The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-07-08
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Grape Culture.

Ab blllS btu5Ou VI ullS year ROOu Cteul
of labor is necessary in the vineyard,
but it is particularly essential that the
labor be bestowed just at the right time
and in the right way. The good vintner
will of course have pinched off the young
branches at the next leaf after the last
bunch of grapes. Where the vines are
not closely pruned, the strong proba-
bility is that more punches will put out
than the vine is able to mature. Indeed,
we doubt if there is crop raised, either
nf fruit or grain, in which there is more
room for the exercise of good Judgment
and close observation than in the cultiva-
tion of the grape. and but fow that yield
ns good returns for the labor. Pruning,
if done according to any fixed rule, must
necessarily be wrong in many cases. If
the ground is poor, tho pruning should
be done close, if rich, longer. We are
not favorable to too close fall pruning,
but prefer to control the growth and
shape OF the vine by summer pruning.
Hence, on account of the debilitated
condition of the vine as result of exces-
sive drought last summer, and the ex-
treme cold last winter, we should say
prune closely this summer. If in fall
pruning three buds have been left on
each spur, we should only allow each
bud to produce two punches of grapes
instead of three, as they usually do.
Then after throwing out two punches of
grapes and one leaf beyond the last
bunch, pinch the vine off. Here at the
stem of this leaf will come another
branch, which should be allowed to grow
until one leaf is found on it, when that
branch should in turn be pinched off.
After that all buds should be rubbed off,
as these will form sufficient foliage, and
the sap is wanted to make good punches
of fruit, and to throw out good strong
shoots from the root, or near the root,
for next years wood. Here again it is
necessary for us to know what we are
doing if we are to have good success and
a good yield next year. These shoots
should be tied up (about three of them,
so as to keep the wind from breaking
them off, and when they are say two
and one-half or three feet high and free
from danger from that source, break off
the smallest one, leaving the other two,
which is enough. These should be al
lowed to grow until about four and one
half feet high and the tips pinched off.
This will cause them to throw out good
strong laterals, which are allowed to
grow, but should be trained on the up
per wire of the trellis to shade the fruit
which is hanging on the first and second
wires. If these directions are carried
out and the ground kept clean and loose
with little manure, any man can have
a supply each year of the most delicious
and wholesome fruit that grows.
Train Your Trees.
Now is an excellent time to go over
all your trees and put them into shape.
If this matter were attended to every
season, there would be on large limbs to
cut away, leaving huge scars to disigure
your specimens. Another good reason
for immediate performance of this work
is that t1e wounds will heal over at
once. Indeed the presence OF a knife is
almost unnecessary, as the unruly twigs
may be pinched off without any de-
triment whatever to the health of the
specimen. 1t is really surprising what
little foresight in this way will acom-
phsh. For instance, on friends lawn
stands the handsomest specimen of the
weeping beech have ever seen, and, as
every one knows this tree is crooked,
ungainly grower when left to its own re-
sources but the specimen to which
allude has been pinched in, and tied in,
until it is as round as globe, with all
the outer limbs curving gracefully to the
ground. The owner says it was very
little trouble but then, be it remem-
bered, the work was performed at the
right time. | know of some Rotiezer
pear trees that are round-headed and
compact, simply because they were fire.
always just beyond an inside bud, while
other varieties of a compact habit
naturally were pinched off at an outside
bud. This may seem trivial, but atten-
tiCn to the little things sometimes pro
drccs great results. After the bloom is
over, the Towering shrubs should be
shercd into shape-not on the "rule
and line SYSTEM but the longer
branches should be headed back, and
thus encourage the weaker ones to grow.
Rub off all suckers as soon as they appear
on the trunks of the trees, and if neces
Bary scrub them with strong soap suds
salt and Insccts' Eggs.
Says Il Pennsylvania correspondent
Observation leads me to believe tha
eggs, whether hens. eggs or the eggs Of
insects, after having absorbed salt, vii
no longer hatch out. L have used sal
on garden beds to destroy the eggs of in
sects, and L have found that by so doing
/ have had less of certain kinds of in
sects to deal with afterward. Supposine
this theory to be true, might not thi
farmers in the West, by sowing salt OF
their land destroy the eggs of the grass
hoppers and perhaps other insects il
numbers sufficient to do some good, Al
to small lots. This would of course b,
impracticable on large scale, or wher,
salt would be too dear or scarce.
make this suggestion simply to cal
forth discussion, and would like to reac
the opinions of others ON the same sub
iect. By bringing our ideas to tk'
Light, may it not be possible for us, il
this day of invention and improvement
against the ravages of this destroying !;ifg
insect. 1 said L believed that egg
which had aborbed salt will no longe
hatch out. Will those who know, pleas,
speak.
Good Bread.
To have good bread farmers wifi,
advises to take to the mill, when TIN
water is neither too high nor too low
enough of your finest wheat to last yol
six months or year, cleaned as yol
would clean it i1r seed. Tell you
miller you are in no hurry; you wisl
him to grind it when he can do his best
When you take your -four home store i
loosely in barrels and keep it in cool