1858. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
307 
er confined to short roots, but hare a better hold upon 
the soil, and It has been found that no loss whatever 
results from this cause, however unfavorable the sea¬ 
son, on a thoroughly drained soil. 
A little testimony on this point may not be out of 
place here. Maxwell Brothers of Geneva, tell us, 
in the Transactions of the N. Y. State Ag. Society for 
1855, about draining a day field which previously 
could r.ot be worked for spring crops in season for sow¬ 
ing, and heaved so badly as to ruin winter crops, 
which draining has rendered as mellow and productive 
as eita be desired, so that they can cultivate immedi¬ 
ately after heavy rains, and grow wheat and clover 
without loss from frost. John Johnston of Seneca 
county, has given pointed evidence on the subject, 
both in ou.r own columns and in other publications By 
draining he has so improved his clayey farm that no 
loss is suffered from this cause, though formerly it was 
a source of great injury to the crops in the low lands, 
entirely ruining wheat, and destroying it in many 
places upon the higher parte of the farm. Many like 
eases of the beneficial results of draining in this re¬ 
spect coald be given were it needful, to our readers. 
- - -«— e~9 - 
Items In Grape -Culture— Pruning Old Fines—Graft¬ 
ing Grapes. 
'The rule given in books and papers concerning the 
pruning of the grape, almost invariably refer to the 
management of young plants just taken from the nur¬ 
sery. But there are thousands of vines in all parts of 
the country which were neglected while in that form¬ 
ing period. What shall be done with them ? Let us 
look atone as a specimen. Here are three or four 
large, stiff trunks, running up six or eight feet, entire¬ 
ly destitute of branches, but having a dump of mat¬ 
ted shoots on the top of the frame, which bear a little 
fru.iL By the side of these trunks, and shooting out 
at the roots, are half a dozen suckers, young and vig¬ 
orous. .Mow, as it would weaken the vine to cut it all 
down at once, .(in order to get new shoots for training 
according to rule,) would it not be well to saw off the 
old trunks close to the ground, cut out all the suckers 
except three or four of the strongest, and shorten back 
even those to four or five feet from the ground 7 These 
canes may then be tied to the trellis, three or four feet 
apart. Undoubtedly the vine so treated would show 
some signs of improvement the first year, and still 
more the second year, if not neglected. To ensure the 
productiveness of the canes on the lower part of the 
vine, it would be advisable to tie the canes in spring 
horieontaUy to the trellis bars until the lower buds 
were well pushed i then they might be tied up again 
more erect. Will experienced fruit-growers suggest 
any improvements on this method 7 
As it is sometimes as useful to record failures as 
successes, allow me to give an account of my ill suc¬ 
cess in grafting old grape-vines. Last spring, wishing 
to ingraft the Bebecca and Delaware grapes upon 
stocks of the Catawba and the large blue Fox grape, 
I consulted the fruit books on the subject, and chose 
just the righttime for the operation,via., “ as soon as the 
leavesof the old vine or stock are fully expanded,and all 
danger of bleeding is past”—(Downing.) The stocks 
were cut off below the surface, and the scions insert¬ 
ed in the usual cleft manner, grafting-wax put on, and 
the earth drawn carefully around the scions, leaving 
only one bud above the ground. Weeks and months 
passed, but the scions failed to start. Suckers from 
the stocks pushed up vigorously, but were constantly 
pulled off'. At length, however, the bud of one of the 
grafts began to look green, to swell, to burst open, to 
grow! And it continues to grow up to the present 
time. But all the others are black and dry. The only 
way I can account for the failure and the success, is 
this 3 The lost scions were not shaded from the sun, 
and consequently became dry before a vital connection 
was formed between them and the stocks. The scion 
which grew was accidentally shaded by a neighboring 
vine. Is this a sufficient explanation 7 If not, who 
will give one 7 A. ». G . 
Milch. Cows—The Value of Blood. 
At one of the fairs of the Bristol (Mass.) Ag. Socie¬ 
ty, the committee on milch cows found fourteen animals 
exhibited by several persons, presenting a uniformity 
in points of excellence and general appearance, which 
would be extraordinary were it not known to be the re¬ 
sult of attention and adherence to blood. The character 
of this family of stock—bred by Mr. Rodman, in New 
Bedford—has been established and maintained for 
many years. These cows present a practical lesson, 
which we have thought worth recalling for our readers. 
Some twenty-five years ago Mr. Rodman owned a 
valuable Alderney cow, which he bred to an imported 
Short-Horn bull of an excellent milking family. The 
produee of this cross was a cow, which lived to a great 
age, and was invaluable for the dairy. From herself 
and first calf, by a Short-Horn bull, descended all the 
animals spoken of above—all got by Ayrshire bulls of 
acknowledged excellence. Neither of the cows ever 
produced an indifferent milker, and their dairy quali¬ 
ties have been transmitted to their descendants even 
distantly removed—ail are noted for a large yield of 
rich milk. “Oan the same,” ask the committee from 
whose report we condense the above, “ be said of any 
yard whose owners have depended upon chance cows 
and drove bulls 1” 
-a- 
Tar a Preventive of Hog Cholera. 
Messrs. Eeitors —The hog cholera has made sad 
havoc among our hogs this and the preceding year— 
some farmers losing nearly their entire stock. No cure 
has yet been found, I believe, that will cure after 
hogs have got it once, or at least we do not know any¬ 
thing that will 
I will give you what I consider a preventive, and 
prevention is better than cure. Ten or twelve died 
for me during last summer and fall, without anything 
of the various remedies recommended having the 
least effect on them. Through winter only one died 
for me. This summer more hogs have died by far 
than last year in our neighborhood, while only one has 
died for me, which commenced to vomit in the morn¬ 
ing, and before noon was dead. After that I com¬ 
menced feeding corn in the ear, well tarred, to my 
hogs, once a day, and have done so ever since, except 
I give them only once in two or three days at present. 
Not one has had any known symptoms of cholera since, 
while my next neighbors have lost more than the half 
of their entire stock. 
Is tar a preventive, or is it only luck that my hogs 
have not had the cholera since I commenced feeding 
! tar. Henry Keller. 
