78 DWYEK'S GUIDE. 



soil, and with the use of the feet firm the soil about the roots; this firm- 

 ing of the soil is of supreme importance. 



Pruning Back. — Before the vines are taken to the field the roots 

 should be trimmed back to twelve inches in length; the tops should be 

 cut back to three or four buds; two of these buds should be below the sur- 

 face of the ground and one or two should be above the surface as leaders. 

 It is desirable to place these roots in a pail of water when doing the 

 planting in order to guard against drying out with the sun and wind. 

 Set a stake near the leader, and as the new growth develops keep it 

 firmly tied thereto; this is all that will be necessary for the first two 

 years. Keep old wood trimmed off and grow your fruit on the new canes. 

 Any manner of pruning that will admit the light and air will answer — 

 there is several systems and all are good for certain purposes. 



Preparation of the Soil. — As the author noted in the beginning of his 

 notes on Grapes, most any soil will answer for their production — except 

 land that is excessively wet and which is not fit for any fruit crop. In 

 fact the grape can be grown on side hill locations that are good for little 

 if any other use. The soil should be thoroughly plowed and harrowed 

 and put in first class condition as previously explained for Strawberries 

 on page 49. If you are planting in a large way, you can run deep furrows 

 the same as you would for other heavy rooted trees or plants. This saves 

 a large amount of labor in digging the holes. 



Cultivation. — This is very simple and easily done. Keep the soil 

 loose and free from weeds. With the proper, timely and judicious use 

 of the improved plows and cultivators nearly all of the tillage can be done 

 with the use of these tools, reducing the hand work to a minimum. For 

 the first three or four years after the new vineyard has been planted, or 

 until the vines become fully established and developed, you can with good 

 advanta.ge grow annual crops of low growing vegetables in connection 

 with your grapes. Then be it remembered that it is the general practice 

 among commercial growers to grow Strawberries between the rows of 

 young vines for three or four years or more, and some growers utilize the 

 ground indefinitely for some other fruit or vegetable crop. Currants is 

 the fruit crop that is generally grown between the young vines in the 

 row for the first two years alter being pianted. This practice gives us an in- 

 come from our land at once, and makes the cost of labor for each crop 

 comparatively small. Certainly more fertilizers are needed for this exten- 

 sive cropping, and the grower wil have to determine this for himself. 

 Conditions and observation will be his best and safest guide along this 

 line. 



Fertilizers. — In the beginning, before we plow our ground for grapes, 

 if the ground is not in a high state of fertility we should give it a liberal 

 application of thoroughly well rotted stable manure. Eight to ten tons 

 to the acre is none too much. With the proper and necessary use of the 

 plow and harrow in preparing the ground this manure will be pretty 

 thoroughly incorporated with the soil; then after the roots are well cover- 

 ed with soil it is beneficial to add to each plant one large forkful of this 

 well rotted manure, and then fill in the soil; level with the sur- 

 face of the ground. In this way the manure will not come in direct 

 contact with the roots, yet they will be in a short time stimulated and 

 benefitted by it. If stable manure cannot be procured you can use raw 

 bone meal, about 600 pounds per acre, with about 300 pounds muriate of 

 potash, or two tons of good, unleached hardwood ashes or one ton of 

 some complete fruit and vine manure. These should be applied broadcast 

 before the last harrowing of the land. A double handful! can be placed 



