1865.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
85 
others from attending to it. Perhaps I ought to 
.i.iy th.-it I live in a parsonage, and so do not 
know how long it may be mine. But may not 
we dominies practice what we preach to our 
people, — to plant and sow good seed for those 
who are to come after us ? " 
Grape Planting this Spring. 
If the "grape mania" did not culminate last 
autumn, it will certainly do so this spring ; and 
the only limits to the amount of planting will 
be the ability of propagators of approved sorts 
to supply plants. Many vines are already set 
and many more will be, and it is all well. We 
wish every farmer, and every one who has even 
a good sized yard, to have grapes enough for his 
family, and some to give to his less fortunate 
neighbors. Grapes in many localities are grown 
not only at a profit, but the land devoted to them 
gives better returns than any other crop that 
could be raised upon it. Knowing of these 
successes in grape culture, several have asked 
our advice about entering into it largely as an 
investment. Did we look only at the paying 
■vineyards, there would be no hesitation in en- 
couraging these enterprises, but recollecting 
more than one melancholy failure, and having 
last summer seen the mowers among the posts 
of an abandoned vineyard, we are obliged to 
use a word of caution. Grape growing or any 
other culture, is a business to be learned, and we 
would no more advise one without experience 
to go into this, than we would counsel him to 
open a store for the sale of books, hats or any 
other commodity, without first learning the 
ways of the trade. One of our Ohio friends has 
a vineyard, which, according to all figuring, 
should have given this year a profitable crop, 
but it did not yield a bunch. It is easy to say 
what a vine ought to do the third year after 
planting, but sometimes it won't do it. Capital is 
not all that is required for success in a vineyard. 
©ne great obstacle is the difficulty of procuring 
skilled labor; while unfavorable seasons, insect 
enemies, rot and mildew often render the most 
carfully tended vineyard unjiroductive. " But 
shall we not plant vines?" Yes, by all means. 
He who has ten, and finds them profitable, will 
not need to be persuaded to plant fifty, and he 
who already has his acres will know whether it 
will pay to double their number. To those who 
Lave no vines we say plant five, ten or twent}-, 
or even one, if you can do no better. These will 
show the adaptability of location and will serve 
far better to gain experience upon, than five or 
ten acres at the start. We hope to see grapes 
the cheapest of fruits, but it will not promote 
this end to advise those who have never grown 
vines, to plant extensive vineyards at once. 
With regard to soil, while it seems to be set- 
tled that the grape will grow on any good soil, 
there is still much discussion as to whether cer- 
tain varieties do best on light or heavj' lands. 
While this subject still remains unsettled, there 
is one point upon which all are agreed, viz., 
that whatever the nature of the soil, it must be, 
naturally or artificially, well drained. The soil 
should, of course, be in good condition as to 
fertility, and it must be worked by the spade or 
plow to the depth of 18 or 20 inches. Our 
views, as to selection of varieties, have already 
been given. While we regard the Delaware as 
the best grape which has been largely tested, 
and the hardiness of which has been thoroughly 
proved, its slow growth, and the care it requires, 
have t*ot given it tliat popularity it will in time 
attain. The Concord has been so often £,tyled 
" the grape for the million," that the phrase has 
become hackneyed. It seems to be better 
adapted to general culture, and such treatment 
as nine out of ten will give their vines, than 
an}' other sort; consequently we have advised 
the Concord, if dependence is to be placed upon 
a single sort. It is hoped, however, that none 
will be contented with one single kind, but that 
the taste of the readers of the A'jriculturist will 
lead them to plant several of the established 
varieties. Where the Catawba will perfect 
itself, this favorite variety will not be easily 
supplanted by any other. At the winter meet- 
ing of the Fruit-Growers' Society of Western 
New-York, held in January last, a vote w'as 
taken upon the best grapes fur a succession, 
which we publish as showing the estimation in 
which tlie different kinds are held by the horti- 
culturists of that part of the country. Thirty-one 
members voted, and the result was as follows : 
Delaware, 30|Rebecca, 21 
Diana 26lConcord,'- 14 
Isabella, 2.5 Creveling, 12 
Hartford Prolific, 23|Catawba, 9 
lona, Perkins, Allen's Hybrid, To Kalon, 
and Northern Muscadine, each 2 votes; and 
Lydia, Adriondac, and Israella, each 1 vote. 
Rogers' Hybrid Grapes. 
In the grape notes of last year, after testing 
these varieties pretty thoroughl)-, we stated that 
we had not seen a first class grape among them. 
By this it was meant that none of them, in our 
estimation, were equal to a Delaware, lona, Al- 
len's Hybrid, Diana, or eveu a perfect Catawba. 
Some have thought that the opinion above quo- 
ted did not do justice to these new candidates 
for public favor. So far from wishing to do 
injustice to these or any otlier new grapes, we 
should be happy to be able to say that the whole 
fifty were each and every oue an improvement 
on any other grajie now in cultivation, but so far 
our experience with them does not warrant it. 
