The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-06-28
or tho Uookln. valley IIOrtl-
HORTICULTURAL Rooms,
IANcASrPp- lima 22 1851.

LANG ASTER, June 70, 1866. !
Society met, pursuant to adjourn
ment-Prcsident Kinkead in the Chair
The minutes having been read anC
approved, the Chair announced thu
following named gentlemen as the
committee to examine vineyards, in
vestigate condition of grape crop, &c.
Messrs. J. A. Fetters, F. J. Boving
J. D. Clark, II. Borchers, and W. Var
Hyde.
Mr. Boving, from the Council of Nine
reported payment of claim Of the late
City Marshal for services, amounting
to $40 90,
The question for discussion being
taken up, to wit: Tho growing grape
crop and peculiaritics attending it,
Mr.. Fetters was called on for his views,
who thercupon stated that one pecu.
liarity he had observed was that vines
which had been allowed TO orun, or were
pruneG long, had set frui: much more
abundantly in proportion than the
short, close pruned. His vineyard
promises good yield throughout, but
the longest pruned vines are proper
tionately the fullest--and the long
vines trained to the house are very
full. The question arises as to the
cause of this His opinion was that
short cut vines were deprived of a suf-
fciency of elaborated sap 10 start fruit
buds in quantity. In long vines there
was great store Of this sap laid up is
readiness for the vitalizing influences
of warm weather. Cutting it off, wastes
the sap in proportion TO the length cut
off. Had the early part of the season
been warm, there would not have been
the difference now noliced-but in a
cold spring like the last, the deficiency
in quantity Of sap in short vires was
not countcracted by the influence of
heat perfccting tho crude into the re-
fined sap necessary to form fruit buds.
Mr.. Dennis expressed the opinion
that the fruit, in cmbryGwas contain
ed the bud, formed in the fall
Mr.. Clark said there had been few
seasons as favorable as this for observ
ing the pccuIaritics of grape grow
ing. lie did not agree with Mr. Fct.
ters as to the process of the formation
of fruit If the wood is well ripcned
in the fail, the fruit is there, in embryo,
IN the bud, at that season. A peculi-
arity of last season was the prevalence
of mil,lew, and great growth Of vine.
He could not understand how the cut
ting off q portion Of long vine de-
prives tho lower buds OF their proper
ton of sap. One reason, he thought
of the creator comparative fruitful
ness Of long vines this year, is their
habit of bearing good crop only once
in three or four years, last season hav
ing been II favorable one to prepare
such vines for unusual productiveness
this season. Vines arc making a re
Imarkable growth this season, being
now ahead even last year at this
time. Thinks hltceR punches to The
vine fair crop, where the vines are
l400to the aero, or five feet apart
Another pqculiarity of this season is
is that vines fully exposed to the West
winds arc almost destitute Of grapes =
showing injury in the winter
Mr.. Fctters would not consider any
thing under twenty, five punches tc
the vine good crop; vines short prun.
ed, and the usual distance apart.
Mr.. Dennis made remarks contro
vcrting the theory Of Mr.. Fctters in
relation TO elaborate / sap, contendine
that the fruit existed in embryo in tho
bud formed-in the fall
Mr.. Fetters said this was true in re
gard TO apples, peaches, &c, but with
grapes he thought it was different. II
was no unusual thing for blossoms to
appear on shoots already considerably
grown. Mr.. +. detailed tho process u.
somo length for the purpose of show
ing that tho blossoms are formed from
tho finer elaborated sap of the prev-
Gus year. AS further evidence OF the
correctness of this view, he mentioned
the fact Of his having pruned n part
Of his vineyard last fall, and part
this spring-lhc latter portion having
decidedly the most fruit on the vines.
Tho early spring imparts motion to
tho sap, tho elaboration of which has
been going on during the true between
TALL and spring.
Mr., Bovng corrobOrated Mr.. Fet
tcrs on tho comparative fruillulptss OF
spring and fall pruned vlnes-aIso in
regard to tho greater productivcness
this season Of vines pruned long. lie
has loft somo vines in his vineyard
twelve feet long, instead of pruning
down to six These have tho most
fruit in proportion 10 length--morc
bunChes to the shoot ett...
Mr.. Staltcr remarked that there had
been some theorizing-but a praetica
test was not yet reached Tho com
parison OF house. trained vines with
those in vineyards was unsatisfactory
Tho former, being better fed and bet
ter protected itom insects, will natur,
ally bo morcSfrutul. Comparison,
and tests, TO be valuable, should be up
on vines grown in similar lecaltio,
and by the Same method, s'
Mr., Fotters alluded to Tho skill, o
tho Germans in vino culture They
pruno both tops and roots. Think,
our method tends to excess of roots
and that the greater productivoncss o
long vines indicates the policy of eth
or allowing agreater growth of wood
or curtailing that Of ithe roots by prur
ing
Mr.. Dennis thoupht the committa,