26 
SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE 
baskets and it takes his fancy; whereas if he has to wait to 
have them weighed he won’t have them. The four baskets 
and crate will cost you about 16 cents, and will net you 
double. 
I do not claim that every kind of grape will succeed here, 
but as many as in any other section. 
When you make up your mind to start a vineyard, select a 
dry place. If not dry it should be made so by drainage. If 
it is new land rid the ground of all roots and do not allow 
any piles of brush to decay to feed insects, t ut burn them and 
scatter the ashes on the ground. Plow the ground deep and 
harrow it well. When your ground is ready run your rows 
ten feet apart, from north to south, if possible. Plant your 
vines ten feet apart. Dig your holes two feet square by 
eighteen inches to two feet deep. 
Select varieties that will ripen well here. Get good strong 
2-year-old vines and see that they have roots on all sides and 
were not propagaged from layers. If so the roots will be all 
on one side. When planted upright the side on which no 
roots are formed begins to rot and this gradually extends up 
the vine and ihe unnourished side until in three or four years 
the novice finds he has a vine about at the end of its career, 
and wonders at his misfortune. This is one cause of so many 
failures. 
We can raise as large and fine grapes as they can north of 
the same kind. The Delaware grows to perfection, and for a 
table grape it has no equal. . The Niagara is a showy grape 
and sells well. The Ives is a good shipper and sells well. 
Pruning is of vital importance for the production of good 
fruit. Some claim that it should be done in the last of No¬ 
vember or first of December. I cannot agree with them. I 
would not prune until the buds begin to swell, then you can 
see all dead and deficient wood and remove it. I have pruned 
late for the last three years and have had a full crop. 
The late freeze did me but little damage ; my grapes were 
not far enough out to be hurt and are fruiting nicely. Ac¬ 
cording to reports, in West Florida those that were out and 
were killed are setting new fruit and will make a fair crop, 
but a little late. I am unable to say what damage was done 
in the eastern and middle part of the state. 
It is impossible to lay down any set rule for pruning. 
Different grapes require different pruning. I would recom¬ 
mend the renewal system. 
Grapes need cvltivation, and unless you can give it you 
need not expect to have fine grapes. Cultivate at least once 
every fifteen days until the middle of June, and with new 
vines until the middle of September. 
