Omaha daily bee., 1874-06-18
Summer Treatment of the Grape.

a There are two classes OF cultur-
lists who have very positive ideas of
grape-culture. One has u certain
rule laid down by some excellent
authority on g~rape-culture which
must be followed to the very letter,
and which calls for much pinching,
pruning and training exactly so;
the other thinks nature knows what
is best, and believes it wisest to let
the grape grow as it will,
Our experience Is between these
two. Grapes do want some sys-
tematic care and culture, but what
the details of this should be will de-
pend more OH circumstances than
rules, and common sense to know
how to adapt these circumstances to
the wants of the vine will do more
for the grape-grower than the best
written treatise by the higest au-
thOrity would do.
Surprising for instance that the
vine has had some trimming in the
winter, and it Is desirable to keep It
within a certain limited space, we
have to see that all the branches
have q fair share of the light and
air necessary to perfect themselves.
A vine oil a stake i'm vineyard or
garden-culture will therefore re-
Quire different training and prun-
ing from enc on q t%rellis, or on the
side of q house. But 1t requires the
consideration of no particular plan
to understand that to have good
healthy foliage, and consequently
strong, vigorous canes, each leaf
must have full room to develop it.
self. So If there be a heavy mass Of
foliage that will crowd one another,
and Keep each shoot or leaf from
growing as it should do, they should
be thinned out till only just enough
be left to cover up the occupied
space.
What is true of leaves and branch
es is true of the fruit. In q state Of
nature the plants object is to per-
feet seed. But we do not car about
seed, we need pulp, or at least the
delicious flesh which surrounds the
seeds. BY lessening the amount
of seeds we increase the succulence
of the berries left. Thinning of the
punches then becomes one of the
most beneficial practices in vine
culture. AS a general rule it is safe
to cut off one-third of all the branch
es formed. In regard to the shoots
themselves it is a good rule to leave
no more grow than We want to re-
main; but superfiuous ones should
be taken out before they have made
much growth. 1t Is a great shock
to the plants to have them pulled
out after they have made a cOnsid-
cradle length of wood and much To-
liage. Again, some shoots will
grow much more vigorously than
others, and the object of the
good cultivation Is to have
them all of q uniform thick
ness and strength from the base of
the vine to its very top. This is
regulated by pinching back. Those
which show a disposition to be
stronger than others r nipped off
after they have extended some dis
lance. How far they should 60 be-
fore their points are taken out de-
ponds on the strength. II very
much stronger than the others, they
may perhaps be taken out altogether
before they have grown much. If
only of moderate strength, say
shorten after they have advanced
two or three feet, and 8 on accord
ing to vigor.
We cannot call these rules, for so
much depends on the Judgment
the good judgment-of the cultiva-
tor I; but they may serve IS hints for
the successful summer culture Of the
grapevine Germantown Telegraph.