224 THE GRAPE 



grown on northern slopes if they have the modifying influ- 

 ences of some large body of water. 



Planting. — The most economical way of planting the grape 

 is to furrow out the land one way and mark it the other. The 

 vines are then set at the intersection of the furrow and the 

 mark. For home planting a hole large enough to receive the 

 roots without crowding them can be made with the ordinary 

 spade or any other digging implement. 



When planting the vines it is always well to select a cloudy 

 day and to have the soil in a damp condition but not wet. 

 The vines suffer less from exposure when they are planted 

 under these conditions. The tops of the vines should be cut 

 off so that only three or four buds remain before they are 

 planted. The roots should be cut back to a uniform length, 

 say about 10 to 12 inches. On light soils it is very important 

 to have the plants set deep, and on such soils 12 to 15 inches 

 is not too deep. The fertile top soil should be worked about 

 the roots, but the plants should not be covered more than 2 

 or 3 inches deeper than they stood in the nursery row at the 

 time of planting. Gradually add the remainder of the soil 

 until the plants are at the required depth. 



It is not advisable to plant deep on heavy soils and 6 to 8 

 inches is about the right depth. 



The distance apart the plants should be set depends some- 

 what upon the vigor of the plant and the variety which is 

 selected. The method of training and pruning as well as the 

 soil also regulates the distance. The strong growing varieties 

 are sometimes set 10 feet apart each way, but occasionally 

 some growers will set the plants 7 to 8 feet in the rows and the 

 rows 8 to 10 feet apart. The stronger growing varieties, like 

 the Niagara and the Concord, will have to be set at a greater 

 distance than a weaker growing variety like the Delaware. 



Only strong one-year-old vines produced from layers or 

 from cuttings should be planted. Two-year-old vines often- 

 times do not grow well, while older vines are of very little 

 value. 



It is more economical and in every way more profitable to 

 pay a good price for the best vines than to use inferior ones 

 which cost nothing. 



