The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-07-22
Summer Trcatmcn. of the Vine.


Summer Treatment. of the Vine.
Few plants, if any, yield more readily to
the pruncr's control than the vine. Il can
easily be hurt or benefited. BY severe pru-
ming the Catawba has almost been ruined.
Disease is engendered by this heartless slash
ing mildew, immaturity, &c, result. The
vine is accustomed to freedom; if restrained,
unless gradually done and time taken, as III
Europe, there will be results that will show
that nature has been hardly dealt with.
Give freedom, then, TO our American vine OF
nil sorts, yet keep gently in check. Clip some
of the IuXuriant, or what would seem to be
supcrfuous growth-this that the wood
that is grown may be more perfectly formed
and ripcned, and the same with the fruit.
What the vine wants is sufficient
foliage for this, and not for an
excess of wood, or even an excess
of fruit. There must die proportion
be kept up bettreen The tro; this is in
dispcnsable to the highest success. 4 shoot
clipped two or three leaves from the last
bunch, and the lateral shoots that start from
this stretch given few leaves each, will
afford abundant leaf power for all the eyapo-
ration that is necessary to perfect the wood
and grow to full advantage two clusters.
More leaves should he left where an addi-
tional cluster is retained. Two, however, are
generally better, and one rather than three,
depending somewhat upon the amount OF
punches upon the vine, its age, size, aud ca
pacitv considered. Better have less fruit,
and have BOTH fruit md wood improved,
than an overgrowth either Of wood or fruit.
Quality is the leading thing, and to obtain it
good, healthy, vigorous groWth-not
forced-is necessary; and the leaves are the
medium through which this is accomplished.
Allow sufficient amount, and no excess of
eyaporative force, and the point will have
been reached. Thus the leaf will give you
ripened wood, and larger, better, and ear
ler.ripened fruit, providing there is just
the proper amount, and not an extension
of wood and leaves, which will leave the
later grown unripencd and the rest less per-
fecty formed. Restrain these and keep
within bounds. If there Is close pruning
pnching back to the cluster-therc will be Il
shock, 4 rash interference with the habit Of
the vine. If this is repeated and continued
there will seem to be II constitutional hurt
from which the vine will hardly recover. 1t
Is weakened, stunted, 4 prey to disease, be-
cause its functions have been intcrlcred with,
and the thing persisted in will augment the
evil. A few years Of spoil will not permanent
ly hurt the vine. The experience with hardy
and thrifty growers, like the Isabella and
Clinton, carries this ont. A few years Of
severe pruning seemed TO bring or disease.
Given freedom and good culture, keeping in
bounds the growth, the healthy condition
returned, and continued with good treat
ment. Sometimes mildewand other ailments
will occur, despite the best treatmcnt-the
wild grape itself will be afflicted. But it
taI tbnt ,nl- il.n
an exception than Il general condition, the
latter being the case with continuously
abused vines, like the Catawba prominently.
Much is in the soil. The roots must cor
respond with the brllIchcs. There must be
the proper pabulum. just what is necessary
is not yet clear, though it is known that
wood ashes and bone dust are excellent fer.
tilizers, and in addition to leaves or other
vegetable matter, in deeply-pulyerizcd and
wel.drained soil, with good predominancc
OF clay, will be all that il necessary to secure
usually the best Of success. We find q coat
of leaves applied in the fall, and held down
BY little soil if there is danger of blowing
away by the wind, and a coat Of grass OF
weeds cut green and applied and covered
with leached ashes, to have most excellent
effect, and uniformly. This last is the best
mulch, as mulch proper, that we can apply.
Let it be preceded by liberal culture, stirring
the soil till well into the season; then apply
and keep moist. No weeds will disturb.
With our productive kinds, thinning out
(of the clusters) is indispensable. If all the
fruit permitted to grow, there will be small
punches and comparatively insipid flavor:
and unless there is full foliage, late maturity
will follow-just what must be guarded
against In this latitude. From one Of our
vines we cut the past season over two hun
dred clusters, leaving one or two punches to
each shoot. The vine, which covered a trel-
lis of twenty-five feet in length by ten in
heighth, yielded u barrel Of the finest of
punches in the fall. The year preceding the
amount of fruit being the same, there were
but few punches removed. The result was
that, in their crowded state the clusters were
small and tardy in ripening. There seemed
to be too much work for the leaves, which
took on withered cast, and thus still farther
checked the maturity Of the fruit. And this
Is common experience. We must have Sufi-
cient healthy leaves to grow well and perfect
the fruit, ripening it rs soon as possible. IF
il Is found that the leaves, the vine having
been pruned (the shoots pinched back, are not
capable otcarryinG forward properly the crop,
the fruit must ut once be thinned. Remove
tuE sllidl2tl iSbS auVauOCh SiuStSlS, dllQ
where crowded the most; and better err on
the side OF severe thinning than leaving too
much fruit. 1t will be found that the loss
will be supplied by increased size of cluster
and improvement in quality, while the fruit
is carried toward maturity more rapidly.
This never fails. The vine, so susceptible of
treatment, will respond at once and most
gratifyingly. Always bear in mind that the
ft<,sah afxx.
kept up. Particularly must there not be an
excess Of lsslit; this, of all things, must be
avoided, as i Is sure to work mischief and
in many WNFs, as we have pointed out Let
not our "pty. for the fruit prevent this, as
the fine growing clusters taken down will
make the rest nil the finer.
A vine can thus, properly pruned and cul-
fivated, be made with is large leaves aud