21 



fascicles, whch droop slightly with their weight. The bees frequent 

 these flowers in the autumn, but it must be borne in mind that when 

 the plants are regulaily cut for forage, there will be no flowers. 



The experiments carried out at Baleine are quite conclusive on the 

 subject of forage. A young plant when planted out does not take 

 long to cover an area of a yard square or more with its leaves. 



The first cutting is made when the stems have grown from 3 feet 

 to 5 feet high, and if the second growth of the first year is strong 

 enough, a second cutting is then taken. In the following years three 

 or four cuttings are taken annually. In the green state the weight 

 of the grass varies from 441bs. to 881bs. per square metre, so that the 

 yield per acre of green fodder would amount to from about 60 tons to 

 120 tons, according to the calculations of M. Doumet. Horned cnttle 

 are very fond of this green fodder. 



M. Edouard Andre, M Gustavus Hout (president of the Cornice 

 Agricole de l'Aube) and some farmers have made trial of the plant 

 with similar satisfactory results. 



As the Sachalin Knot-grass does not yield seed here, we propagate 

 it very readily by divisions of the rhizomes, and in this way we have 

 raised thousands of plants for distribution amongst agricultural 

 schools and to enable us to meet the demands for it which reach us 

 daily. The proper time for planting it is in August and September 

 or else in spring. Any ordinary soil will suit it, — hi wever, a mode- 

 rately moist position would help to retain the sap and be conducive to 

 obtaining a leafy final cutting at the close of the season After 

 planting, no further cultural attentions are required, and the plant 

 may be left entirely to itself duiing the winter, whether this may 

 turn out dry, or damp or snowy. In the ensuing spring any stems 

 that remain standing should be cut away before th^ new growth 

 pushes., At planting time, if the plants are set out a metre (3 feet 3 

 inches) apart in every direction, the surface of the soil will soon be 

 covered with an abundance of nutritious forage. 



Charles Baltet, Troves, France. 



NOTES ON GRAPE VINES. 



By W. THOMPSON of the Department of Public Gardens and 



Plantations. 



All vines that were not pruned in the Autumn should be pruned 

 now. If the vines are in a fit state to prune, the leaves will have fallen 

 off ; the past season's growth should h <ve become hard and of a brown 

 colour. The pruning should be done at once or by the middle of 

 March. 



One year old vines intended for field culture should be kept to one 

 stem and this cut back to within six inches of the ground. 



Young vines growing on arbours or trelliswork can be cut back to 

 about two feet from the ground as there is nothing gained by form- 

 ing too much main stem at one time. 



Old vines fit tor pruning should have all thin and under-growths cut 

 off, then the new wood cut back to just above a plump bud about two 

 inches from the old wood or main stem. The fruiting spurs must not be 

 left closer than twelve inches apart. There must not be too many old 

 stems left in, or the foliage will be too thick when the vines begin to 



