1864. 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMER. 



m 



Biastic on the subject, said he had seen White Wil- 

 low in good order after having been used twelve 

 years. These did not sprout, but had been set in 

 low ground, and remained nearly sound after 

 twelve years. The impression was thut this tim- 

 ber would decay very rapidly, but the truth is, 

 very little was known in regard to it by the mem- 

 bers. Should it prove durable by the use of gas, 

 tar or other chemical that can be cheaply applied, 

 it will prove valuable to the grape grower, who 

 must needs use a great many stakes. It should be 

 largely planted in low land, and if it won't last 

 well for posts, it will make good fire wood. 



THIRD DAY'S SESSION-. 



Alton, Dec. l"?, 1863. 



MORNING SESSION. 



The morning sessions have been opened with 

 prayer, the city pastors officiating. 



Messrs. Warder, Hull, Dunlap, and Sehroeder, 

 were appoin:ed delegates to the American Pomo- 

 logical Convention to be held at Rochester, Now 

 York. 



GRAPES. 



Dr. Warder read an essay on grapes, now at- 

 tracting more attention than any other fruit. 



In the culture of the grape, the soil mnst be 

 worked deeply, either by trench, subsoil plowing 

 or with the sp;ide. The land must be made rich, 

 old bones should be deposited in the trenches or 

 bottom of the holes, in planting the vines. Good 

 drainage for this fruit is of the utmost importance, 

 or, as the Doctor says, is a sine qua non in grape 

 culture. If you cannot drain, build up the grape 

 border above the surface bed, with rich soil and 

 compost. In this way every farmer, every cotta- 

 ger, can have an abundance of this healtli-giving 

 fruit of his own growing. 



The Doctor recommends the use of the double 

 Michigan plow, to be followed by Mapes' lifting 

 subsoil plow. The vineyards of the steep hill sides 

 of Cincinnati have cost six hundred dollars the 

 acre in spade trenching and training ; but this, 

 as a general thing, has not paid well, and it has 

 been found that land prepared with the plow pro- 

 duces equally well, at a great saving of cost in the 

 outlay of a vineyard — a point not to be overlooked 

 in this connection. 



The soils along this river are most admirable for 

 the grape, and must in time stand high in grape 

 culture. The great body of water of the river has 

 a modifying effect The Springs are somewhat 

 later, and when Summer comes, the vines grow 

 right along, and are nearly exempt from frost. Of 

 aspect, the Doctor says that some grapes can be 

 grown even on the north side of hills. The direc- 

 tion of the rows should run north and south, so 

 as to give all sides of the vines the benefit of the 

 sun. On steep hill-si Jes this is more difficult. 



The distance to plant is another thing not to bo 

 overlooked. We plant too close, buti are now im- 

 proving by making the rows eight feet apart, and 

 the plant six feet in the rows, and some varieties 

 need even more space. 



Ill training, the renewal system of pruning must 

 more or less be adopted, or at least a mi diriction 

 of the system. The simplest form of train' ng i^ 

 the bow system. The most stupid laborer can be 

 easily learned how to do this. Trdlia training is 

 more difficult than the former, both are valuable 

 systems. 



In summer pruning, the early pinching back of 

 the lateral is doubtless the best. 



It is certain th.it various modes of training will 

 succeed, if we bear in mind that the fruit is pro- 

 duced on the previous season's woo-l. 



The Isabella and some other varieties do not ri- 

 pen well when cut back to the bow system, and 

 must be .illowed to run at large. 



Grafting the grape is but a poor mode of propa- 

 g;>ting the vine, as the connection is not a good 

 one. He would not reconsmend it. 



The propagation from single eyes is a most ex- 

 cellent mode. Long cuttings arc not so much 

 used as formerly, and we now m-ko them short. 



Stakes are cut seven feet long and diiven into 

 the ground a foot. In case of high winds, when 

 the stake blows over, it does not carry the whole 

 trellis with it. 



In cultivating, the soil should be well stirred 

 parly in the season, and neglected late in the sea- 

 son. In siiuie cases a strip two foet wide in the 

 middle of the rows, is sown with clover and mown 

 several times during the seai-on, and used as a 

 mulch. This plan is doubtless a good on'", and 

 is not so expensive as at first sight might be sup- 

 posed. 



In regard to the diseases of the grape, too little 

 is known to take up the subject. 



The essay was listened to with marked attention 

 and the Doctor was plied with numerous ques- 

 tions. ■ 



The culture of the grape is taking a deep hold on 

 planters, and no branch of fruit growing is being 

 pushed so vigorously. J. H. Stewart, will set four 

 thousand of the Delaware in the spring, in fact, 

 notwithstanding the slow growth of the grape, and 

 its unproniisitig condition in many localities, every 

 plant will be set. Mr. Stewart sold some five thou- 

 sand cuttings of the Delaware at the meeting, at 

 twenty-five dollars a thousand, which will show 

 something of the demand for this grape alone. 



A discussion on varieties followed the essay. 



DELAWARE. 



Husmann said he would stlect or reject only for 

 his own location. The question of varieties is one 

 of local importance only. At Hermann this grape 

 has not met our expectation — it is liable in autumn 

 to leaf blight. He prefers to graft it on a vine of 

 the Norton's Virginia. Has three hundred and 

 fifty vines. It grows from cuttings ; use three to 

 four buds on each cutting, though a common way 

 is to use layers. 



CONCORD. 



Colman says this is one of the best — the variety 

 for everybody. It makes a good wine, and when 

 mixed with the Norton's Virginip., makes the best 

 wine, better than Delaware wine. It is the grape 



