RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1087 
Process of Inarching Grape Vines 
I F it is desirable to escape the ravages of phyllox¬ 
era or the grape root-worm in order to prolong 
the life of or -multiply a Vinifera variety of grape (or 
for that matter any variety of grape, whether Vini¬ 
fera, native Labrusca or hybrid cross), and the sea¬ 
son is not propitious for the usual method of graft¬ 
ing as related on page 584, then “inarching” in June 
is a sure method of accomplishing longer life, num¬ 
ber of vines and more abundant fruit from stronger 
roots and consequent longer pruning. 
Any two vines—one for the stock and one for the 
scion—are planted close together so that their grow¬ 
ing tops can be brought into close contact. In June 
of the first year (or in July if growth is sufficiently 
strong then), or in same month in second year, or 
as soon as the young shoots become sufficiently hard 
and woody to bear the knife, a shoot is taken from 
both the stock and the scion vine and bent close to 
each other and at a convenient place, where they 
may be brought in contact, a shaving is taken out 
from each of these, on the side next to the other, for 
a length of two or three inches. (Be sure that the 
length and width of the cut is the same length and 
width on each.) This must be done with a smooth 
cut of a sharp knife, a little deeper than the inner 
bark, so as to obtain on each a fiat sur¬ 
face. If there is a difference in the 
caliper diameter measure of the shoots 
of the two vines, the smaller of two 
should be cut the depth it will stand 
and the heavier vine should be cut only 
to meet the requirements of thinner 
vine. 
They are then fitted snugly together 
so that -the inner hark joins as much 
as possible and are tied together with 
heavy woolen stocking yarn, winding 
it around the two inarched vines, cross¬ 
ing the yarn on each side like a laced 
shoestring, from below to above the 
cuts, fitting the cuts on each side as 
progress is made and tying at top just 
above the cuts securely. The lap of 
yarn should be just close enough to 
draw the two sides intimately together, 
but not to exclude aii and sun. Be¬ 
sides this, it is well to place an extra 
tie a little below and one above the 
grafted point, and also to tie the united 
canes to a stake or trellis, to insure 
against all Chances of loosening by the 
swaying of the wind. 
The young growth will naturally 
swell rapidly at this season of the 
year, and the grafts should be exam¬ 
ined after a few weeks, replacing any 
ties which may have burst and loosen¬ 
ing others which are cutting into the 
Avood too deeply (good practice is to 
re-tie above and below the graft with raffia instead 
of avooI yarn, and then at Intervals Avith raffia as 
the avooI yarn is removed—as the raffia stretches 
and the avooI yarn Avill not). 
A union is generally made in the course of two 
or (three weeks, and goes on perfecting in complete¬ 
ness until Fall. During this time the sun and wind 
will thoroughly ripen and harden the wood, and 
the raffia ties can be^ left on until Fall, if not too 
tight. The shoots themselves are left to grow the 
rest of the season. It has also been proved that the 
union can be much improved if the scion is ringed 
below the inarch about a week after making the 
inarch, so as to throw the return sap from the scion 
through the inarch contact to increase the layer of 
cambium around the inarch. 
In the Fall, if a good union has been made, the 
cane forming the scion is cut close below the union 
with the stock cane, and the top of the stock cane 
is cut close above the connection. No suckers should 
be allowed to start from the stock, as they would 
rob the scion of nourishment. Cover the scion for 
a • Winter or two by bending down and covering 
with six to eight inches of dirt to prevent frost from 
splitting the union apart. 
As stated above, if there is a difference in caliper 
diameter measure of the shoots of the tA\ r o A’ines, 
the smaller of the two should be cut first to the 
depth it will stand and the heavier vine should be 
only deep enough to meet the requirements of the 
thinner vine, and tied as directed. There is no dan¬ 
ger of either side drying out if done properly, as 
both sides will furnish moisture enough to make the 
union if the Avork is done at the time suggested 
above, which is in accordance with my experience 
for 20 years. Neither should there be any cloth or 
wrapping around the inarch to exclude plenty of air 
around the tie made by the Avoolen yarn or later 
with raffia at intervals. 
