Vo l. XLIV. No. 1838. 
NEW YORK, APRIL 18, 1885 
PRICE FIVE CENTS. 
$2.00 PER TEAR. 
[Entered according to Act of loascress, in the year ISii, by the Rural New-Yorker In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
from each other, by a strip of hard wood, 
to a distance sufficient to cause them to cut 
a kerf of the desired width Having out 
as many kerfs as it is desired to insert cions, 
proceed to make the cions from wood of one 
year’s growth of a suitable size, so that by re¬ 
moving a portion from each of three sides, the 
cion will be left as shown in Fig, 144, a little 
wedging; itwiil then fit very snugly into the 
kerf. There should be one bud a little 
all about the stock and cions, and the cions 
are covered nearly to the top. The buds soon 
push into growth; but if, after growing a few 
inches, the young growth should die down, no 
uneasiness should he felt, as this is quite com¬ 
mon, and they will come again, though it be 
even so late as July or August. Keep all 
suckers remove 1 from the stock, but for the 
first Summer disturb none of the growth from 
the cion. It is a good plan to slightly cover 
Fig. 139. 
above the place of union,and another still high¬ 
er up;8omeleavea considerable portion of 
wood projecting below mto the soil. The cions 
should next be wet. put into the kerfs and 
driven iu with the miniature mallet, showu 
iu Fig. 145. Care should be tafeeu to so pro¬ 
portion the cions and kerfs, that when the 
cion is driven in, it shall be quite firmly held, 
but not so tightly as to stop the free circula¬ 
te whole plant for the first Winter, because 
of the very late growth it is sure to make. 
At Fig. 139. is shown a section of a grafted 
vine. The cion is Delaware, and of five years’ 
growth, on an Isabella root; a part of *■*•* 
stock and viue is cut away, showing the origi¬ 
nal cion and kerf, and the perfect union that 
has formed between the subsequent growth 
of cion and stock. 
Fig. 142 
Sljf Pmnjarti. 
GRAFTING THE VINE. 
THE IMPROVED WAGNER METHOD 
afting affords a means where¬ 
by many of the weaker-grow- 
iug varieties may be success¬ 
fully grown. Even such fickle 
sorts as Rebecca and Iona, 
when grafted ou Isabella 
stocks, make such a growth 
and produce such clusters and 
crops of fruit as to astonish one who has 
never seen the experiment tried. Dela¬ 
ware worked on Isabella or Concord, is 
very much improved in both growth and 
fruit, and even the Catawba receives much 
added vigor when growing on a stronger root. 
The trouble has heretofore been that with the 
most skillful operators it was a very uncertain 
process, so small a per cent, succeeding that 
no one cared to risk it largely. But by the 
uew method, its success is almost as certain as 
the grafting of the apple or pear. 
The stock on which to graft should alway 
be some strong growing, healthy variety. 
The Clinton, Norton’s Virginia, Isabella, Con¬ 
cord and Champion all make fine stocks. Tha 
grafting, by this method, can be done at any 
time from the opeuing of Spring till the vines 
have commenced their growth. Mr, Bronson, 
in May, 1883, after the new growth was from 
two to three inches loug, set cions of Dela¬ 
ware, Walter, Diana and Talman in a single 
Isabella root; all grew finely and fruited last 
year, and all are now in good condition with 
a promise of a good crop the coming Summer. 
Perhaps the best time is as soon as the land 
gets in good condition to work after the frost 
is out. 
In grafting, first with spade and hoe,remove 
the ground from around the stock low enough 
to reach the lower knuckle orenlargement on 
the main stem, where the lower bud was on 
the cutting when planted. This is shown by 
the upper part of the section of root, in Fig 
139, which represents a section of root al 
ready grafted. With the •‘spud” shown iu 
Fig. 140, which can be made of a piece of 
wagon spring, remove the soil from among 
and around the roots so as to get working 
room, and so that no dirt will get into the 
“kerfs,” cut to receive the cions, aud also to 
give room for the lower end of the cion, when 
it is desired to allow it to go below the poiut 
of contact. With the saw. Fig. 141, as many 
kerfs are cut as it is desired to Insert cions; 
in this instance, Fig, 142, three are used; a 
sufficient number should be iuserted to take 
up and utilize the How of sap, so that it will 
not stagnate aud produce disease iu the stock ; 
or a part, more or less, of the main root cau be 
severed so as to control the sup. One of these 
kerfs is shown below ou the side of the root. 
