343 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 21, 1920 
Send today for a copy of our 
, 1920 general catalog—168 
} pages, profusely illustrated—98 
'J pages showing 275 Salzer vari- 
/;i eties in full color. A postcard 
I- will bring it to you—Free. 
Hoffman's Seed Oats 
S IX VARIETIES — unstained — sound — 
heavy, weigh 42 to 46-lbs. per measured 
bushel — unclipped. Grains here shown are 
"Climax,” ‘tree’ or ‘spangle’ type. Heavy 
yielder. An early oats, rust resistant- does 
not lodge —thin hull—plump grain inside— 
full bushel weighs 46 Ids. —A dependable 
kind to sow. 
Other kinds offered include "Bumper Crop” 
—"Swedish Select” — “Silvermine” — “Peer¬ 
less” and “Improved White Russian.” The last-named 
ia a true ‘side’ or ‘horsemane’ type of great merit— 
very prolific — plump — thin-hulled — heavy kernels. 
The finest side oats. Write for free oats samples. 
Northwest brand Clover— Alfalfa—Alsike and Tim¬ 
othy. Very best seed that grows, regardless of cost. 
Pi < duced in short, cold seasons of the north. Cleaned to per¬ 
fection. New seed cf stronRest vitality. If you believe in ti e 
best seed, sow Northwest brand—results are sure. Samples 
free. 
Seed Com—For your crib or silo. Nine distinct 
types. Grown in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. 
Soundest germination. 
Write today for 
Seed Book and Samples 
Both are free for the asking. Mention this paper. 
A. H. HOFFMAN, Ikg., Landisville,Lanc£s‘erCo.,Pa. 
Choicest qualities of Canada Peas—Soy Benns 
— t ow Pans—all Spring Grains and Crasser— 
Mb ir.e Seed Potatoes, and all other farm seeds. 
F OR fifty-two years Salzer’s Seeds 
have been famous as seeds cf unusual 
merit. Thousands cf planters have used 
them with success. 
Salzer’s Seeds are pure bred strains, 
of proven vitality, demonstrated in ac¬ 
tual soil tests. Salzer high quality is 
the result of constant effort to produce 
better crops. 
JOHN A. SALZER SEED COMPANY 
America'• Largest Mail Order Seed I'ouse 
Box 144 La Crosse, Wisconsin 
rr stands aloni 
DICKINSON’S 
PINE TREE BRAND SEEDS 
Timothy, Clover, Alfalfa and 
Other Field Seeds 
FOR BETTER CROPS 
If Your Dealer Cannot Furnish This Brand 
WRITE 
THE ALBERT DICKINSON CO. 
MINNEAPOLIS CHICAGO 
Boone County White 
Of the Shenadoah Valley 
That “old reliable” corn, grown in the “Shen¬ 
adoah Valley”, and under expert supervision. 
PRICE 
On cob, per 70-Ib. bushel, crated ..... $5.00 
Nutbed and shelled, bushel.4.50 
Send Money Order or Check 
WETSEL SEED CO. 
The FARMER SEEDSMEN 
HARRISONBURG, VA. 
FOR SALE 
rniUT TDITI7C »*’ Hearing age only. 
rKUIl 1 1X11.11,0 apples, pears, plums 
8 to 10 feet, 10 for J9.00 I 4 to a feet, 10 for $5.00 
AH trees gnaranted true to name and fresh dug when 
ordered, also a full line of Berry Baskets, Shipping 
Grates, Bushel Staves and Pieking Baskets. 
I__1 D FRUIT and BERRY FARM 
Joseph oartKe, cat»kill, n. y. 
FOR 
SALE 
Milk Bottles, Cans, Churn ‘C'li'S.’K?“ 
FFS 
&000 bushels. Tested 
and sure to grow. 
Finest quality. 20 
m p p —w leading varieties. 
£ y A Iso seed oats, barley, 
„ _ __ . . grass seed, etc. 
iflDra Ham pi es on applica- 
VVhll tion. 1200 acres. Be 
sure to get our new catalog. 
Write today* W. N. HcarfTA; Sons, 
New Carlisle, Ohio. 
Pruning the Grape 
The Whole Story Plainly Told 
Tart I. 
In your issue of March S, 1019, F. H. 
Gladwiu gives an excellent article on the 
grape situation in general, but what we 
want and would appreciate greatly now, 
at pruning time, is to hear from him on 
pruning, especially Concord and Worden, 
the two main crops, early and later. I 
have always trimmed my own grapes with 
good success, but am willing to learn 
more. IIow many canes should be left on 
a good, thrifty Concord vine, and how 
many buds to a cane, also to the W orden ? 
