^A/TRY H 
PRICK FIVE CENTS. ' 
S2.00 PER YEAR. , ! 
VOL. XXXVIII. No. 43 
WHOLE No. 1552. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, by the Rural Publishing Company, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. — Entered at the Post-Office at New York City, N. Y„ as second-class matter.] 
flmtprir. 
cord, is of a light pea-green, having a firm 
skin, a soft pulp and a flavor sweet and 
agreeable. It ripens with Hartford Prolific 
and the berries are said to hang upon the 
vines for several weeks after ripening and 
yet remain firm and sound. The Niagara is 
not yet offered for sale, but we have thought 
it well to introduce it to our readers as worthy 
of being borne in mind. Mr. Woodward in¬ 
forms us that such good authorities as Mr, 
T. S. Hubbard of Fredonia and Mr. A. C. 
Youngloveof Vine Valley, express the opinion 
that it is destined to supplant the Coucord 
as the Grape for the millions. 
-*-*-♦- 
MODE OF CULTIVATING THE GRAPE-VINE 
IN CALIFORNIA. 
It must be remembered by Eastern readers 
of the Rubai, that our climate differs consider- 
THE NIAGARA GRAPE. 
deemed worthy of preservation. It has fruited 
since 1878 aud been tested in different places 
showing no signs of disease or defects of any 
kind. The vine is said to bo a strong grower, 
more so eveu than the Concord, and the leaves 
are large, glossy and thus far entirely free 
from mildew. The bunches are very com¬ 
pact, and the berry, about the size of the Con- 
ably from theirs, and Grape-viues may require 
different, treatment lu both places. As we have 
no heavy freezing wluters, our plowing and 
seeding, pruning aud planting are doue be- 
tweeu the first heavy raiua—usually iu Novem¬ 
ber aud the following March. 
As soon as the leaves fall, pruning is begun. 
We use the saw and small hand shears, also 
the dead wood and those spurs which are too 
close. 1 cut out in order that the vine will let 
the more sunshine through it. I euteach cane 
back to three eyes aud leave ou a vine of six 
inches in diameter fifteen spurs, often less, 
according to the shape of the vine. The third 
or fruit bud will start first, and in a few days 
the next will swell. Those are the fruit buds. 
the benefits derived from it. If pruned, how¬ 
ever, while the shoots are young and tender, 
the vine forms a head and shades the grapes 
from the hot summer snn which often burns 
them on the vine. Summer-pruning is done 
by clipping the tops of the young shoots with 
a large knife. It should be done in the latter 
part of April in this county. Mildew has been 
the double hand shears, the handles being 
from 12 to 10 inches in length. This style is 
coming into general use now, as it has the 
power to cut limbs two iuches in diameter. 
Vineyardists never use the trellis; but short 
stakes are used the first year. The vines are 
set from six to eight feet each way and arc 
pruned low to form heads, usually about twelve 
inches from the ground, which, in a few years 
form strong 8tumps with many spurs. These 
spurs, or shoots, are cut back to three or four 
eyes, or buds, aud only as many are left as the 
vigor aud age of the viue will justify. The soil 
has much to do with the pruning. A stroug, 
deep soil will be able to support twice as many 
spurs as a j>oor and thin soil. 
There are many different theories here iu 
regard to the best time and mode of pruning, 
so I will mention only what I have practised 
and found successful :—I prune altogether 
with the long-handled shears. I cut out all 
The first or base bud, is dormant and only pro¬ 
duces wood for the next season.—(? Eds.) The 
buds are well out by the last of March, aud,should 
we have a frost, as we sometimes do, the first 
buds are killed. The others that were not so 
forward, may escape, in which case they will 
now start out with much vigor, and make up 
partially for the loss of the first buds. A frost 
at that season usually injures the grape crop 
very much. 
After the pruning is done, the brush is car¬ 
ried to some convenient place and burned, and 
the plow is put to work turning under the 
grass and weeds. After plowing, the harrow 
Is used both ways; then the ground is cross- 
plowed, harrowed and rolled, or rubbed with 
plank to break the lumps. That is all the 
plowing required for the season. The cultiva¬ 
tor is now used until the grapes are nearly 
ripe. I have practised summer-pruning on 
land that is rich, but 1 have some doubts as to 
THE NIAGARA GRAPE. 
Among the many kinds of new seedling 
hardy white grapes which we have seen and 
examined during the past five years, we have 
rarely met with one that in essential respects 
seems to promise more than the Niagara, two 
bunches of which from life arc here portrayed. 
They were sent to this office by Mr. J. S. Wood¬ 
ward of Lockport N. Y. and drawn by our 
artist without the slightest embellishment 
Mr. Woodward informs us that the seed was 
produced by a cross between the Concord and 
Cassady, the latter, a hardy wiiite grape, the 
pollen parent. The seeds from this cross 
were sown in 1808 and produced several 
varieties, of which only the Niagara was 
