HENRY LEUTHARDT NURSERY a> 

Planting and Care of 
Small Berries 
GRAPE VINES 
The Grape, while it loves moisture, must have well-drained 
land, and there should be free exposure to sun and air. Annual 
and caretul pruning in early spring when fully dormant is es- 
_ sent al to the production of good grapes, and if the land is poor, 
_ Mmanuring must not be forgotten. 
Grapes, like peach trees, grow their fruit only on one year 
old canes. It is futile to plant grape vines older than one or two 
years old. These also must be pruned back severely like the 
peaches. The grapes, like the peach, will never bear fruit the 
first year after planting, regardless how old a vine you may plant. 
Most of the old wood must be eliminated to get live prolong 
growth. Cut tops back to 6 inches above the ground. Plant the 
“graft’ below the surface. 
Plant Grape Vines 8x8 feet apart each way. 
BLUEBERRIES 
Blueberries requite an acid soil containing an abundance of 
peat moss or rotted leaf mold or other partially rotted vegetable 
matter and sand. They need moist loose soil, free from rock. 
If too heavy with clay, sand will improve it. They are self-sup- 
porting shrubs. For fall planting, be sure to bring the earth 
well up around the plant. This will protect the root system and 
prevent it from heaving during the winter. 
Blueberry roots are distributed just under the surface of the 
soil. For this reason, cultivation should be very shallow, not 
over two inches deep, so as to leave roots undisturbed. Keep 
wtch grass and other weeds away from plants as it harbors 
white grubs that feed on the berry roots, and weeds will absorb 
the moisture needed by your plants.. Don’t use lime on soil in- 
tended for blueberries, for lime will sweeten the soil and make it 
unfit for this purpose. Avoid barnyard manure on your plants 
because it causes fungus disease. 
They require no pruning for the first few years after planting. 
But, when plants are half grown or get dense and overbear, thus 
producing an inferior size of fruit, then trim out the weak 
branches. As a fertilizer, a mulch of oak leaves or peat moss 
is excellent. Plant 4x4 feet apart each way. 
IMPORTANT—Blueberries require acid soil. If the nature 
of the soil is not acid, we strongly urge you to refrain from plant- 
ing them if you wish to avoid future dissatisfaction. 
We noted several instances where gardeners went through 
great efforts and heavy expenses to prepare a bed for Blueberties 
by turning sweet soil to acid. Frankly, the first year, the plants 
produced an amazing crop of extra large berries of the finest 
quality. The following years, the crop was very d'scouraging 
for the Blueberry bushes lost their vitality and the fruit crop was 
small and scanty. Why? Because, regardless how much one 
tries to change alkaline soil to acid, it is in vain, for the simple 
reason rams or other elementary influences which are uncon- 
scious to the human eye, washes away the acid contents present 
in the soil and three or four weeks later turns the soil back to 
its original alkaline state. 
Undoubtedly, you know when it rains, soils never re- 
Main stationa.y, so it is only logical that the large area of sweet 
soil will gradually mix with the nearby small area of acid soil 
causing it to result to alkaline. ; 
But, if you insist on planting Blueberries, then choose an ele- 
vated location so that the rains cannot wash surrounding sweet 
soils into that area specially prepared with acid contents for the 
growth of Blueberries. 
