WINE-MAKING AND GRAPE-GROWING. 



657 



A few points concerning the growing of grapes with 

 particular reference to wine making, may be useful. 

 The land should be a gravelly soil upon a gentle slope, 

 with a southeasterly exposure. If the land should be 

 at all inclined to be wet, it should be thoroughly under- 

 drained, and sub-soiled. 



The vines should be planted in rows at least eight feet 

 apart and from six to ten feet in the rows, according to 

 the vigor and variety planted. Concord should be not 

 less than ten feet ; others less vigorous, eight, and Dele- 

 wares and others of that nature six feet. The hole 

 should be dug to the bottom of the sub-soil, and at least 

 two feet square, then filled at least six to eight inches 

 with top soil, and the vine set upon that, and a covering 

 of three to four inches of top soil placed over the roots, 

 which should be spread out evenly, and then the bal- 

 ance of the hole filled with such soil as may be most con- 

 venient. A stake should be driven three feet long by 

 the side of the vine, not only to mark the place where 

 the vine is planted, but to tie the young shoots upon so 

 that they may not be blown off by the wind. When 

 planted, the vine should be cut back to tvvo buds, and 

 should both grow, after they are about a foot long one 

 should be broken off and the most vigorous one tied up. 



The land should be plowed and hoed sufficiently the 

 first year to keep free from weeds. The next season the 

 vine should be pruned back again to two buds. In those 

 showing great vigor two canes might safely be allowed 

 to grow, but those showing less vigor should grow but 

 one cane during the second season, and the cultivation 

 should be the same as the first year. Starting in the 

 spring as soon as the giound is dry, it should be plowed, 

 and from the vines. The next plowing, from the ist to 

 the 15th of July, should be turned back to the vines. 



The third year the vine should be pruned back to 

 about three buds, and this year there will be more or 

 less fruit. And in the spring of this third year the vine- 

 yard should be staked and wired ; that is, a stake seven 

 and a half to eight feet long, sharpened upon one end, 

 should be driven in the rows, leaving about three vines 

 between each stake. And upon these stakes should be 

 strung wires, about number twelve, the first about two feet 

 from the ground, and the next two equal distances apart, 

 sayabout 15 to 18 inches. This leaves quite a piece of 

 stake above the top wire, but from year to year as these 

 stakes are being driven farther into the ground the 

 wires can be raised. This is the critical period of 

 a vineyard, and no vines should be allowed to be over- 

 burdened with fruit, because if the vine is crippled 

 at this time it will require many years of close pruning 

 to bring it back ; from two to five clusters is a good rule. 

 The cultivation should be the same as the year previous. 

 If the land upon which the vineyard is planted is reason- 

 able fertile, it will probably require no fertilizer until the 

 vineyard is from five to eight years old. 



In this region lona, Delaware, Catawba, Elvira and 

 Isabella are probably the best wine grapes. No doubt 

 the lona is the best single all-around variety. 



Grape growing was begun in this region over 40 years 

 ago in a small way, and has gradually extended until this 

 has become the largest grape-growing region in the 

 United States east of the Rocky mountains, and it pro- 

 duces the largest quantity of genuine sparkling wine. 

 In still wines, California has become a lively competitor 

 because it has the reputation of producing good, pure, 

 wholesome wines, some of which are entitled to be 

 ranked among the best productions of the world. 



Rheiins. N. Y. D. Bauder. 



Witch Hazel. 



" Mysterious plant ! whose golden tresses wave 

 W ith a sad heaittj' in the dying year, 

 ■ looniiHg amid November's frost sroere, 



Like a pale corpse-light o'er the recent grave." — Token. 



