174 
THE CULTIVATOR 
May. 
It should not be forgotten that the love of home, the cul¬ 
tivation of Fruits and Flowers, and all those employ¬ 
ments which enliven and bless home, were intended by 
God to contribute to mental equanimity.” 
Trellis for Grapes. 
One of the cheapest and most durable structures for 
this purpose, is described in a late number of the Wes¬ 
tern Horticultural Review. Substantial and durable 
posts are set in the ground fifty feet apart, those at the 
ends being planted deeply and firmly. Through these, 
half-inch holes are bored at twenty, forty, and sixty in¬ 
ches from the ground, and good annealed No. 8 or 9 
wire passed through. It is fastened at the outer-posts 
by driving into the hole from the outside, a pin of hard 
wood, around which the wire is wound close to the post, 
which prevents it from drawing through. Intermediate 
supports, if wanted, are made by driving stakes having 
notches cut obliquely downwards with a saw for each 
wire, and fastening with a nail. One or two additional 
wires in height would be preferred by most cultivators. 
A coat of white paint on the wires, would remove the 
objection sometimes made to them,—that of becoming 
too much heated in the sun. 
Protection of Grape-vines from Rose Bugs. 
Eds. Cultivator —After many trials, I think I have 
discovered a very easy, cheap, and effectual method of 
protecting grapes from the ravages of the Rose bug. 
The history of the discovery is as follows: Being situated 
in East Haddam, Connecticut, where we have steamboat 
navigation, and facilities for transportation to almost 
every part of the country, I concluded to commence the 
cultivation of Isabella Grape-vines, for market. When 
I first began my grape nursery, I was surprised to find 
that the Rose bugs, which were so destructive elsewhere, 
did not meddle with my vines in the nursery; but at 
first I supposed that it was because the vines were in a 
new place, where the bugs did not happen to find them. 
The like happened from year to year, till I began to 
think that it was because these vines lay on the ground, 
that the rose bugs did not meddle with them. To de¬ 
termine this point, I laid some branches of my larger 
vines on the ground, and had the satisfaction of finding 
that the buds, blossoms and fruit, which were formed 
within a few inches of the ground, were never molested 
by the rose bug. I then concluded, that I had made a 
desirable discovery, and I requested a number of my 
friends to try it, and their success has corresponded very 
exactly with my own. So that for the last two or three 
years, when the rose bugs have been very abundant, my 
friends and myself, have been uniformly successful in 
preserving from their ravages all the grapes which grew 
on those vines, which we laid on the ground, before they 
leaved out. The rose bugs never disturb the grapes 
after they begin to have a sour taste. This taste they 
generally acquire, as soon as they attain the size of large 
shot. At this period of their growth the grape-vines 
should be set up on a trellis, the side of a building, or a 
fence or tied to stakes, or put into other situations which 
will allow them plenty of both air and sunshine ; for the 
grapes which continue to be on the ground, do not grow 
and ripen as well as those which are set up. The vines 
should be laid down before they leave out in the spring. 
By this method of proceeding, I should think that I 
I last year obtained more fruit, from one of my grape¬ 
vines, than the whole amount which I had obtained from 
that vine, by every other method which I had tried with 
it, in 20 years before. By this method of proceeding, 
my Isabella grape-vines, have several times, been so 
much overloaded with fruit, that it became necessary to 
lighten their load considerably , in order to prevent the 
whole from blasting. And here let me say to the lovers 
of good grapes, that when the fruit on a vine, which is 
heavily laden with fruit, begins to turn brown, and ap¬ 
pears to be sunburnt, both the good of the vine, and the 
value of the crop, require that the vine should be un¬ 
loaded of a part of its burden. 
In setting up the vines which have been laid on the 
ground, it is highly important, that they should be put 
up in such a manner that the same sides of the leaves, 
which grew next the sun, while the vine lay on the 
ground, should be placed next the sun when the vine is 
set up again, otherwise the health and vigor of the vine 
will be so much injured, that the growth of the fruit will 
be checked. 
If the vine is to be set again in a perpendicular pos¬ 
ture, the spreading branches of some tree, may be cut off, 
before they leave out, and the vine may be laid on these 
leafless branches and tied to them, or a moveable trellis 
may be laid on the ground, either west, north, or east, but 
not south, from the roots of the vine. The vine may be 
be laid on this trellis, and tied to it, and at the proper 
time, the vine with the trellis, or the branches of the 
tree, may be set up, with much less injury to the branch¬ 
es and leaves of the vine, than if the vine was brought 
up alone. And if the vine is laid down west, or north, 
or east from its roots, there will be much less difficulty, 
in placing the leaves, in a proper position, than if the 
vine was laid down south of its roots. The sooner it is 
set up after the grapes are large enough to be safe against 
the rose bugs, the less will the vine be injured by moving. 
But where there is room, and where it is advisable to 
place the vine in a horizontal, instead of a perpendicular 
position, poles or rails of a sufficient length, to give 
suitable expansion to its branches, may be laid on the 
ground, and across the trunk of the main branch of the 
vine, at the distance of perhaps three feet from each 
other, and beginning perhaps four feet from the main 
root, then the vine may be laid down on the poles or 
rails, with the branches extended, in such a manner as 
to give plenty of room for the air and sunshine. And 
when the proper time arrives to set up the vines, the 
ends of the poles, or rails, may be laid up on to crotch¬ 
es, or posts, three or four feet high, and the thing is done 
at once. 
I shall not attempt at this time, to tell the reason why 
the rose bugs will not eat the grapes which lie on the 
ground, but a number of years’ experience, has uniform¬ 
ly shown that they will not do it. Asa M. Holt. East 
Hoddam, Conn., Feb., 1851. 
-- 
Horticultural Prizes. —The Boston Horticultural 
Society, always first in liberality, means and enterprize, 
awarded the past year, $650. for flowers, plants, &c.j 
