Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1874-04-07
agricultural
Prom the Maine Farmer.
Maine Board of agriculture and
Farmers Contention.
CONTINUED.
Remarks OF DIR. Weston, OF Bangor.

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adapted to the grape though it will flour
ish in good warm corn land. Ii the sub
soil is not naturally dry, undertaking
Is indispensable. The vines on the walls
of the building and elsewhere in open
culture, have a soalh.westerly exposure,
and the buildings and trees in the vieini.
~ give shelter. The compost applied
10 the ground consisted OF ten loads of
meadow muck. four of well decompos-
ell manure, three Of street scrapings, one
OF sod, one of blacAsmith's cinders, iron
filings and hooi parings, one OF whole
bones with many broken beef and sheep
skull, twenty bushels OF unleached ashes,
one barrel OF lime Stacked with water
containing saturated solution OF COM
mon salt, twenty-five bushels OF oyster
shells, barrel Of gypsum and fifty
bushels Of broken charcoal. This was
used not only for the door grapes but for
the bed Of the cold grapery, but as The
native vines are more hardy and yigor-
Gus. and will grow with proper exposure
and shelter in the warm soil OF well
cultivated garden or farm, much simpler
compost for them alone would be Suilici-
cnt. This should consist of muck or
well decomposed manure, bones OF bone
dust, gypsum and superphosphatos Of
lime. The vines were set six feet apart,
and trimmed and pruned according to
the single cane and spur system. Thus
they are more easily managed, can read
ilv be fastened TO poles or narrow lreilis,
can more easily be laid down in autumn
and more vines OF varieties can be grown
IN a given space.
The speaker next treated in great dc.
detail, the entire system of training and
pruning the vine through the first years
OF It's growth. When thee years old
Tor 10 three years aller setIing) The spurs
will begin to show fruit, and a, least
three. iourIhs OF the punches must DO re.
moved. The tendency Of The vine is 10
make its most vigorous growth at tho
toP-hence the strong spurs near the
summit may bear more heavily and those
near the bottom be favored lest they lie
lost During the third year, no
spur should retain more than
one bunch, and the smaller and
weaker ones none. When the vine DO,
comes old. or is destitute OF fruitful spurs
equally distributed. new cane may Le
trained up IRON side or bottom branch,
and when it at.ains sufficient size and
age the old wood may be cut out. and
thus the former productiyeness NAV be
renewed. The Vine may be easily pro-
pagaied By layers. A matter Of great
Importance was the pruning OF the vine
during the early stage of lis growth. and
this should be done so as to develop al
rs parts Systematically and 10 prevent
bearing prematurely which impaiTs the
vitality OF the vine, and ultimately in
duces entire barrenness. The pruning
should be practiced in summer and au-
tumn, and it judiciousIy pruned during
the first, second an third years Of the
lite OF the vine, after this, when it has
become fully established it Will need but
lit.le attention in tbs respect, In his
Own experience the speaker said the
chief obstacles 10 success had been the
ShoItresS OF the growing season. and The
severity Of the winters.
We give the following brief synopsis
oil his experience with the different yari
cites under trial and cultivation. Deia.
ware--This has proved the most desiya-
Die variety. combining visor. hardness
and produciiveness Of vine, early ma,ur-
lily and superior quality OF fruit; ripens
from Sept. 18th to SOIh; a grape equal 10
the Delaware in all respects, and ripeu-
ing before the early autumn froSts,
would be exceedingly valuable tor Maine.
Black CIusler-The earliest and hardest
OF the foreign grapes; begins 10 color
lst OF September, improves by hanging.
and usually fully natures by the 20,h of
Sept; requires extra protection in win.
ter. Hartford Pr0litic-IIardy. vigorous,
productive and easily cultivated; ma.
lures early but often drops It's fruit; ia
vor sweet, but blended with Disagree
able acidiIy in its pulp. lsabella-A vig-
orous grower aud prolific bearer; fruit
black with a thick skin; flavor sweet and
good season not earlier than The Hart
ford IoHa-Excellent quality; sweet,
spirited and delicious bears abundantly.
but starts late and is Of late maturity;
the past two years it has ripened by the
middle Of October. Rebecca-The high.
est favored OF any variety tested, but Of
slender growth; tender and Of late ma.
turiiy; needs extra protection in winter.
aud il trained on . wall, in a sunny well
sheltered location, will ripen in October
Salem-One OF the most promising of
Mr.. Rogers hybrids: vigorous, hardy
and productive; ripened before l0,h Of
October. EumeleaE-StaTts early; q
good grower. and seems to he hardy;
ripens with the Delaware and promises
well. DIANA rank grower when in
favorable location; late; fruit hangs well
and is uninjured by lI,e frosts. Aliens
Hybrid-A delicious variety OF late ma.
turity; has not Yet fully ripened its fruit
but tina fayS, borrias ,vb;ob b,,-o ,,,,,,,.,