90 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



sary to hoe them several times during the season. Like any other 

 crop you may grow for profit, they require work and care. The suc- 

 cessful grape-grower in Nebraska must give his vines the best of care ? 

 thorough cultivation, and protection during the winter. Believing as 

 I do, there is nothing that pays a man so well for his time and labor 

 as the grape. 



This brings me to the other part of my subject — marketing grapes. 

 My experience has taught me to always sell grapes in packages, and 

 not by the pound. I have had no trouble in getting ten to fifteen 

 cents per pound for grapes in packages, while by the pound I could 

 only get five to eight cents. The ten-pound grape basket does very 

 well to market grapes in, but we need a package that will hold about 

 five pounds. I believe a home market is the best market we can have. 

 As for my part I have never been able to supply my home market. 

 Then the uncertainties of shipping fruit is quite discouraging to most 

 people. 



In picking grapes for the market never pick when they are wet. 

 Always reject green or damaged berries. Put nothing on the market 

 but what can be used by the consumer. Then you will soon estab- 

 lish a good reputation. In filling your packages turn the stems of 

 your last layer of bunches down and fill packages level full. If nec- 

 essary, use parts of bunches for filling in the small spaces, and be 

 careful not to rub the bloom off. Make them look as attractive as 

 possible. It seems to make very little difference in regard to the color 

 of grapes, but size and earliness have something to do with the price. 

 My earliest grapes always bring the best prices, and among the very 

 best early grapes stands the Coe grape, the Jefferson, Duchess, and 

 Goethe Rogers No. 1 coming in as first class late varieties. You will 

 also find the pruning of the vines has a great deal to do with the time 

 the fruit ripens. For instance, my Concord grapes are ripe and sold 

 before my neighbor's grapes, of the same variety, are ripe. 



DISCUSSION. 



Hartley — I would ask for instruction in pruning. 



Alexander — I can't tell; that's too long a story. 



Day — I would like to know if suuimer pruning is being aban- 

 doned. I have never believed in it. 



Carpenter — I would like to hear Mr. Strand tell about summer 

 pruning. 