These kerfs may bo cut straight or at au augle 
with the grain, or across, ns it is shown by the 
open kerf; it having beeu found iu practice 
on account of the porosity of grape wood 
and the freedom of sap circulation, 
to make no difference iu the growth. Tha 
saw, Fig. 141, is wade of two pieces of thin 
blade, one about eight inches, aud the otuer 
six aud-oue-hnlf long. To the louger is at¬ 
tached a steel chisel, as shown uear the end 
extending beyond the shorter blade. This is 
fastened with a small screw with a counter¬ 
sunk head, aud can be 
removed for sharpen¬ 
ing. The shorter of 
the saws is showu iu 
Fig. 143. Each has 
Fig. 143. “slots” uear the back, 
as shown. They are 
put on the handle side by side, aud separated 
tion of sap; but uo care need be taken to have 
the bark of stalk aud cion come together, for 
it has been found iu practice that this is 
wholly unnecessary. 
Fig. 140. Fig. 141. 
When the cions are all iuserted, the dirt is 
carefully replaced aud packed quite closely 
We are indebted, through the kindness <«f 
Mr. J. H. Butler, the President, to Mr. C. Li. 
Bronson, the very competent vineyardist of 
the Seneca Lake Grape Co., for the use of the 
tools, and for the samples of vines aud cions 
from which our cuts were made, aud also 
for the facts which we have embodied in (tie 
above description 
-*--•-♦- 
ViNEYARD NOTES FROM LAKE 
KEUKA, N. Y. 
It does not seem to be a very auspicious time 
to begiu a series of vino uotes when the mer¬ 
cury is several degrees below zero and the 
vineyards under a covering of snow several 
inches thick. So, while anxiously waiting the 
fulfillment of the promise, “Seed time and 
harvest shall not fail,” which the coming of 
warmer airs aud gentle showers will doubtless 
bring, we will cheer our spirits by the re- 
rnemhrance of the beautiful scenery on the 
vine-clad hills surrounding our rural home, as 
t hey appeared last Summer, and I draw a pen- 
picture for the readers of the Rural engaged 
in grape growing. 
The location is on the west shore of the 
west branch of beautiful Lake Keuka. On 
either side are vineyards, like onr own, de¬ 
lightfully situated and bearing almost every 
viriety of Northern grapes in great abun- 
dmee. Many of the vineyards are separated 
from each other by deep ravines filled with 
luxuriant trees, which break the monotony 
which might otherwise appear from an almost 
continuous stretch of productive grape lands. 
1 ought not to use the word “monotonous,” 
because the different methods of trimming 
and training the vines, the different colors of 
the foliage and, above all, the constantly 
varying beauty and charm of the landscape, 
would render monotony impossible. Occa¬ 
sionally among the vineyards are fields of 
waving grain, the straw of which is used to 
tis the vines. Before us in marvelous beauty 
lies the lovely blue lake Keuka, its banks 
fringed with waving fern and sweet wild 
flowers—golden rod and daisies. On the 
other side are majestic hills with fields of 
yellow and green; vineyards rivaling those 
on this side, and forest* of useful and hand¬ 
some trees. Overhead is the sky, ever-chang¬ 
ing, and always glorious. I have contem¬ 
plated this picture so many times, and have 
thought so much of the goodness of the 
Creator in giving us these beautiful snrround- 
ings, that the “peace of the scene has passed 
into my heart. ’ and cau never be obliterated. 
As I have intimated, the leading industry 
in this region is grape raising, and we are 
watching the experiments of others with much 
eagerness. Some of the vineyardtsts are test¬ 
ing Mr. Marvin s new varieties, and were 
glad to see the portraits of some of them in 
the Rural, 
The Rural’s grape “election” will doubt¬ 
less be of immense practical value, and should 
be appreciated by all. Fannie farmer. 
NORTON’S VIRGINIA GRAPE. 
There must be some mistake about this 
grape. Descriptions differ. Somebody has 
the wrong thing. Fuller says it is harsh and 
sour, not compact on bunch, etc. Thomas 
says, berries compact, harsh. Others speak of 
it as only suited to the South. Now the Nor¬ 
ton l have seen in several places must be 
.-omething else. Bunches compact; flavor 
deliciously vinous, with very little acid; juice 
dark-purple and rich in sugar. Ripeus only 
a little after the Concord. An enormous 
bt arer. Nothing will surpass it for eating. 
Vine as hardy as auy. It has no fault except 
that the seeds might be smaller, and it Is per¬ 
fectly stubborn to grow from cuttings. If we 
can judge anything from the richness and 
high flavor of the juice, it must be particular¬ 
ly suited to make a deep red wine. I know 
tastes differ, but to my taste this is the best 
of all grapes to eat. j. h. Creighton. 
Fairfield Co., Ohio. 
[Remarks. —This agrees very well with 
Bush’s description, where it will ripen fully. 
But it is late, and iu Northern localities does 
not fully ripen, and then it is harsh and 
(jugb —Eds.] 
After a long absence, Horticola extends 
his hand iu friendly greeting to the large aud 
widely extended Rural family, with the 
hearty wish that he may find them all in the 
