The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-12-19
FARM AND HO USEHOLD.
From the Germantown Telegraph
PRUNING GRAPE VINES.


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The first year one shoot only is allowed
to grow and is kept tied to stake and
when the laterals or side shoots have formed
one leaf they should be nipped off at the
ends, and when they start again at the ends
and form another leaf they should be nip
ped again, and so on throughout the season.
Sept. list the main cane should be nipped
also, in order to hasten the maturing of the
buds at its base.
When the leaves fall in autumn this cane
should be cut back, leaving the good buds
near the ground and this should be covered
with conical heap of earth about Nov.
fst.
The next spring, when severe freezing is
over they should be uncovered, and when
the buds start let the two strongest grow
and pinch off the other. These two canes
should be treated precisely the same as the
single ones of last year until the fall of the
leaf and may bear one or two punches
each. If vigorous, these canes should be
cut off four feet above the old wood and
bent over carefully in opposite directions
and fastened by tying their ends to small
stakes. After remaining thus a few days,
they may be brought still lower, until finally
they are in line parallel with the soil and
only few inches above it.
In this position they may be easily covered
with earth at the approach of winter
Treated thus vine occupies eight feet in
the row which should run cast and west so
as to face the south, and if two or more
rows are desired they should be five or six
feet apart. In spring uncover as before
and allow the arms to lie ON the ground till
the buds start, when they should be tied to
the lower bar of the trellis which should
now be in readiness.
The trellis is made by setting posts mid
way between each two vines, to which a
bar is nailed at the bottom, as high as the
arms of the vine, and another four feet
higher.
AS the buds push, select six on each arm
at equal distances as nearly as possible,
from which to produce fruiting canes, and
break off all other buds. Nail upright
Stats to the bars of the trellis over each
selected bud, and as the canes grow, tic
them, &C., in the same manner as the sin
gle cane of the first year; and no cane
should be allowed to grow faster than the
others but should be checked by pinching.
Each of these canes will be likely to pro-
duce fruit, and all should be made to pro-
duce the same quantity by taking away a
portion Of those having the most.
At the annual pruning. these canes
should be cut down to two buds ON each,
and covered with three or four inches of
earth Nov list as usual.
The following or fourth season, two
canes will grow from each spur, and will
require the same treatment as before, COM
mencing to check canes four or five leaves
above the last bunch of fruit. We now
have twenty-four fruiting canes each Of
which will probably produce three lunches
making seventy-two punches the fourth
year.
At pruning time the upper cane on each
spur should be all cut away, and the other
to ttco buds and this method should be pur-
sued each year afterward, never having
more nor less fruiting canes than now
The fruit will increase with the age of the
vine-cach cane producing greater num-
Der of lunches. This renewal of the bear
ing wood that has borne fruit this year will
seldom produce again, it being the growth
of the current year that produces the pres
ent crop of fruit.
1t is advisable for any one having vine
from which he wishes to raise grapes, to
procure good work on grape culture
where the subject is fully discussed and
illustrated, and to this latitude none per-
haps is better adapted than the ''Grape
Culturist by A. S. Fuller, to which work
many are indebted for their leading ideas
in this delightful department of Horticul-
ture. By informing ourselves ON this sub
ject and putting our knoecledge into prac-
tice, (for theory is worth little without prac-
tice,) we may treat our friends to plate of
knowing that we are not behind the world
in this respect at least. So it may be.
GEO. W. BELLUs
Pierrepont, N. 7. Noe. 1868.