What has already been said was not the record 
of the opinion of oue individual upon a sin- 
gle specimen, but a deliberate judgement made 
up after testing them in company with a num- 
ber of experienced horticulturists, at different 
times, both in the vineyard and in the office. 
Another season we hope to make an equallj' 
careful examination of them, and shall be glad 
if we are able to change our opinion. Those 
who think our judgement unfair in this mat- 
ter are referred to the following extract from 
tlie proceedings of the Fruit Growers' Society 
of Western New York, held in January last. 
We quote from the Country Gentleman: "Rog- 
ers' Hylirids had been fruited by several, but 
they were not highly commended. President 
Barry doubted if any would be superior to the 
Concord. In replv to an inquiry, he said it was 
his opinion that the Rogers' grapes were only 
seedlings of the Fox, and not hj-brids. C. L. 
Hoag, of Lockport, had fruited them for two 
years, and he thought very highly of some of 
them — while all are strong growers." — The 
followuig testiraou}' in the case, is from the 
Report of the Fruit Committee of the Massii- 
chusetts Horticultural Society, for 1864 : 
" Several of Rogers' Hj'brids have been seen 
on our tables, such as Nos. 1, 4, 1.5, 19, 4.3, and 
others, but your Committee do not feel disposed 
to give a decided opinion on the merits of any 
of these. It has already been said, that some of 
these varieties did not ripen early enough to be 
valu.able; and it may be added, that, as tested 
by us, they were found to h,ave a h^rd pulp, and 
to be of inferior quality, e?[cef«t No. 4, a black 
grape, of fair qualitj', which ripened well ; but 
as the specimens we have tried have been mostly 
produced on j-oung vines, it is unfair to fully 
decide upon their merits. It would be strange, 
indeed, if, among so many, there were not some 
good ones. We would, however, advise the 
public to plant rather sparingly of all the num- 
bers until they have been more fully proved." 
To Manage Evergreen Hedges. 
The ground being well prepared by digging, 
or plowing and working it into fine tilth, the 
plants, if of arbor vitiE, or hemlock, not more 
than eighteen inches or two feet high, should be 
set two, or two and a half feet, apart. Norway 
Spruce m.ay be three feet high, and set three 
feet apart. Cut out the leading shoots, so as to 
make them bushy at the base. Mulch the ground 
with old straw or leaves, or spent tan bark, and 
the trees will take care of themselves for the 
first year.— In spring of second year, prune off 
the strongest leading shoots on every side, but 
have the lower branches longer than the upper. 
This pruning should not be done until after 
severe frosts are past, say the middle of April. 
If grass or weeds have encroached upon the 
line of the hedge, clean them out, and keep the 
ground well worked through the summer, 
though without disturbing the roots. In the 
autumn, cover the soil around the plants with 
a light dressing of old manure. Every spring, 
after this, prune the hedge into shape, keeping 
the base about four feet wide, and thence 
sloping up to the top, which should not be 
thicker thau one foot, if of Spruce, or six 
inches, if of arbor-vitae or hemlock. 
After the hedge has nearly reached its desired 
height, its growth should be checked by sum- 
mer pruning. In July or August, cut back all 
the strong growth to the desired point. This 
summer pruning must now be kept up from 
year to year. As a further check to strong 
growth, let the grass grow around to the 
steins of the plants, and withhold all manure. 
Let it always be borne in mind, that the great 
secret in making a good hedge is, to start it well 
with a strong, bushy base, and then to keep it 
in shape by pruning the upper branches shorter 
than the lower. If the lower branches are al- 
lowed to be overhung at all by the upper, they 
are then deprived of the sunlight, rain and dew. 
The reason why evergreens in the forest lose 
their lower branches, is because they are over- 
shadowed. In the open meadow, or pasture, 
the branches grow as low as the " browsing 
line;" and in the lawn, where cattle do not 
come, and where the axe is kept away, the 
branches spread themselves luxuriantly upon 
the grass. Lank, lean, bottomless hedges, al- 
ways proclaim the neglect of their owners. 
Let the rules we have given be observed, and 
good, useful, handsome hedges of hemlock and 
other evergreens will become more common. 
Doctoring Pear Trees. — At the recent 
meeting of the Ohio Pomological Society, Dr. 
Kirkland expressed strong confidence that the 
use of a solution of copperas upon the leaves 
and bark, and the application of blacksmiths' 
sweepings to the roots of pe.ir trees would be 
found a complete remedy for the fire-blight 
On the other hand an intelligent friend ot ours 
says that he has faithfully doctored his trees 
with iron but has failed to see any benefit. 
Let us have the experience of others, whether 
a success or failure. The subject is one of • 
considerable injpoxtance to all fruit growers. 
