The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1089 
Horticultural Notes 
Methods of Grape Trimming 
Below is a sketch of the way I have 
been trimming my grapes in my garden : 
This is about the way the vine looked 
this Spring after trimming; the numbers 
represent the buds I left on the four 
canes running from the trunk. Next 
Spring I would cut the old cane between 
Buds 1 and 2, and thus leave Cane 1 
which grows this year to be next year’s 
vine. My trouble is that the canes near¬ 
est the trunk, such as Canee 1 and 2, do 
not grow, and the ones away on the end, 
Nos. 6, 7 and S, grow very rampant. 
This Spring some of my No. 1 canes 
which I left to make my vine for this 
year were so poor that only the buds on 
the ends grow, so that next Spring I 
shall not have any cane to leave that will 
be close to the trunk. Is there anything 
wrong in my method? Can I do any¬ 
thing to make Cane 1 grow better, so as to 
have a good cane for next year? 
Dutchess Co., N. Y. a. j. m. 
The method of training here described 
is known as the single-stem four-cane 
Ivniffen. It is suggested that instead of 
obtaining the renewal cane directly from 
the cane of the previous season, that 
Vines cut at A A 
canes arising from just below the top 
wire and also the lower be spurred back 
to two-bud lengths. Perhaps two such 
spurs, would suffice for each level, al¬ 
though more will allow for accidental 
breaking. The canes that arise from 
these spurs are usually of good length and 
very fruitful. Through, this method the 
fruiting wood may be kept close to the 
trunk. Some growers who use this meth¬ 
od of training maintain two short arms 
just below the level of each wire, from 
which the fruiting canes are secured 
through the spurring as herein outlined. 
F. E. G. 
McIntosh Trees Do Not 
Bear 
I have an orchard of McIntosh Red 
apples 12 years old and have never had 
a full crop. I have an orchard with Gid¬ 
eon, Wolf River and McIntosh Red on 
one side and those trees always bear bet¬ 
ter. There is one vacant lot between 
these orchards, and on the other side of 
the 12-year-old trees is a cherry orchard, 
and one side are Bartlett pears and Ivief- 
fer pears. This orchard is next to the 
road and the one with the three kinds is 
away from the road. Am wondering if 
you could tell me anything about why 
they should not have a crop. I take 
good care of them and work the ground 
plenty. I would like to know just how to 
trim the trees, if that has anything to do 
with their bearing fruit. b. I. 
New York. 
We hesitate to say “pollination” in try¬ 
ing to diagnose the difficulty in the or¬ 
chard that does not bear as well as the 
other, yet that is the first notion that 
pops into our mind. If we understand 
the locations of the orchards correctly, 
the one that bears the most has three 
varieties planted in it, while the poor- 
producing orchard is separated from it 
by some distance and has only cherries 
and pears adjacent to it. Now, Mc¬ 
Intosh is a self-sterile variety, yet under 
most conditions there are enough of other 
varieties of apples nearby to afford suffi¬ 
cient croes-<fertilization. Nevertheless we 
should suggest that you try placing a 
branch of some other variety in one or 
two of the McIntosh trees, when both are 
in bloom, and observe any difference. 
This will give you some idea as to wheth¬ 
er or not the problem is one of pollina¬ 
tion. 
Again, soils vary considerably even 
though somewhat close together. It may 
be that one orchard is in better condition 
so far as growth and production are con¬ 
cerned. If the poor orchard is not mak¬ 
ing good growth, try applying a few 
pounds of nitrate to each tree early next 
Spring just as the buds are breaking. On 
the other hand, if the trees are making 
too much growth, try leaving the orchard 
in sod«one year. h. b. t. 
Renewing Old Vine 
We have a very old grapevine (Hart¬ 
ford, I believe) that is almost dead this 
year. It has been bearing excellent fruit 
for 43 years. This Spring just one part 
of it put out shoots. They seem to be 
strong and healthy now. I want to start 
a ycfUng vine from it. Will you tell me 
how and when I can do it so as to get 
best results? g. t. 
New Jersey. 
It is quite possible that the new shoots 
putting out from the old vine will in time 
completely renew the old parts, such as 
trunk and arms. It not infrequently hap¬ 
pens that these become poor carriers of 
plant food and water, and in consequence 
a dormant bud is forced lower down. If 
new shoots are favored through giving 
them support so that they will not be 
broken off, a complete new framework 
may result. We now have many hun¬ 
dred vines with roots over 40 years old 
with trunks and arms that appear but as 
from young plants. 
After the leaves are off the canes in 
late Fall, and preferably after several 
hard freezes, some of the canes may be 
completely severed from the vine and cut 
in 10 to 12-in. lengths. A cut is made 
through or just below the basal bud of 
the cane, and then 10 to 12 in. above this, 
but the top cut is made from 1 to 1 y 2 
in. above the node or joint. The next cut 
is made just below the next bud and 
again 10 to 12 in. above the base bud. 
The cuttings thus made are then bundled 
so that the butt or base ends are together 
and in about the same plane. The bun¬ 
dle should be then buried in a well- 
drained open soil with the butt ends up¬ 
right and deep enough so that 4 or 5 
in. of soil will cover the butt ends. In 
the Spring as the temperature rises the 
soil is gradually removed from the top so 
that but an inch or two remains. 
