one will think of planting largely unless 

 everything is suitable. 



A very common mode of culture is to make a 

 long arbor overarching a walk, planting vines 

 on both sides and training over it. This will 

 only succeed in the warmest parts of Canada, 

 and cannot be recommended ; as the vine on the 

 inner side of the trellis or arbor is not ex- 

 posed to the sun and air, and the ground under it 

 is kept damp, predisposing the vine to mildew. 

 A simple trellis, which may be such as is here- 

 after described for vineyard culture, running 

 north and south, so as to expose each side of 

 the vine to the influence of the sun, will be found 

 the best. Nothing should be grown for, at least, 

 four feet on each side of the trellis, that the sun 

 may have free access to the earth to warm it, 

 as much depends upon this for the proper ma- 

 turing of the fruit. A trellis set up against the 

 wall of a house (a brick wall is best), or a high 

 fence with a southerly exposure, will also be 

 "Tound excellent; and in towns where there is 

 not space for a garden, a few vines can be 

 grown to great advantage in this way, provided 

 there is sufficient space of good ground for the 

 rootc to extend in, and where, if necessary, the 

 vine can be laid down and protected during 

 winter. 



Persons having a kitchen or low building 

 covered with a flat composition gravel roof, 

 may also grow a few vines to great advan- 



tage, by training them up to a single cane 

 till they reach the roof, and then extending them 

 along the roof on a trellis about fifteen inches 

 above it. This trellis is easily made. All that is 

 necessary is to have blocks of wood six inches 

 square and fifteen inches long ; these are set on 

 end, in rows, on the gravel roof, and slats of 

 wood or strong wire nailed along them each 

 way, connecting the blocks together so as to 

 make them quite firm. I have followed this 

 plan for years, and find that the fruit grows very 

 large, ripens much earlier, and is much finer 

 flavored than those grown on the common trellis. 



In the colder parts of Canada — unless the 

 vine is perfectly hardy — it will be necessary to 

 protect it during winter. The best way to do 

 this is to prune it as soon as the leaves fall, and 

 before winter sets in loosen it from the trellis, 

 lay it down on the ground, and cover it with a 

 few inches of earth. Litter or manure may be 

 put over the earth ; but, in no case, should these 

 be next the vine, as they tend to keep it too 

 damp. The vines should bo uncovered and 

 trained to the trellis as soon as the cold weather 

 is over in spring. The 1st of May will be early 

 enough in the greater part of Canada. 



The training hereafter recommended for vine- 

 yard culture will be found very suitable for the 

 open trellis in the garden. More elaborate sys- 

 tems might be successfully adopted, but it is 

 difficult to give directions, without wood engrav- 

 ings, that will give an intelligent idea of what is 

 required. 



VINEYARD CULTURE, 



The mode adopted at the Grape Islands in 

 Lake Erie is probably the best. 



The vines are planted in rows eight feet apart, 

 and from six to eight feet distant in the row, ac- 

 cording to the variety, the Concord being the 

 farthest apart. During the first, and often- 

 times the second year, they are trained to tem- 

 porary poles, the trellis being put up the second 

 or third spring. The trellis is made of stakes 

 or small posts set eighteen feet apart in rows 

 north and south, and from four to five feet 

 high. The posts at each end are larger 

 than the others, and are brai 1 so as to resist 

 the strain of the wire. The wire used is No. 9 

 annealed iron. In general only three wires are 

 used, though some use four ; where three are 

 used, the first one is placed eighteen inches from 

 the ground, the upper one four feet, and the 

 other intermediate. These wires are stretched 

 along the row and fastened at each post by a 



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