The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-05-12
farNrets' Column.
"Speed the PEosU."


You can do almost anything with a
grapevine if you understand it and apply
the means; it is so susceptible to change
or direction. Give it the proper soil and
situation and you can advance its growth
amazingly. And you can direct this growth
| at will equally amazingly. You can grow
wood, fruit or both; of course with excey-
tions. But by growing the one you will
lessen the other. You cannot grow fruit
and wood largely at the same time-not
generally. You can, however, grow good
crop of each with the proper knowledge
and care, soil, treatment and climate suit
able. The aim should always be, q bal
ance between fruit and wood, as also an
avoidance of excess and lack of growth
The medium course is found to be the
true course. Then you get fair to good
growth Of fruit of good quality, good
healthy growth ofwood, and yearly growth
of both wood and fruit, because the vigor
is retained and continued; all goes on
like perfect machine kept in good order
without strain. In such cases YOU can
bear, and indeed require, to have good
soil-not rich, necessarily, but one faYora-
BILE to good, sound growth, which has
reference to the mechanical, hygrometric,
barometric and other conditions ofthe soil,
rather than to fertlity-which in the main
should not be great; expansion of the roots
and awell @rated soil being gilmore account
than high manuring, to connect quality of
fruit with growth. Land cannot, there
fore, be too deeply and thoroughly drain
ed and disintegrated for the grape, giving
chance for its roots without danger from
mouldiness or rot, or the evils referred to
a wet soil.
Having, then, the proper soil, also the
proper situation and climate-warm, dry
atmosphere-there will remain only the
task OF directing the vine; and this is of
equal Importance with the provision for
its roots. Let it go unchecked, : and there
will generally he little fruit. Cut close
(thc wood, and, with our American sorts,
there will be disease and various mischief
The oVergrowth of fruit will defeat itself;
VIII hurt (eXhausD the vine, which will
show the year following in lack, and per-
maps failure of crop, the growth of the
wood being suspended entirely in some
parts OF the vine, the frost of winter get
ting the credit. This is done by close
pruning, especially summer pruning. 1t
shows how easily the vine may be direct
ed. If the shears had been withheld.
there would have been an entirely different
state OF things-a large wood growth-a
small, struggling fruit yield, lacking in
quality and quantity, and good punches
but the vine would have been healthy and
remained vigorous; yet it would have de-
teatcd its purpose-fruit.
The course between would have rene
died all. Excuses Of all kinds must be
avoided with the grape; it cannot bear
them. Though the promoter of excess
(intemperance), it requires moderation,
care and delcacy of treatment, varying
with some of the sorts, but generally the
rule. There is a delcacy that cannot be
overlooked; it must he respected. Then
the vine will show fine bloom and vigor:
and then its wine, as well as its clustered
lruil, will be what art and song have so
fascinatingly described. 10 Germantown TEL
egrd2h.