Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-06-05

that we consider tender in our climate often
flourish aud the hardy varieties grow with
little care.
1t is only in a very few sheltered loca.
tions that pears can be raised. As a gen.
eral thing they had better bo let alone in
this climate and harder fruits planted still
some may wish to try and for their benefit
will give my experience, which is, that l
know Of no variety that is perfectly hardy.
On my own grounds, which are rather ex-
posed to the winds, out of 25 Of what wero
called the hardest varieties, all but four
have been winter killed, and these, although
six years planted, have only given me bios
SONS but no fruit. The names of the four
hardest are, Swans Orange or Onondaga,
Seckel, Beurre D'Anjou, and Belle Lucrative.
The Flemish Beauty, which is usually called
the hardest, did not succeed with me. a
single kind, however is not sufficient TO test
variety.
Of cherries, out Of eleven varieties test.
ed, the Early Richmond and Belle Magui6-
que are hardy and productive and see no
reason why these two varieties cannot be
grown in this climate as we'll as anywhere.
The cherry requires dry, gravelly or sandy
loan, and will not thrive in any other.
Care should be taken that the soil is not
highly manured as the trees will get un-
healthy.
If we except the region within few
miles Of Lake Champlain, where the frosts
are kept off and the season prolonged by
its influence, our season is altogether too
short to grow grapes to advantage. We
may, however, by careful culture and by
planting in the most favorable soil and as
pect raise few of the earliest varieties for
our own use. The grape requires eminently
dry situation and a warm soil. 1t re-
| quires full exposure to the sun and all the
warmth that it is possible to get from its
rays. 1t therefore does best on elevated
land, ridges and mountain terraces. The
aspect should always be south or southeast !;
and the sleeper the inclination the better,
for the greater warmth is produced as the
rays OF the sun approach more nearly to a
right angle with surface. When the sun
is at an elevation of 60 degrees above the
horizon, as is more or less the case toward
noon in the middle of the summer, the suns
rays fall on the slopes of hills which are
raised to an inclination of 80 degrees to the
horizon, at right angle and impart to the
soil the greatest amount Of heat which it is
possible to get from their influence. A soil
composed of gravel and fine sand enriched
with leaf-mold will warm the quickest and
ripen the fruit the earliest.
know of location and soil something
like that in this county, which is terraced
and planted to grapes, and the proprietor
assures me that he has never known sea-
son so cold aud backward that his Concord
and Delaware grapes failed to ripen
Where it is intended to plant but a few
vines, and the soil is not warm gld gravelly
it will be more satisfactory to draw on a
soil Of that character and terrace up bor-
der two feet above the surface, than to at
tempt to grow grapes in this climate in an
uncongenial soil. If the vines are to be
planted in rows intending to have tight
fence or wall behind to reflect the heat and
break off the wind, the rows should run
about 10 degrees north of due east, in order
to get the full benefit of the morning sun,
which is much more conducive to early
ripening than the afternoon sun. The shad-
ow of a perpendicular pole at sunrise on the
2lst Of june, our longest day, will give
the exact direction which will always get
the full benefit Of the morning sun, and as
much Of the afternoon sun as is possible
without shade from the high fence. wall, or
building behind The vines should be
planted about four feet from the wall or
building and be trained on an open trellis
that the air may circulate behind them.
They do not do well trained directly against
building as they need air. The soil
should be kept moderately rich by the use
of well rotted manure, leaf mold, and wood
ashes unrotted manure should never be
applied. The soil must be kept mellow and
perfectly free from weeds the whole season !;
and, if more fruit sets than the vine can
well ripen, it should be tudiciously thinned.
The leaves should never be pulled off to
promote the ripenlng of the fruit; for it is
not the direct rays of the sun shining on the
fruit but on the ieaves, which act as evap.
orators and perfect the sap, that ripens the
fruit and gives it its richest color. The vines
must be kept within moderate bounds by
pruning and that method called the re-
neical system is the best for this climate as
most Of the varieties have TO be laid down
aud protected by covering with leaves or
earth in winter, and by that system of prun.
ing the perpendicular canes being Of only
one seasons growth are always flexible and
easily laid down without danger Of breaking.
The varieties which have proved most sat
isfactOry with me thus far are the. Walter,
Dracut Amber and Crevelng. All of these
require protection in winter.
In the remarks that have been made about
aspect elevation, soils and shelter, it is not
to be supposed that any cultivator can com.
mand all OF these conditions, or that they
are indispensable for with thorough drain
age, which do consider indispensable, and
a selection of the hardest varieties, there is
hardly location or aspect so cold that we
cannot raise few varieties of the hardest
apples successfully. But it is well to un-
derstand what the best locations and soils
are in order that we may approximate as
close to them as circumstances will allow.
1t is often the case that we see fine loca-
ton, where fruit would flourish with but lit
tie care, neglected, and bad one chosen,
perhaps for no other reason than that it is
more convenient to fence and many young
orchard in wet, cold season has been ru-
ined, when a simple open ditch not more
than 10 inches deep, across the head.land to
carry off the water that comes during the
spring and fall from the higher ground,
would have saved it. Crab apples, indeed,
may grow without this care, but with the
finest fruit within our reach is it well or
worthy Of our enterprise to depend on these
alone
If we cultivate intOlligently, fruits of the
finest quality and in ample variety can be
raised in this climate--and are they not
worthy of our care2 In what other man
ner for a similar outlay can we add 50 much
to the beauty and comfort of our homes as
by planting fruit tree2 1t is the most
perfect combination of the useful and beau