When the soil and air have warmed, 
the cuttings are then taken out and plant¬ 
ed in good, rich, well-drained garden soil, 
in a trench deep enough so that the top 
bud is just above the soil when the trench 
is filled. It is customary to stick the cut¬ 
tings at a slight angle, as this brings the 
base of the cutting nearer the soil surface 
and consequently in a warmer stratum of 
soil. With well ripened cutting wood, 50 
per cent of the cuttings should strike 
root. Of this number there will be two or 
three grades, some extra, some No. 1, No. 
2, and culls, or those with but little root 
growth. Three factors stand out above 
all else in vine propagation from cut¬ 
tings ; well-ripened cutting wood, storage 
during the Winter so that they are 
neither too dry nor too wet, and the 
planting out under conditions of dor¬ 
mancy so that root development preceded 
too rapid growth of the top bud. 
Curing Black Walnuts 
I would like to know how to cure black 
walnuts so they would be fit to be eaten. 
Last year when they fell off the trees we 
put them on the back porch to dry in the 
sun. When they were dry we cracked 
some of them and the meats were bitter 
and unfit to be eaten. c. F. P. 
New York. 
'Ordinarily black walnuts are separated 
from the shucks—that is, those that are 
not ordinarily free—'and spread on the 
floor in the attic or some other place to 
dry out. That seems to be about all that 
is necessary to the perfection of the de¬ 
licious nuts that the black walnut trees 
have to offer. However, there are black 
walnuts and black walnuts. Some seed¬ 
ling trees, and of course, most black wal¬ 
nuts spring from seed, produce nuts that 
are quite bitter, whereas most trees bear 
pleasantly flavored nuts. This may ac¬ 
count for your experience. n. b. t. 
“Your school is not a seminary; it’s 
a match factory,” said the smart young 
college man to the girl student. “You’re 
right,” said the girl. “We furnish the 
heads and get the sticks from the men’s 
colleges.”—The Continent. 
Built and equipped 
for satisfactory 
work in all kinds 
of soil. 
Illustration shows the 
rod-link-type. Built 
also with bar grate 
conveyor. 
McCormick - Deering 
Potato Digger 
HTHE cheapest help you can get is wasteful and 
* extravagant compared with the McCORMICK- 
DEER1NG Potato Digger. This tool goes into the 
fields, whenever you wish, and digs the potatoes 
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lubricated, and is built to last many years—regard¬ 
less of the heavy work it is called upon to do. 
With the McCORMICK-DEERING, the potatoes 
are brought out on top of the soil, in plain sight and 
in neat rows. They are separated from dirt, vines, 
and trash, and are easy to pick up. If you have a 
McCORMICK-DEERING Potato Digger and two or 
four horses, you can harvest your potato crop with 
the minimum of man labor. 
Askthelocal McCORMICK-DEERING dealer to show 
you this money-making, time and potato-saving tool. 
International Harvester Company 
OF AMERICA 
(INCORPORATED) 
606 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, III. 
New York Branches: Albany, Auburn, Buffalo. Elmira, New York City, Ogdensborg, Rochester 
Kill 
the 
woodchucks ! 
Crops destroyed by moles and wood¬ 
chucks represent an astounding loss. 
And the worst of it is that these losses 
are unnecessary. 
For the prudent grower takes the step 
in time, which saves his crop from these 
and other rodents. The newest, surest, 
most economical and scientific method 
is the use of Calcium Cyanide. This 
unique chemical releases a gas that 
instantly kills rodents. 
There is an effective way to use Cal¬ 
cium Cyanide in the control of practical¬ 
ly any insect or rodent pest in your 
vicinity. For the sake of economy injthe 
protection of your crops, learn how 
Calcium Cyanide may be used. 
For general information, ask for our 
Booklet No. 5—sent free on request, o\ 
write us about any special problem. 
American Cyanamid Company 
511 Fifth Avenue New York City 
Aero Brand 
Calcium Cyanide 
WEED KILLER 
For walks, gutters, tennis courts 
1 gallon 5 gallons 1 drum 
$2.00 $8.00 $50.00 
Dilute with water 40-1 
ANDREW WILSON, Inc.,5 Springfield, N. J. 
ROOT BORERS 
Peach, Prune & Apricot; also Pear & 
Apple Aphis and Grape Phyllox¬ 
era. Killed with PARAFIX, (Pure 
Paradichlorbenzene recommended 
by U. S. Gov. & State Exp. Sta.) 
Full instruetions, results guaran¬ 
teed or money back. Booklet FREE. 
Treat 10 trees |1-60 trees $3. Post¬ 
paid or C. O. D. The Parafix Co., 
Grand Central P.O.Box 273, N.Y.C, 
Peach Tree Borers Killed by Krystal Gas 
(P-C Benzene) 1-lb. $1; five-pound tin, $i.75; with directions. 
From your dealer; post paid direct; orC.O. D. Agents wanted. 
Dept. B. HOME PRODUCTS Inc.. Rahway, NJI. 
Leather 
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INTERNATIONAL COMM. HOUSE, Dept. B-302 
433 Broadway, New York, N. Y. 
When you write advertisers mention 
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a Quick reply and a “square deal.” See 
guarantee editorial page. : : 
