25 
ami using a heavy maul. In general, throughout Pennsylvania, the 
posts must be set by digging holes with the spade. The end posts, 
particularly, should be set with the spade, at least two feet deep, 
interior posts at least eighteen inches deep. It should be remem- 
bered, that when a trellis is covered with fruit and foliage and the 
ground is soft with rains, a windstorm could do serious damage to a 
trellis that is not securely planted in the ground. The end posts 
are braced with a stilf timber, as shown in Figure 7. 
When vines are planted 9 feet apart, the posts are put in 27 feet 
apart, making one to every three vines. If vines are but 8 feet apart, 
the posts are 24 feet apart. In practice, it is found convenient to 
have a continuous trellis not longer than 50 vines, or 450 feet, then 
12 rows make an acre, there being, strictly speaking, G05 vines to the 
acre when planted 8x9 feet. In all vineyards of 25 acres and over, 
an alley across the rows at intervals of 50 vines is convenient for 
harvesting the crop and for removing the grape trimmings after 
pruning. 
The wires are strung on the windward side of the posts. When 
three wires are used, the top one is usually No. 9 or 10 and a 
lighter guage for the lower wires usually, No. 12. When only two 
wires are used, both are No. 9 or No. 10. 
The following figures show the weights of several sizes of iron 
wire : 
■ 
■a 
a 
s: 
3 
c 
"- 1 
a 
" H 
8 
Number. 
a 
H 
8 
u 

M 
•j 
^ 
a 
•i 
s 
ho 
w 
a 
« 
I 
O 
P 
u 
D 
.US 
6. SO 
33,483 
10 
.133 
.120 
.105 
4.83 
3.S2 
2.'j2 
41. 40 J 
11 
52,35* 
12 
68,493 
Ordinary wire fence staples may be used to fasten grape wires 
unless the posts are of a soft wood when longer staples should be 
used. The bottom wire is placed about 30 inches above ground and 
is never moved, the second wire is at first placed about two feet 
above the lower wire, and may be raised to three feet when the 
vines are strong enough to warrant it. The wires are fastened to the 
end post by passing around the post and holding the end with a sta- 
ple or it may be twisted around the wire. The wires should be drawn 
taut enough that they will not sag with a weight of fruit. The sta- 
ples on the line posts are not driven to sink the wiro into the wood. 
