127 



A Ditching Machine was exhibited by a working 

 model in the hall, the invention cf Moon & Doan, 

 of Wilmington, 0., and elicited much commenda- 

 tion. The patentees promised to have it speedily 

 introduced for service in the shore district of Ohio. 

 It is expected to reduce the expense of till drainage 

 over one-half, thus saving at least $50 per acre in 

 the preparation of lands for grapes. 



On 'plowing &c.^ the opinion expressed was, that 

 since the old practice of trenching the soil by hand 

 was abandoned, the plan preferred is, to plow as 

 deeply as can be done with 3 or 4 horses or two 

 yoke of oxen, then follow with a sub-soil plow in 

 the same furrows, so as to loosen the soil to the 

 depth of 16 to 20 inches, and harrow as smooth as 

 may be. 



Depth of Planting. Mr. Bateham of Paines- 

 ville, remarked that much loss was occasioned the 

 past winter by the killing of young vines ; the sever- 

 est cold 10 to 15° below 0, being at a time when the 

 ground was bare of snow, and destroying the roots, 

 even of quite hardv varieties, while the tops were 

 entirely uninjured. He believed that deeper plant- 

 ing was the best preventive of such injury. Other 

 speakers coincided ; and Dr. Spalding said deep 

 planting was. also of advantage in teaching the roots 

 to keep below the reach of the cultivator, in the 

 summer tillage of the land. 



In Missouri they aim to set the crown of the 

 roots 8 or 10 inches below the surface of mellow 

 soil, so that when it is settled firmly they will be 

 not less than 6 inches below. Perhaps in a cooler 

 climate and heavier soil a little less depth will be 

 sufficient. 



TJie best style of Plants. Dr. Spalding said, were 

 such as had plenty of healthy roots, and a stem of 

 new v/ood not less than ten inches long, so as to 

 allow setting that depth in the ground without 

 covering the top. He preferred plants grown from 

 short cuttings or single eyes, if they had sufficient 

 length of lops. Other speakers preferred long cut- 

 ting plants, then removing the upper tier of roots; 

 but it was thought this practice must injure the 

 health and vigor of the plants. Setting the plants 

 in furrows or shallow basins and gradually leveling 

 up the soil after the vines have made growth, was 

 recommended, especially if the soil is heavy or the 

 plants are deficient in length of tops. 



Some plants were exhibited grown from single 

 eyes by Dake & Jenkins, of Salem, Ohio, and by 

 Wm. Griffith of North East, Pa. , and pronounced 

 by all present real "No. 1." 



The Association proceeded to elect officers for the 

 ensuing year, with the following results : 



President — Dr. J. J. Dunham, Collamer, 0. 



Vice President — Capt. J. Brown, Jr., Put-in-Bay. 



Secretary — "SI. B. Bateham, Painesville, 0. 



Treasurer — Bev. R. H. Leonard, Cleveland. 



Directors— ^j. D. Griswold, Elyria ; S. B. Mar- 

 shall, Cleveland : J. E. Mottier, North East, Pa, ; 

 J. H. Tryon, Willoughby, 0. ; G. E. Ryckman, 

 Brocton, N. Y. ; 31. H. Lewis, Sandusky, 0. ; A. 

 Kelley, Kelley's Island. 



Pxperiment'i on Grape Must. A report on this 

 subject was presented by Dr. Beckwith of Cleveland, 

 as Chairman of a committee, showing the strength 

 of the must of quite a number of different samples 

 of grapes presented for tests the past fall. The 

 best samples of Catawba were those of Dr. Dunham 

 of Collamer, on stiff clay soil, showing OTJ degrees, 

 by the Oeksle scale, or 22 7-lOths sugar and 4 2-lOihs 

 acid. J. W. Dui.ham, same soil ; 90 degrees, or 

 22i sugar and 41 -10 acid.. G. Leick, Euclid, 

 clay soil, 95 degrees, or 22 2-10 sugar, and 4 3 10 

 acid. 0. D. Ford, East Cleveland, sandy soil, 91 

 degrees, 21 2-10 sugar, and 7? acid. Several others 

 ranged from 86 to 89 degrees. 



The fruit of Mr. Ford's sample was picked Oct. 

 27th ; the others Nov. 10th and 15th. A sample 

 of Delaware grapes picked Oct. 27 by Mr. Ford 

 gave must 95 degrees, or sugar 22 2-10l:hs, and acid 

 4 1-1 0th, A sample of Clinton grapes picked Nov. 

 10th by W. Rogers, East Cleveland, gave must of 

 80 degrees, or 18 3-10 sugar and 9 1-1 0th acid. 



On information being asked respecting the must 

 of Concord, Ives and lona grapes. Dr. Spalding 

 said the average weight of Concord must in Missouri 

 is about 76 degrees. It is often as high as 80 and 

 sometimes has scored 82. 



Mr. Lewis of Sandusky, said Col. Waring of Cin- 

 cinnatti, informed !iim that his Ives fhiit yielded 

 must of 82 to 86 degrees ; but this might be above 

 the average. Dr. Grant of N. Y., said Mr Werk 

 of Cincinnatti told Mr. Mottier that he found the 

 must of the Ives too weak, only averaging 65 to 70 

 degrees. 



Mr. Griffith said he had tested the must of the 

 lona, and found it when well ripened score as high 

 as 93 degrees. Dr. Grant, being called on, said, in 

 testing the fruit about the middle of Sept., the 

 must gave 88 to 90 degrees and in Oct. 90 to 34 ; 

 it would go still higher at a later date. 



In regard to the quality of the wine as pronounced 

 upon by one of the best wine makers in the country, 

 he would refer those interested to the statement of 

 Mr. J. D. Masson, Superintendent of the Pleasant 

 Valley "Wine Co. , at Hammondsport, published in 