This method is so utterly simple and easily accom¬ 
plished that its very simplicity has been the evident 
occasion of its being overlooked, and for this rea¬ 
son, together with the remarkable success it has 
demonstrated has led to this article, as well as that 
of April 5, 1924. J. k. gross. 
Pennsylvania. 
W 1 
More in the Man Than the Land 
U 
'SUALLY, Avhen we hear that an Eastern farmer 
has sold out and moved South or West, Ave con¬ 
clude that he has been financially ruined. Yet that 
is not always true. 
The Sussex (N. .T.) Independent recently printed 
an advertisement of a farm sale. There were 20 
head of good cattle, work horses, poultry and the 
entire outfit of tools needed on a successful farm. 
You might think that this was a case where a farm 
had been foreclosed for debt or where the farmer 
had made a signal failure. Yet that Avas not so, as 
the folloAving from the Sussex Independent will 
prove. Here was a man who did more than A\ r ell on 
a New Jersey farm until forced by ill health to seek a 
A White Wyandotte—of what is known as the “dumpling” type. This bird is very 
useful as a general purpose fowl. She is a good layer, matures quickly, produces a 
good broiler, and is a quiet, good-natured citizen of the barnyard. 
more congenial climate. There are many more like 
him—men who have worked quietly, taken advan¬ 
tage of opportunity and made a success Avithout 
bluff, bluster or complaint. 
About 15 years ago Sylvanus Huberts bought the 
Simeon Mabee farm, near Harmony Vale. Mr. Roberts’ 
whole earthly possession at that time was about $200 
in money. But Mr. Mabee believed in him, liked his 
turn, admired his character and purposes in life, and 
was not afraid to give him title to the farm and hold a 
mortgage on that kind of a man. In addition to all 
this, Mr. Roberts had a good wife. They agreed, joined 
talents, aims and objects in life. Several years ago they 
paid off the last dollar of mortgaged indebtedness and 
all improvements, built a 10-acre lake on the farm, 
erected and improved the buildings, raised a family of 
10 children and educated them. Two years ago Mr. 
Roberts developed bronchial trouble which taxed his 
health greatly. Experts decided he should cease to live 
here and advised that he remove to a higher altitude. 
Three or four months ago he went to El Paso, Tex., 
Avhere his bronchial trouble ceased at once. Coming 
home to try again, the old trouble returned again. This 
forced decisive action. He sold the farm to John Max- 
field of Butler, and on July 15 will sell all his personal 
property at public auction, and with two cars move 
across country to Texas to settle there, hoping to get 
the relief anticipated. The farm brought nearly twice 
what he paid for it. He and his family are moving with 
the. greatest of regrets. It all shows that it is the in¬ 
dividual more than the farm or its location that means 
success. He made money, with more than the average 
drawbacks, while many of his neighbors did not. The 
story speaks for itself. Texas will gain what New Jer¬ 
sey has lost. All who know them will hope for Mr. 
Roberts’ permanent relief in his new location. 