IIow should they be trimmed and tied up? 
There are many growers here who hire 
men to trim who do not understand it 
thoroughly, and consequently the vines 
suffer more or less. C. G. J. 
Broeton, N Y. 
An Important Matter. —To many it 
has seemed that grape pruning is a hit-or- 
miss operation, and when done by the un¬ 
skilled it has often so proven. Funda¬ 
mentally the pruning of any plant, and 
not the least the vine, should be. based 
on the well-defined laws of plant growth 
and the functions of the various parts of 
the plant kept in mind. By far too little 
attention is given by the average grape 
grower to the permanent maintenance of 
his vines in good condition through the 
medium of proper pruning. lie usually 
does not see farther ahead than the next 
crop, and trusts to wise Providence to 
carry on from that point. Of course, it 
is impossible to state how much of the 
deterioration of the vines in this State is 
due to improper pruning, but from several 
years’ observation about the State there 
is no doubt in my mind that this, with 
an insufficient return to the soil of a part 
at least of the elements of fertility re¬ 
moved, answers the query of why the poor 
general condition of the vines in the com¬ 
mercial plantings about the State. 
A Casein Point. —The writer has seen 
time and time again within the past 10 
years newly planted vineyards that made 
an excellent start and grew well up till 
the period of the first crop, and then from 
that time decline to nothing. M ithin a 
stone’s throw of my office there is such a 
vineyard. Five years ago this vineyard 
' its first crop at the third year from 
planting. The yield was high, as four 
and five canes of about 10 buds each were 
tied up. The year this crop was borne 
the canes and buds matured so poorly that 
they winter-killed badly. But this was 
not the most severe effect of improper 
pruning. The heavy load of fruit borne 
so taxed the root systems that there was 
but little plant food reserves stqred. and 
as a consequence the root area did not 
isufficiently increase to supply the de¬ 
mands of the fruit, while at the same time 
the plant food elaborated in the green 
parts was not sufficient to nourish the 
roots properly. As a consequence stems 
and roots were badly injured by the ’Win¬ 
ter cold. This vineyard today has not 
recovered, nor can it until the owner 
learns to prune intelligently. 
Root Functions. —Tt should be gen¬ 
erally known that the root system of any 
plant is the medium by which the raw 
food materials are collected from the soil ; 
that the stem or trunk conducts these to 
the leafy parts, and that in the green por¬ 
tions of the plant under the influence of 
light, the raw materials from the soil are 
combined with substances from the air 
into products closely resembling starch. 
Further changes take place and the then 
soluble products are transferred from the 
leaves to the canes, the fruit, the arms, 
trunk and to the roots. It is'believed by 
some that since the roots are in direct 
contact with the soil, containing the es¬ 
sential plant food elements, the roots are 
assured nutriment at first: hand. Before 
the elements of the soil assimilate they 
must pass through the process of manu¬ 
facture just briefly touched on. The roots 
are often the most starved portion of the 
vine, especially if the food channels are 
interrupted through girdle, or when the 
demands of the fruit development are ex¬ 
cessive. It is one of the laws of nature 
that a plant will give all energy to seed 
development at the expense of its veg- 
etabls parts. 
Foliage Requirements. —It should be 
clearly understood that while the roots 
are necessary for the plant’s existence, 
green-leaf surface is just as necessary to 
keep the roots alive. The color of the 
leaf is an index of the efficiency of the 
food factory housed therein. The richer 
and deeper the green, the more favored 
are the conditions for food manufacture. 
Yellow or yellowish green foliage indicates 
little food elaboration. From the fore¬ 
going it is plain that there is a * .t de¬ 
pendence between the aerial ar .ubter- 
ranean parts of the vine. If rr® ibsorp- 
tion and conduction be interr ,ed. the 
aerial parts are likely to su Like¬ 
wise, if the leaf surface be »o greatly 
reduced when the growth activities are 
at their height, then the nutrition of the 
root system is interfered with. 
