70 FRUIT GARDEN, 
his attention to the native kinds. An interesting com 
munication from him on this subject may be found in the 
Albany Cultivator for January, 1843, in which he says 
that in the vicinity of. New York, south of the highlands 
of the Hudson, he finds that the Isabella grape ripens 
quite as well when planted in a level field, protected from 
the north and west winds by woods or hedges, as on decliv- 
ities. ‘Several of my vineyards,” he observes, “ are thus 
located, and, as far as I can perceive, the fruit ripens at 
about the same time, and is of the same quality as those 
planted on steep side-hills. I think, however, that north 
of the highlands, side-hills would be preferable.” 
A plan adopted by Mr. William Wilson, of Clermont, 
near Philadelphia, to secure his foreign grape-vines, grown 
in the open air, against the severe frosts of American win- 
ters, is well deserving of attention. The vines are left 
their whole length after they get their fall trimming in 
October, and in November are let down from their supports, 
laid on the ground at full length, fastened down with pins, 
and covered lightly with earth. In this state they are left 
all winter. In April, as soon as the weather will permit 
they are uncovered, and left lying on the ground ten or 
twelve days. About the first of May, they are trained to 
their stakes or poles, of the length of ten feet and upwards. 
By the middle of June the stakes are entirely covered by 
new shoots of the vine, and with plenty of fruit, which 
ripens in September. Before adopting this plan, Mr. Wil- 
son says his fruit was frequently blasted and mildewed, but 
by its aid he has since succeeded in training vines twenty 
or thirty feet long, some of which ran up fruit-treos 
adjacent, whilst others, after attaining eight or ten feet in 
height, were stretched horizontally. He seldom gathered 
fruit within three or four feet of the ground, which was 