3 bear a great deal nowadays about the strug¬ 
gle between man and these tiny but multi¬ 
tudinous animals known as insects. We even have 
editorials on the subject in our daily newspapers, 
Avhich is evidence that Ave are coming to realize there 
is a real fight for existence between man and in¬ 
sects. One realizes this more keenly Avlien these 
tiny ubiquitous animals are seen not only de¬ 
vouring our crops, attacking our live stock, and in¬ 
fecting man himself with disease and destruction, 
but are actually found eating up the \ r ery houses in 
which Ave live. The experience of O. E. L. is not 
an uncommon one, even in the United States, al¬ 
though occurrences of this kind are much more com¬ 
mon in the tropics. Indeed, in portions of South 
Africa and of other tropical countries, buildings and 
furniture and Avoodwork of all kinds are completely 
destroyed by those small, whitish, ant-like insects 
knwn as “Avliite ants,” or termites. A notable trav¬ 
eler in tropical Africa says, “You build your house, 
perhaps, and for a feAV months fancy you have 
pitched upon the one solitary site in the country 
Avhere there are no AA'liite ants. But one day sud¬ 
denly the door post totters, and lintel and rafters 
come doAvn together with a crash, ’the apparently 
solid logs of which the rest of the house is built are 
iioav mere cylinders of bark, and 
through the thickest of them you could 
push your little finger. Furniture, 
tables, chairs, chests of drawers, every¬ 
thing made of Avood, is inevitably at¬ 
tacked, and in a single night a strong 
trunk is often riddled through and 
through and turned into matclnvood; 
and in many parts of Africa 1 believe 
if a man lay down to sleep with a 
wooden leg it would be a heap of saw¬ 
dust in the morning.” 
In this country, the termites dam¬ 
age telephone and telegraph poles, rail¬ 
road ties, mine props, fence posts and 
similar Avooden structures in contact 
Avitli the ground, and they also, at 
times, attack the floors of basempnts 
and timbers of buildings near the 
ground or in contact with it. There 
are a few instances on record in which 
the termites have actually destroyed 
buildings similar to this instance relat¬ 
ed by O. L. L. The workers of termites 
are blind, and they ahvays avoid the 
light. Therefore, the injuries of these 
insects are hidden and often unknown 
until a building collapses or a beam 
gives Avay. They usually enter the tim¬ 
bers through the sides or ends which 
are in contact with the ground, and 
thus gain entrance unknown to the 
oAvner. When these insects have once 
gained access to the timbers it is often 
difficult to eradicate them. This, hoAvever, is true. 
If the white ants already in the wood are shut off 
from the source of their supply of moisture in the 
ground they will dry up and die, since they cannot 
live without moisture. All that needs to be done to 
lcill them is to disconnect the timbers that they are 
in from the earth. 
The foundations of buildings in regions Avhere 
termites are troublesome should be of concrete, or 
brick, or stone, and the timbers in basement Avails 
should be kept UAvay from the ground. O. L. L. may 
have to remove the siding, and even cut out the in¬ 
fested timbers, unless he can find out Avhere the 
termites are entering from the earth, and break up 
their connection with the soil, and keep it broken. 
The soil may have to be dug away from the side of 
the house, and the sills of the house supported on a 
brick or concrete Avail, to break the connection of 
the insects with the ground. glenn w. hebrick. 
Insects That Eat Up Homes 
Can you give me some information about an insect or 
grub which has infested one side of our house? They 
are in framework, studding, etc. Some time ago we had 
an outside shed completely destroyed by the same grub. 
They literally chewed the entire framework to dust. Is 
there any way of killing them without removing the sid¬ 
ing? Will any poisonous preparation penetrate up 
through the side wall if placed at bottom of Avail be¬ 
tween siding and plaster? o. L. h. 
Sparrowbush, N. Y. 
Fitting a Barn for Poultry 
Have been reading with great interest the article in 
issue of July 5 on open-front poultry-houses. I am con¬ 
verting the south side of a barn into a poultry-house, 
28x18. I shall have door and window to the east, and 
have been at a loss as to how to finish the front so as 
to furnish plenty of light and air. There is a hay loft 
above, so cannot use the small high windows as in the 
type of house pictured. I notice in your article that 
Vt-in. square mesh wire cloth is used with no curtains. 
Cannot understand how one could manage at time of 
driving storms to keep litter from becoming wet. 
Noav York. John h. copping. 
I N reply to two letters sent me by The R. N.-Y. I 
have given my opinion in favor of the open-front 
poultry-house, at least for climates Avhere the cokl 
does not go below 15 or 20 degrees below zero. 
In the above letter the inquirer does not state how 
high the floor of the hay loft is above the barn floor, 
