44 



Stje gardener's Jltant^lg. 



in very stiff clay; it to surpassed any Catawba I 

 have had either here or there, in all desirable good 

 qualities. 



From the first there was nothing but very hard 

 ground near them. I never pruned either in sum- 

 mer. Now these vines and the conditions of their 

 roots, were noticed and critically examined by many 

 folks who year after year saw the great crops they 

 bore. But as far as I know neither they nor I adopt 

 the plan, but cultivate, loosen and stir, but never 

 attain near as good results ; but some of us have 

 quit summer pruning of vines, and obviously 

 gain by it. 



But for many years I have been thinking and 

 reading about grapes, but see no prospect of coming 

 to any settled conclusion that will stay settled ; and 

 from reading I learn that many wiser folks are in 

 the same fix. 



It should be obvious enough that I don't write for 

 publication, and what then? Well some of these 

 winter days, I have no company but my good wife 

 and she don't see any mystery in gardening, and 

 won't contradict me when 1 talk, but we know these 

 two things an editor must be ready for : 



First, he must know every thing we want to learn. 

 Second, we must receive with gratitude, and make 

 good use of all the surplus wisdom, that so weighs 

 down some of our heads, even if he did know it all, 

 and more clearly too before he heard from us. 



[We hke very much to have our correspondent's 

 facts and admire his philosophy, even to his synopsis 

 of Editorial accomplishments. The Editor is not a 

 "gentleman of finished education," but a simple 

 searcher after truth, who sees enigmas every where 

 about him ; and who, while teaching others all he can 

 learn himself, asks as a favor of others to let him 

 know in turn, what they observe. If we had a few 

 score more correspondents like J. S. , we should be 

 very thankful. — Ed.] 



GRAPES FOR THE MILLION. 



BY JAS. LAMONT, GARDENER TO C. ZUG, ESQ. 



In the Gardener's Monthly, August number, I 

 read an article from Mr. Thompson, gardener to 

 Wm. Besor, Esq., Clifton, near Cincinnati, Ohio, in 

 which he thinks the way we grow grapes under 

 glass at Mr. Zug's is not the way for the million to 

 follow. I would say in the first place that if a grape 

 house is to be built where nature has not supplied 

 the place with water, artificial means have to be 

 used, and that can be done either by hydraulic or 

 steam power. Mr.'Zug tried the former but found 

 that he could not be supplied from his ponds to 



keep his fountain, hydrants and all as he wished 

 them to be kept, with a good supply of water at all 

 times, so, then in the second place, he had to pen- 

 etrate the earth for his supply, and striking a good 

 vein, we always have a good supply of water in the 

 well, and if we pump it all out to day, it is up as 

 high to morrow, and thus we can keep the foun- 

 tains, and hydrants, all going on, and still the sup- 

 ply is good and as perfect any water works in the 

 United States. 



In the third place, if Mr. Zug had to keep men 

 to pump the water into the reservoir it would take 

 ten men a whole day to fill it full ; and that would 

 have to be twice a week, it will be seen by the time 

 $2 per day paid to each man, it would take $40 per 

 week. I think that would be very expensive; but 

 instead of the men we have an engine, and all we 

 have to do is to raise the steam, and in five hours 

 we have the water pumped, and if it had to be done 

 by manual strength, $20 would be spent. 



There has been so much writen on the culture of 

 the foreign grape under glass in this country, that I 

 believe I can hardly get an essay in sideways ; but 

 I will go in that way, even though I have to come 

 out backwards to get into the Monthly, and as I 

 like not that style of traveling, you will feel com- 

 plimented. 



We, I think, have only two ways of pruning the 

 vine, the rod and the spur (some may say the re- 

 newal system, is another, but I think not, it is but 

 the rod and spur systems combined in one.) 



Pruning is one of the greatest points in grape 

 growing. When that is done well all will go right, 

 and if badly done, all will be trouble, — you will either 

 have too much wood or too little, as the case may be. 



Summer pruning is often in my opinion too much 

 indulged in, in this country. We must not think 

 that we are in any part of Europe ; but in America, 

 where we have more sunshine. Therefore we must 

 have more leaves as " suckers," and also for shade. 

 If it were not for confusion in a grape house I think 

 no pruning in summer would be a benefit ; but in all 

 cases once stopping is enough ; after that let the 

 laterals hang down in the air, and as soon as they 

 hang enough to form a curve in themselves the 

 great growth is over. 



But here is the greatest point ; you must deprive 

 them of their tendrils, for if they get a hold of any 

 thing, I can assure you they will grow and cling 

 very fondly even to themselves; 1 have often thought 

 by the way, tendrils to a grapevine were like dol- 

 lars to a young man ; give each one plenty, and 

 they will travel a long way from home ; but on the 

 on the other hand, take it all away from them, and 



