PRACTICAL PAPERS—VINE CULTURE, ETC. 
807 
observed. On rich and level laiid a common plan in some dis¬ 
tricts is to set out double rows of vines at wide intervals, in 
fields chiefly devoted to other crops. The free exposure to sun 
and air thus secured seems largely to augment the yield, and 
this will be understood by any one who has noticed the supe¬ 
rior productiveness of such of his vines as grow bordering on 
a wide alley or other open space. This is very different from 
planting vegetables, etc., among the vines, which is a bad 
practice. 
WIRE TRELLIS. 
These are becoming quite popular here, as we think they are 
in America also, notwithstanding the cheapness of wood. The 
size of wire preferred is number sixteen, and but two wires 
are used. Our large vines would need three wires. They are 
stretched to strong posts set twenty feet apart, passing inter¬ 
mediately through holes of smaller posts or stakes. On the 
lower line, about eighteen inches from the ground, the fruit¬ 
bearing wood is trained, while the upper line, about eighteen 
inches above the other, supports the new wood. Many prefer 
to allow the fruit-bearing cane to do service two years instead 
of one only, as is the practice in America. There is no doubt 
that with wire trellises the pruning, tying, pinching off, etc., 
can be much more cheaply done than where the training is 
to stakes, and from the way the clusters depend [from the 
horizontal cane it is easy to see that there must be also a su¬ 
perior access of sun and air, and a greater ease in gathering 
the vintage. 
It is a common practice to go through the vines with a plow 
every fall and throw up a good ridge of earth against the 
stalks. The Hungarians have a more effectual way of guar¬ 
anteeing against the cold of their rigorous winters, which is to 
lay the vines on the ground, cover them with straw, and on 
the straw throw the earth ; without this it is said they could 
produce no wine at all. Our native grapes are generally 
hardy, and will live wherever their fruit will ripen, but occa¬ 
sionally there is a severe season which seems to touch the very 
heart of the wood and so enfeeble it that it falls an easy prey 
