-16- 
years will be the source of much enjoyment and satisfaction to any 
family; and when the vines are once well established they will last 
-almost a lifetime. Where one is near a town of any size, a vineyard 
of a few hundred vines may be made to pay, provided the right 
sorts are planted; early varieties are the ones to plant for profit, the 
earlier the better; very early grapes of only medium quality are 
generally more profitable than later ones of good quality; but a va¬ 
riety possessing extreme earliness in connection with good quality, 
is what we need. Generally, in the markets of the West, dark 
grapes sell better than the light ones, while in the East the reverse 
is the case. With grapes, as with all other fruits when grown for 
market, too many varieties should not be planted. 
SOIL. 
Grapes succeed best on a warm, well-drained soil, sloping to¬ 
wards the south. The spring is the best season for planting ; vines 
are usually set 6 to 8 feet apart, in rows 8 feet apart ; 
at these distances, requiring 680 and 900 vines, respect¬ 
ively, to set an acre. One and two-year old vines are gen¬ 
erally planted; two-year old vines cost from one-third to one- 
half more than one-year old vines, but they are stronger, and, as 
a rule, will give fruit earlier. AVhen ready to plant, ample holes 
should be dug to receive the vines; if the roots are very long, say 
from 18 to 24 inches, they should be shortened, and spread out in i 
all directions, not more than 6 or 8 inches from the surface, in 
order that they may get more warmth, and also have a richer soil 
in which to grow; broken or ground bones, old shoes, rich earth, or 
any fertilizing material, mixed with the soil when filling in, will be 
of much benefit. The grape, like the majority of plants, does best 
when well fed. 
After vines are set they should be cut back to within two or 
three buds of the old wood. For the first two years the method of 
pruning is practically the same for any system of training that is to 
be adopted later. The first fall after planting pruning consists in 
cutting back nearly to the ground again, leaving only a spur of 
three or four buds ; the second season two canes should be allowed 
to grow; on good soil and under proper cultivation, strong growing 
varieties should make a growth of five or six feet the second season ; 
if so, one branch should be cut back to within three buds again, and 
the other, which is intended to bear, should be cut back to within 
three or four feet. If vines are not strong enough to produce a good 
growth of wood, they are too weak to bear fruit; as they grow older 
and are stronger three to five canes may be left to fruit—those that 
start within a foot or two of the root are preferable ; these shoots are 
trained out in fan shape on trellis or to posts. This mode of train¬ 
ing and trimming is known as the fan system. The following is a 
plan of trellis which is much used : Durable posts are set 16 to 18 feet 
