Demoine courier., 1856-05-29
q ariru tur al
Growing Grapes.

The grape is rightly considered the
mos, heaI.hful OF the small fruits and
perhaps no frui, pa, s SO well for the care
and culture which II needs and gets,-
The varieties usually grown are The lisa
bella snd Caiawaba. the s,and.by's 10
this latitude up TO As deg north. On any
rich, deep and dry soil they will grow
well, and from the third year afser SET
ting, for q hundred years, one may ex
pect a crop annually. if the soil is enrich
ed every other year by digging in rotten
manure, maritime, or shells, old plaster,
bonee, &c.
Such nice, and such voluminous direc-
lions in regard to preparing the grape
borde'. planting. pruning The vines,
clusters and berries, are given in the
books and some Of the papers, by the
magnaies in horticulture; that a man OF
ordinary strength of mind ard intelli,
gence in these matters, feels as though,
should he undertake TO grow the vines
procured p~erchanee from some of these
point cice' gentleman the spurs dis
gusted with his awkward handling and
cutting. would never ripen a cluster. To
follow out the whole rotine TO the letter
as laid down BY the high priest-why
he DON, expect he can do it, and in fact
he had rather lie. the grapes 60 than un-
der,ake the enterprise.
Now the culture Of the grape is a very
simple affair, ant every farmer ought TO
raise enough to supply each member Of
his family with a good bunch e7ery
day from the time they ripen until new
years morning land as much later as
he pleases; and besides this he should
make a barrel ar two OF the, pure juice
annually. for his health and stomach's
sake.
As TO culture, make the soil rich, deep
and dry, and plant The vines abou. ten
feet apart. not TOO deeply, but SO that the
roots may have the full benefit of the
light and warmth OF the sun. Erect q
trellis after the manner OF apieket fence
II like this better than the horizontal
bars)--save tina: the uprigh, bars are
longer and placed further apart. Along
these bars train and tie up the vines
the latter part Of February, or early
in March, or any time before the sap
s,arte, cut away a large portion Of the
last years growth, and cut back the
leading canes to two. thirds their length.
Sc. a book if YOU choose-but USE
you're own good sense and 60 ahead. !
know that finer shutters and finer flavor
ed frui. may be grown by careful prun
ing, but if a man has neither books nor
time 10 loox into n every time he puts
his spade into the Garth or his knife 10
The branches-why.l e,i,im raise them
without the books, je2thding on his wi
good judgment. l have seen Isabella
vines do well and bear full crops Of very
good fruit, which never /eh The keen
blade. Blu. in rich soil, the Isabella
needs a good dressing out every year.
and in summer some OF the branches Of
ten need cutting away, SO as TO lie. in iigh,
and all 10 the fruit. Never mind abou,
the rule for this, reflect upon wha. you
are going TO do. You know that the
lrui, ripened in the shade has but liule.
or very poor flavor compared with fully
exposed specimens; and you know also
that The leaves serse to prepare the food
for the nourishnenlo Of the fruit. which
the sap brings up in solution from the
earth; so weighing these two considsra
lions The summer pruning becomes an
easy matter. Il is a capital plan 10 pinch
OF the growing wood just beyond III.
bunches, 30 that all the nourishmen,
may go 70 swell the fruit-Praiyie Far
uaer.