Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-04-17
fatmtrs' 4tpattmtnt.
[Fiom the Germantown Teegraphl
On The Culture and Pruning of
Grapes.

As the season is now at hand when ever
! person that intends 70 have grape bordf
should be up aud doing, will give my vieN
! in regard to the manner Of preparing pIac
! for them. Grapes grow best and frn!t bc.te.
| in light porous soil, than in any other, there
! fore, if you intend having yonr grapes 10 cor
er an arbut, so as to span wtlk, first Dig out
the whole walk and the space intended for
| borders on both sides, making the whole
about twelve feet wide, dig to the depth Of
| two feet six inches then on either side OF
| this space dig o trench the farther depth Ct
twelve inches and about eighteen inches UiGe,
| fill up these trenches and the whole surface
OF the bed to about the depth of six inches,
with oyster shells or old bones. and where
! they cannot be had brlckbats or broken stones
may bo substituted, cover the whole with
coarse litter on the top soil from an old pas
ture field, with the grass downwards. SO as
to prevent the fine earth from choking up
the drainage. You will now have about
eighteen inches to ill up with soil, that best
adapted to the growth Of the grape may be
made by mixing the top soil Of an old pasture
field with well-rotted stable manure, in tie
proportion Of three parts Of The former to one
Of the latter, mixing with the compost about
half bushel Of crushed bones for every yard
of soil required to fill up the bed. The bor-
ders should be elevated so as to allow for set
tling, they should also be made to slope out-
wards, and where the subsoi il heavy and
wet, there should be a drain or drains acCCr-
ding to the length ofthe bed, leading of from
the drains before mentioned into well dug
about six feet deep. The well to be filled np
with large stones. This will draw off al! e2-
ira moisture, and leave the bed in a proper
state for the vines to root well. Plant your
vines along the arbor, about eight feet apart,
and hot tho uDriLyhtc or that
when the arbor wants renewing, you will not
have TO disturb the roots Of the vines in dig
ging.
The cultivation Of the grape is one Of the
most interesting and useful branches ofhort-
culture, and rendered more so on account OF
the many and great diversitiee of opinions
entertained in regard to its treatment Sone
persons use large quantities Of animal carcas-
ses, alleging that they form the best food for
the plant, others use great quantities OF fresh
slaughter.heuse manure. II these views were
correct, one would suppose that newly filled
graveyard would be the best possible place
for g vineyard. The very thought of such
treatment is enough to scken any man oud
cause him to turn away with disgust from
the culture Of the grape, but unfortunately, n
much better and more reliable stmulant may
be found in manure and bone dust when us
ed as above directed, although animal carcas-
ses, when thououghly decomposed and mixed
sparingly with virgin soil, makes good ma.
nure for top-dressing; but when used as many
persons do they form a slimy substance, in
which the tender roots ofplants will rot grow,
and if a vine treated in that manner lives aud
does we'll, it is more by accident than any
thing else, and can only be attributed to its
hardness.
If vines have not already been trimmed,
they had better be attended to at once, as it
is better late than not at all. In trimming,
observe the following rules: Cut ont the wood
oflast years growth down to within three
buds or eyes from the wood offormer years.
When they put out, if all three start remove
the middle shoot, allow the first or lower
shoot to run out about nine or ten leaves be-
yond the blossom, destroy the blossoms on
this shoot. leaving it to make wood for
the next season leave the top or third shoot
grow until there are five leaves beyond the
fruit, never leave more than one bunch grow
on single branch if you would have good
fruit During the summer the vines shond
be headed off frequently, always leaving
about two leaves more than at the last cut
ting. Many persons suffer their vines to hang
full OF blossoms, and to run wild the whole
summer, and are generally rewarded with
very inferior crop, berry small in size and GOV.
cred with blight or mildew, and in few years
The vine itself dies from exhaustion.
Yours, &c., JAMES GLEASON.
Landscape Gardener, Germantown.