Reserve Nutrition. —During the first 
few days of the vine’s growth following 
the dormant period, leaf and shoot growth 
are at the expense of the food reserves 
stored in the roots and the older aerial 
parts. The stored reserves vary from sea¬ 
son to season, depending on the climatic 
condition, and the amount consumed in 
maturing the previous crop of fruit. The 
larger the crop matured, the less the re¬ 
serves stored. When this supply has 
been lowered to a certain point the vital¬ 
ity of the vine has been lessened, likewise 
the response to the awakening of activity 
of growth in the Spring is slower and of 
a weakened nature. It is then evident 
that all the new growth that is not needed 
for fruiting purposes should he removed 
as soon as or shortly after it starts, since 
the stored reserves should go to the per¬ 
manent parts only if they would he con¬ 
served. Hence the practice of suckering 
in mid-season is fundamentally wrong. If 
these growths are allowed to remain till 
such time, it is far bettor that they re¬ 
main throughout the growing season, for 
from this time on they a e capable of sup¬ 
porting themselves through food manu¬ 
facture in their leaves. Thee is some 
possibility that a few non-fruif ; ng shoots 
serve the purpose of food manufacture in 
excess of their reru :,- erpen f s, to the end 
that the vine as a whole is better nour¬ 
ished. 
Balance of Root and Top. —Pruning 
of the vine should take in'o cop side ation 
the balance of root and top, for if this 
balance be disturbed tlie fruit yield fluc¬ 
tuates, and a weakened or a rank-growing 
vine results. Overpruniug, as a rule, re¬ 
duces the amount of the fruit, while it 
tends to an increased develonment. of cane 
growth. Conversely, underpruning results 
in much poorly matured and undersized 
fruit, with scant wood. 
Close Pruning.—A s a general rule the 
vine should be closer pruned following a 
year of heavy yield, for, as already stated, 
the reserves of food have been quite large¬ 
ly utilized in the maturity of the large 
crop. However, under favorable cli¬ 
matic conditions during the growing and 
maturing periods, the leaf area may have 
been sufficient to have provided a supply 
for storage, which will be utilized the fol¬ 
lowing year. It does not follow, how¬ 
ever. that longer in-lining can be prac¬ 
ticed if a light crop has just preceded, 
for the leaf area may have been propor¬ 
tional to the crop, or even insufficient. 
Scant, wood growth at the close of a grow¬ 
ing season is a sure indication that the 
root system is not sufficient to support a 
crop in excess of that just matured. Not 
alone should the viucyardist take into con¬ 
sideration the amount of cane growth that 
has been grown together with the yield 
in judging the vines’ capabili'ies for the 
.succeeding season, but he should carefully 
consider the maturity of the fruit and 
canes. If, as in 1917. both are but poorly 
ripened, it is a safe assumption that the 
vine has laid by but minimum reserves, 
and he should prune more closely. Fre¬ 
quently, as in the Winter of 1917-191K. 
nature does the close pruning for him. 
The crop of 191S was a fair index of the 
actual capabilities of the vines. Had no 
buds been killed by the cold that Winter, 
it. is very probable that another poorly 
matured crop would have resulted in 191S. 
Fruiting and Cane Growth. — In my 
•minion the character of the fruit is a 
better index of the vine’s capability to 
produce a crop the succeeding year than 
the extent of cane growth, and that both 
the character of the preceding crop and 
the amount and maturity of cane growth 
is a better index than either one. It is 
unfortunate that, all too frequently the 
pruning of graoevines has to be done by 
one who sees them but in their dormant 
condition. If to him the vine lias seemed 
to have made a fair to good growth, he 
prunes to the max-’mum number of buds, 
no consideration being given to fruit pro¬ 
duction of the previous year. The grower, 
on the other hand, who prunes his own 
vines usually sees but the next crop, and 
is quite prone to underprune, especially 
if the selling p’-iee of grapes promises to 
he above the average. Quite frequently 
it has come within the wvi'er’s notice that 
where the owner has employed a profes¬ 
sional primer to do the pruning, he has 
instructed him to prune to four or five 
canes, regardless of the vine’s condition 
or past performance. If the crop that 
followed was average or above, the owner 
and the pruner were vindicated. If. 
however, as frequently happens, the crop 
was not un to expectations, the pruner 
had not followed instructions to the let¬ 
ter. It goes without saying that no one 
can lay down hard and fast rules within 
an office or a house as to the degree of 
pruning to be given to each individual 
vine in a 10-acre field. Each vine is a 
problem in itself, and the problem must 
be solved by the one who has been closest 
to that vine throughout its growing sea¬ 
son. If the owner of a vineyard must 
hire his pruning done, it is his duty to 
exercise close supervision over the work. 
This is only fair to the man so engaged. 
F. E. GLADWIN. 
