Thr RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
235 ' 
Garden and Farm Notes 
Pruning Grapes and Currants 
1. When and how aro grapos to he 
pruned, and ran the cuttings be used to 
star) new vinos? We have three varieties, 
the Concord and the red and green grapes, 
the latter being a small, sweet kind, (’an 
von fell me the names of the latter two? 
2. I low are currant hushes pruned, and 
how long can one ex poet them to hear 
profitably? I would like to set out more; 
can T cut off clumps with a sharp spade, 
plant, and expect them to boar well? 
Ksmont, Va. WR8, w„ j. p, 
1. Grapes are usually pruned some time 
between the fall of the leaf and (he starl¬ 
ing of growth in the Spring. It is indi¬ 
cated that the latter period is the better, 
ns a delayed cutting tends to cheek the 
breaking of the buds, and as a conse¬ 
quence the injury from late Spring freezes 
and frosts is somewhat diminished. There 
are several methods of training utilized 
in shaping )he vine for tying to the trellis. 
The commoner of these are Chautauqua 
or arm, the high renewal, the single-stem 
four-cane Kniffon. the two-stem KnifiVn, 
and the umbrella Kniffen. The Kniffens, 
the Chautauqua, and the high renewal 
are very generally used. All things con¬ 
sidered, the single-stem Kniffen has 
proven best for tin* Concord. 
Assuming that the vines in question are 
newly planted, and that at the time of 
setting they had been cut hack to a short 
spur of two buds of (lie previous year's 
growth, the vine will consist of a root 
systOm and trunk of two seasons' growth 
hearing a short spur. The tirst-year 
shoots will have developed from the spur, 
anil at the beginning of the second season 
one of these canes is entirely cut away, 
while (lie other is again cut hack to two 
buds. Hence, the vine has prateioally 
the same appearance at the beginning of 
the second season that it had when 
planted. 
The third Spring the trellis is put tip, 
and with this method of training it is 
made with S-ft. posts set about 2-1 ft. 
apart, and driven to a depth of 1 '4 to 2 
ft. in the ground. Two wires are then 
stretched between them, a lower one about 
to I’dj ft. above the ground level, with 
the upper one about 2 fl. above it. All 
canes but one that have grown the pre¬ 
vious season are cut. away, leaving the 
one that comes most directly from the 
center of the vine, and that is also 
straightest and well-ripened. This cane 
is brought to the lower wire vertically, 
and there firmly tied. From this cane, 
which may carry from five to eight buds, 
shoots will put forth, and these will later 
become canes. As soon as it is seen that 
these have all started well, break off all 
hut three that arise just below the lower 
wire, and us soon as these have lengthened 
sufficiently, two of them should be loosely 
tied to the lower v iro, one to the right 
and the other to the left along it. The 
uppermost of the three should, however, 
he tied up vertically to the upper wire, 
as this is to complete the permanent 
trunk to this level. Some fruit will be 
borne this season. 
The pruning the fourth season will 
consist of a shortening in to six buds 
each, the two canes growing along the 
lower wire and the cutting away from 
that part of the trunk between the two 
wires all hut two canes that are just 
below the level of the upper, and two 
spurs of two buds each near them. The 
two upper canes should he pruned some¬ 
what longer than (lie lower ones. With 
a vigorous-growing vine of Concord these 
canes may carry 10 buds each. The up¬ 
per canes arc tied one to the right and 
the other to the left of the trunk, as with 
the lower canes. After the four canes 
are tied, the vine should have the appear¬ 
ance of a double-crossed T, namely, a 
trunk extending from the ground to just 
below the lower wire, two canes arising 
from it just below the lower wire, one 
tied to the right and the other to the left 
and two canes just below the upper, and 
tied to the right and left along it. In 
addition, two spurs are near this level. 
The spurs are to furnish the fruiting 
wood in succeeding seasons, and in the 
pruning the next year care must he taken 
that two are left at the lower wire. The 
canes that arise from the spurs are much 
more fruitful than those that arise di¬ 
rectly from the. trunk. New vines are 
usually started from cuttings of the past 
season’s canes, and these are usually 
made during the dormant period. 
