The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-06-12
OUR BEST VARIETIES.

y
ing success, and now have about eight
acres in vines of different kinds, the
Concord largely predeminating. We
consider the Concord as the very best
variety for general market culture, at
least in this latitude, and it is generally
conceded to be the best market sort
over a large extent of country. 1t in
variably bears large crops of fine fruit,
and is freer from disease and insect at
tacks, on account of its rampant growth,
than any we have yet tried. The Con-
cord is with grapes what the Wilson's
Albany Seeding is with Strawberries
the standby for market purposes.
In regard to other sorts, do not
care to speak so decided in regard to
the merits, for, while many we have are
most excellent table varieties, the pro-
ftableness is questionable. We have
grown Aliens Hybrid and MaNatawny,
most excellent white grapes, vigorous
growers and good fruiters, but have
not put them on the same footing with
the Concord, in regard to the size of
plantations. We expect to put out
quite lot more of these this year, if
we have the time to do so, as the re-
turns of those marketed have been very
satisfactory indeed. Although many
persons experience great difficulty in
propagating these two sorts from cut
tings, planted in the ordinary way, as
they are far more uncertain OF growth
than the Concord, vet, we each year
grow moderate percentage from cut
tings planted in the opening ground.
And permit me here to say, that much
of the uncertainty of growth is due to
q want of care in wintering the cuttings,
SO as to prevent them from having their
vitality injured or impaired by drying
out. In addition to the above, we grow
Rogers Nos. Is and Is, and thus far
consider them good sorts. The Salem,
although it is q fine looking grape, with
large berries, it has, with US, proved to
be somewhat subject to blight, while
the flavor of the fruit is very unpleasant
to my taste The fruit sells readily to
those who have not tried it, but all the
BUYERS FORGET, as a rule, to buy the
Salem second time. AS this year
will be the first fruiting year, for US, OF
the Goethe, | will be better prepared to
speak of it's merits or dement's at the
end of the season. The Telegraph
ripens with the Concord Itfruits well,
and has a very nice compact bunch.
The Iona, though fine favored and a
good table grape, does not prove very
profitable market sort, for it loses its
foliage, and the punches are very stray
Cling. The Catawba has nearly the
same dement's as the Iona, while the
Isabella proves to be almost worthless
now with US.
We have several more kinds on trial,
in fact, have about two acres devoted to
vines Of different kinds, to experiment
with, and if variety is found worth
less, the row is continued out with some
sort which we have found to be good
and desirable. Until the vines COM
mence to fruit, we grow either vegeta-
bles or Strawberries, so as to make the
vineyard pay in other things, if not in
grapes.
VINEYARD IMPLEMENTS.
AS rule, grape vines spread their
roots near the surface, so as to get the
benefit of the moisture as well as to
seek comparatively loose soil. This be-
ing the case, it is unwise to pillow deep
", with a two-horse pillow, for many Of
the most valuable roots are destroyed
by so doing. Our plan is to pillow mod
erately deep with one-horse pillow, and
then cultivate deeply with an ordinary
cultivator. As we experienced diff
Guilty with the common cultivator, in
having as level culture as we consider
desirable, we invented a cultivator
tooth, which consists of hollow stem
of malleable iron, the cutting part be-
ing a diamond shaped piece of steel,
which can either be run fiat, or on a
slight inclination. This cuts off all
weeds and loosens up the soil, yet, let's
the soil return to nearly the same
smoothness. We believe in deep but
level culture A hoe is an implement,
too, which should be used repeatedly in
the vineyard, around the vines, for there
are places where it is impossible to use
horse implement, and necessity re-
quires hoe to be used to remove the
weeds and grass, and to loosen the soil
properly.
We commence to work the vineyard
as soon as the vines are tied up, by
blowing the vineyard from the vines,
and narrowing well. We then keep
the cultivator running as often as is
necessary to keep down the weeds and
keep the soil loose-about every two
weeks-until the grapes commence to
color, when we throw two burrows to-
wards the vines, and let them alone till
after grape season, when we fix them
up for Winter Just before the grapes
blossom, the cultivator must be discon-
tinued until after the fruit has set,
otherwise, much fruit will be lost by
rubbing off the pollen or breaking of
the flowers or blossoms. AS soon as
the fruit has all set, start the cultivator
again, and cultivate well and deeply,
and remember that the best of cultiva-
ton and fertilizng is necessary to sue
cess when accompanied by otherwise
proper attention to the vines.
TRENCHING.
Trenching or trench blowing, is not
only unnecessary and useless, but also,
very expensive. We never did any
thing of the sort, for we doubted the
success, and could readily make an ap-
proximate estimate of the cost. We
made careful inquiry, and soon found
that our first views were correct. We
found several persons who had tried
the experiment, and found it very
costly one indeed One experiment
remember in particular. Mr.. Thomas
NJ Harvey, while superintendent of the
Experimental Farm of Chester county,
Pa, trenched two acres or more, some
two feet or more, at great expense, and
planted vines on the piece in the most
thorough manner, as be does all. he IN
dertakes Some vines were planted on
soil which had not been trepcbed, and