210 



THE ILLINOIS FAFvMEE. 



July 



[From the Co. Gent, and Cultivator.] 



Summer Treatment of the Grapevine. 



It is now very generally adinirted that the grape 

 is the most certain in its annual crops, the most 

 productive and the most profitable of the Ameri- 

 can fruits. The npple, pear, plum, peach, cherry, 

 &c., "produce their fruit from buds grown the pre- 

 ceding season, and are therefore subject to all the 

 casualties resulting from severe cold in winter, 

 and from early and late frosts of spring ; while 

 the grape is produced on wood of the current sea- 

 son's growth, and is seldom injured by frost. In- 

 deed, like the strawberry, it is the most certain of 

 all the fruits. There must ever be an unlimited 

 demand for good grapes, and at fair prices. A 

 knowledge of these facts has within a few years 

 past led to extensive planting of the vine in almost 

 every section of the country, and during the last 

 season there has been an immense number of vines 

 planted, probably more than all that have been 

 planted in the six previous years. Some have 

 planted many acres for extensive vineyard purposes 

 while thousands of others throughout the land who 

 own but a single house lot have set one, two, or 

 perhaps half a dozen vines where perhaps little 

 else could be grown, but which will furnish a sup- 

 ply of fruit for a family for several weeks. Many 

 of these persons who have gone quite extensively 

 into the planting, have no practical knowledge of 

 the proper treatment of the vine, and have been 

 content to follow their neighbors who knew but 

 little more than themselves. Evidences of their 

 lack of care of the vine are to be met with all 

 through the country. There is nothing intricate 

 in the training and treatment of the vine, but there 

 is a requsite system, and that must be followed 

 from the beginning, and it is at the start that 

 most inexperienced cultivators fail. When this is 

 the case the only proper remedy is to cut back the 

 vine, whatever its age, to the ground and start 

 anew. Yines when planted are generally produced 

 from cirttings, layers, and what is termed single 

 eyes. This last is the most extensive method of 

 propagation now, and when well conducted makes 

 good vines; but vines from well grown layers are 

 the strongest, and come into bearing soonest — 

 Vines when well grown are best when planted at 

 one year's growth. Plants from single eyes, when 

 not strong, may be root pruned and transplanted 

 for a second year's growth in the nursery, but be- 

 yond this no vine is improved by greater age be- 

 fore setting in the vineyard, and all vine:", when 

 permanently planted, whether of but one or more 

 year's growth, are treated the same during the 

 first summer. I had takes up this subject in an 

 article for the Omintry Oeid. before the close of 

 the planting season, but it was cut short by illness, 

 and what would then have been said will in part 

 be somewhat out of season now. Yet if the error 

 which is most common to inexperiened planters 

 has been committed, it is not altogether too late 

 to remedy in part. 



The natural habit of the vine is to extend itself 

 onward and upward, wherever it can find proper 

 support, as we find them i a the forests extending 

 their arms to the tops of the tallest trees, in search 

 of the light and heat of the sun The object of the 

 vine-dresser is to secure all the advantages that 

 are thus derived fiom the sun, and at the same 

 time keep the vine subject to his own control, near 

 the earth. There are variou? methods or forms 

 employed for training the vine, as circumstances 

 or convenience may require, all, however, secur- 

 ing the same important end, viz., keeping the vine 

 within its proper limits, and at the same timekeep- 

 ing up a supply of strong, well matured bearing 

 wood of the previous season's growth. Plants, as 

 generally sent out by regular propagators, are cut 

 back to about one foot in length, leaving from four 

 to eight eyes to each plant. If the planting is done 

 before there is danger of "bleeding," it is well to 

 cut back the vine to about three good eyes, or if 

 the planting is after March, it is well to rub off the 

 upper eyes, leaving three. After these start, se- 

 cure and tie up the lowest strong one, and remove 

 the other two. The single cane is all that is re- 

 quired the first year, and all that should be per- 

 mitted to grow. It is here that great error is lia- 

 ble to occur with many ; they let every shoot grow, 

 and instead of securing a single strong cane they 

 have half a dozen weak ohoots, neither of which 

 will make a bearing cane for the next crop. Where 

 this error has been committed, the only remedy at 

 the present advanced period of the season, is to 

 pinch back the ends of all the shoots, except the 

 lowest and strongest. This should be kept con- 

 stantly tied up to a suitable stake. Whether the 

 shoots have been reduced to a single cane at the 

 proper time, or whether they have been negko'ed, 

 the one that is now selected as the cane for the 

 following year, the laterals should be kept pinched 

 back throughout the season. These lati rals spring 

 from the base of each leaf, and, in order to secure 

 all possible strength to the main cane, these later- 

 als are stopped after the third small leaf has been 

 formed, removing two of them ; the one being left 

 to mature, which if removed might have a tenden- 

 cy to injure the bud at its base, which it is impor- 

 tant to preserve to fill its office the following year. 

 These side shoots or laterals will start a second or 

 perhaps a third time, and should as often be 

 pinched back, leaving each time one leaf beyond 

 the last pinching. Securing the greatest strength 

 to one main cane, and keeping the laterals short- 

 ened and the vine well secured to stake or trellis, 

 constitutes the chief treatment of the vine the first 

 season after planting, always, of course, keeping 

 the ground clean and mellow. The winter pruning 

 and the subsequent treatment of the vine, is gov- 

 erned in some degre by the method of training 

 which is to be adopted. These may form the sub- 

 ject of another chapter at some future period. — 

 Many other important points would have been al- 

 luded to, could the subject have been reached at 

 the beginning of the planting season. h. p. b. 



-•••- 



Canning Fruits. 



Mr. Quinby. of St. Johnaville, N. Y., supplies for 

 the Canajoharie Radii the following : 



Although the practice of canning fruit has re- 

 cently become qnite common, there are some few 

 who are not sufficiently familiar with the process. 