The red and white grapes cannot he 
accurately named without seeing the fruit 
and vines, as there are many hundred 
varieties of either color. A random guess 
would be that the white is Winched or 
Green Mountain. 
2. In the pruning of currants'all hut 
six or eight canes of the previous season’s 
growth is cut away and the remaining are 
topped hack to a height of to P ft.. 
They will hear profitably for several 
years if they he kept well pruned and 
they are not injured by insects and dis¬ 
eases. The hotter plan in establishing 
a new planting is to procure two-year-old 
plants from some reliable nurseryman, 
although they may be grown by the di¬ 
vision you suggest. F. e. G. 
Road Grading: The “Clinton Ditch” 
This past year a State road was built 
past the house (a concrete road). And 
they cut 4 ft.. S in. in front of my house 
barn, Engineer said it was necessary, as 
(hey needed the dirt. This barn sets 27 
li. from lever road. I tiled and filled in, 
also two driveways, and it was necessary 
for me to grade nearly to the edge of 
concrete in order to get in barn. The 
foreman told me I must keep P ft. hack 
from concrete. As the road is not ac¬ 
cepted yet I am anxious to know. This 
road was a cross road before barge canal 
was built, and Whs never surveyed until a 
survey was made for the road, and in 
places the fences wen* not 25 ft. from 
road, so they tore them down. Had the 
contractor the right to do this? 
Have you any wav to find out who 
owns the old “Clinton Ditch”? The soi th 
line of niy farm adjoins it. and it has been 
cultivated to the center for over 40 ven ,, s. 
On both side of fence on the hank is a 
road, and rlie property owners on tint 
side claim to own to my fence, hut will 
not cut the brush on his side. I have 
taken this up with the county superin¬ 
tendent of highways, hut he has never 
taken any action in the matter, e. a. h. 
New York. 
This (pleation was submitted to the 
Highway Commission and to the State 
Engineer. Answers follow. 
NO DAMAGES ARE COLLECTABLE 
Under the common law which has come 
down to us from the old English prac¬ 
tice. no damage could be collected for 
change of grade of a highway, and, fur¬ 
thermore, the king could not be sued. The 
sovereign power of the State has inherit¬ 
ed the rights of the English crown, and 
therefore is not subject to suit unless it 
specifically consents to such suit by stat¬ 
ute, No statute has ever been enacted 
permitting damage for change in grade 
outside of incorporated cities and villages, 
except a permissive statute on town high¬ 
ways. and in view of the fact that on 
State or county highways there is noth¬ 
ing anywhere in the law which could be 
construed as the State’s giving away its 
right to permit individuals to start an 
action against it for damage in change of 
grade, there is absolutely no authority in 
existence whereby E. A. II. could collect 
any damage. From a [tractieal stand¬ 
point. this department has always felt 
that where it improved a highway through 
tlie property of any Individual, the 
value of his property was so increased 
by the fact of having an improved high¬ 
way past it, that he was compensated 
many times over for any possible dam¬ 
age which he might suffer due to change 
of grade, and for that reason no effort 
has ever been made to make such an ac¬ 
tion possible. 
STATE COMMISSION OF HIGHWAYS 
“CLINTON DITCH” BELONGS TO STATE 
The “Clintou Ditch” belongs to the 
State, being a part of the old original 
canal system. Many parts of this old 
canal are not coincident with the Erie 
Canal, which was in use prior to the I 
construction of the Barge Canal. Certain I 
sections of tin* Eric Canal have been aban- j 
doned and other sections will he aban¬ 
doned later, as fast as the surveys are 
com pleted. 
Surveys of the old “Clinton Ditch.” as 
distinguished from the canal just referred 
to. have not been made, and a determina¬ 
tion has not as yet been reached as io 
whether or not such surveys will he tnad<\ 
Neither has it been determined as to 
whether or not an attempt will be made 
to abandon and sell the old “Clinton 
Ditch.” FRANK. M. WILLIAMS. 
State Engineer. 
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