XVII. 



THE GRAPE 



The fact that so much has been written 

 about the grape and its culture goes to prove 

 its popularity. But this fact also acts as a 

 discouraging factor with the amateur who is 

 inclined to attempt its cultivation, for, as soon 

 as he begins to ''read up" on grape culture, he 

 finds himself facing so many theories that he 

 soon gets sorely bewildered, and the result 

 generally is that he abandons his plan because 

 he feels himself incompetent to decide which 

 of the many theories advocated he would be 

 justified in following. In this connection I 

 quote a paragraph from a recent article by 

 E. P. Snell w^hich I consider very pertinent to 

 the subject in hand, and in which the writer 

 fully expresses my opinion : 



"So much has been written and said on the 

 question of pruning that people have come to 

 think it a matter almost beyond ordinary com- 

 prehension. The many different methods advo- 

 II i6i 



