The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-25
GRAPE oULTuRE.-
AMERICAN GRAPEs-Do WE UNDERSTAND
THEIR PROPER CULTURE.

a
THEIR PROPER CULTURE.
In 1857 and 1868, I travelled through
out Europe, and studied the grape 10 every
grape country; and l found the nature
and constitution of the foreign grape so
totally distinct from our indigenous grapes,
that was naturally led to reflect whether
our method of cultivating American vines
did not too closely resemble the European
system. Hundreds of years of rigid pru-
ming metamorphosed the European grape
until it has become an almost entirely ar
tiicial product, whilst our vines are al
most entirely natural
The vine dressers from Europe, having
almost birthright to teach US how to cul-
tivate the g-ape, have brought their ideas
and treatment among us, and it would
seem sheer assurance to take any appeal
from their decision and SO we cut aud
prune our luxuriant growing vines by the
European square and compass, to severe
extent.
think we are beginning to throw off
these European ideas, but by very slow
and feeble degrees. l have several acres
in grapes, and my trellises are from eight
to ten feet high, and I would have them
higher if convenient-even twelve feet.
train my vines so that they will bear the
most fruit at the top of the trellises and /
believe they escape mildew, rot, etc., from
this method-mildsw and rot arising to a
great extent from the fruit being too close
to the ground, and from severe pruning.
My grapes escape all diseases, while my
neighbours suffer from rot, bursting, and
leaf blight-BostoD Spectator.
CROSS FERTILIZATION OF GRAPES.
DR.. Parker, in the Western Pomologist,
thus discourses on this topic:
''To produce marked changes in any
grape by mere seed planting is very slow
and uncertain process. But to put the
pollen of one variety on another is rapid
and an almost certain way to get new
grape. Such changes are called Crosses"
am persuaded that most who attempt to
make crosses use too much pollen, and
therefore, l call serious attention to the
way DR.. Rogers, of Salem, made bis cross
es. He cut off the anthers OF one vine aud
put cut of cluster of another ina fine cot
ton bag, about the cluster to be fertilzed.
Thus be used but little pollen and in the
natural way, and hence his success. The
rough hand and load of pollen commonly
used is fatal to success. Perhaps love is
not to be forced In grape more than in
man, or the happy product Of fertiliza-
ton. could name failures by the score,
by this neglect. Then if my reader wants
new grape, seek it by natural cross,
made by diffused pollen.
s. J. PARKER, M. D.
Ithaca, N. y.
The Illinois State Horticultural Society
recommends the following as the best
TECHNOLOGY OF THE GRAPE VINE:
Roots.-That part of the vine growing
below the surface of the ground.
Stem.-The main stock below the
branches.
Arm--A portion of the vine permanent
ly trained in horizontal position.
Shoot-Green Wood.-This consists of
"Fruit Shoots, Young Canes" and "Suck-
ers."
Lateral.--A branch from shoot
Cane.-A ripened shoot, grown from the
stem, arm or spur.
Spur.-A cane cut short.
Joint or Node.-The enlarged part, from
whence come buds, leaves or tendrils.
Internode.--The part between joints.
Tendrils.--A twining support.
do not think any member of the COM
mittee is so welded to this system that he
would not be willing to amend it, if found
best If it should be found, however, to
answer the wants of the grape growers,
and be by them adopted and carried into
practice, we may certainly expect a uni
formity when speaking of the various parts
of the vine, which does not now exist.
j. E. STARR.
THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE VINE.
Some years ago we published paper
from the proceedings of the Philadelphia
Academy Of Natural Sciences" in which
it was shown why grape vines grew better
when running over trees than any where
else. There was motion in the tendrils,
and the amount of food required to pro-
duce this was great strain on the nutri-
tive function of the vine This motion of
a tendril in search of something to cling
to continues for ten days or SO, when it
dies. If the plant is clambering over a
tree, the tendrils finds something to cling
to almost as soon as it is ready for support.
Then there is no waste of force in useless
motion. The whole energy of the plant is
spent on healthy growth.
1t is remarkable that no use has been
made of this discovery in practical grape
culture. We still go on in the most ex-
tensive manner, failing day after day under
our old systems getting perhaps three
or four year crop--feeling that we have
one of the best grape countries in the
world and then failing utterly and con-
GLIDING as positively that our country is
totally unsuited to grape culture.
Often, people who live near us call and
say that grapes cannot be grown in Ger
mantown. We simply point to a vine
from our Office window, the picture Of
health and productiveness, which has been
allowed to have its own wilful way. 1t is
but twelve years old, and was planted near
the root of weeping ash tree, simply to
help its dropping branches make shade.
1t has covered the ash, gone over twenty
year old silver fir, a white pine, Himala-
yam pine, larch forty feet high and sun
dry other things and there is no reason
that we can now see, whyit would not cover
any amount of low, bushy trees that could
be got on to quarter of an acre OF ground.
CO 10 anothar on Tsahalla which WAS