Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05
Raising Grapes.
The following very coucse rules for grape
culture are from tho pen of f. r. Elliot in
a contribution to the Boston Cultivator:


culture are from tho pen of +. X. Elliot in
a contribution to the Boston Cultivator:
SELECTIONS OF VINES OR CUTTINGS.
Get those vines that have been grown in
the open ground as layers, or from three
eye cuttings and one year old. Select, so
far as you can, such as have good, strong
roots, and one good, strong stem. Vines OF
this age are less injured by removal than
those of two or more years, and the vine
yard will produce fruit equally as soon.
PRUNING BEFORE PLANTING.
Cut The ends of all the large roots smooth
with a cut sloping from the under side of the
root. If the roots are very long, shorten
them back to about eighteen inches cat
away all the small fbers, for they almost
uniformly got dried or chilled in handling
when planting aud so die /; but if cut away
close to the main roots, new 6bers form
from the wound with great rapidity.
PLANTING.
The ground being prepared and roots
ready, take one at time, either from a
wet cloth IN which they may be wrapped,
or from the earth 10 which tho roots are
heeled, in order that they may not dry,
aud proceed to plant, taking care to spread
the roots WELL and put rich, loamy soil on
and among them, using the hand and not
the foot, for placing it. BE careful to leave
the surface light and loose, so that it will
not bake, break and crack. Plant Just so
deep as to leave but one or two eyes above
the surface.
FIRST SEASON.
During this summer no pruning is re.
quired, except to rub off all buds that NAV
start below the two eyes left at planting
1t should now have the upper cane cut Gu
tirey away and the lower cane put back to
two eyes.
SECOND SEASON.
After the buds have started and grown
from four to six inches, examine them and
rub of all but the strongest one, leaving
this and this only to grow the second sam.
mer. Stakes should now be placed at each
vine, and in the last of June, or early in
july the vines should be looked over and
the lateral branches should have the end
Of each one pinched back, after it has
grown three or four Joints or leaves. After
a short time the end bud on the lateral
will again grow, and the close Of the sea.
son will show the plant we'll. In Novem-
Der, or as soon ss the leaves drop in the
fail, proceed TO again cut back, leaving
three buds, with the laterals cut away
clean. Another system practiced by some
vignerons is to grow the vine the second
| year, where the vine at its annual pruning
was cut to three strong eyes, each oil which
is permitted to grow aud all the laterals
for four, five or six eyes on these canes. are
rubbed entirely out, while the lateras above
are allowed to grow, and the leading stems
are on no account stopped back during the
season.
Many vineyard has been injured fol
years by too great cropping the first season
During this summer the ateras are to be
pinched back or stopped when they have
made growth OF three, four or five buds or
leaves. Afterwards these ateras will again
grow, and if by this means the vine is too
thick so that the sun aud light do not reach
all the foliage, they may again be pinch
back but if the SUI and light reach all
clearly, it is as well to let them alone.
The fruit bearing canes are to be stopped
at from three to FIVE buds, or leaves from the
last bunch Of fruit. fthere are two bunche,
OF fruit on the stem, then leave five buds il
only one bunch, then shorten TO three buds
The main canes should never be stopped
until after the fruit has become cslored
then, if they hang over the trelis toe
heavily, they may have the end pinched
but not to the destruction of single, OIL
even half-iormcd, leaf If this is done too
early or about the time that the fruit be.
gins to color, the last buds on the mair
shoot begin to grow, and the sap is expend
ed in the formation Of new leaves and wood
instead of perlecting buds and fruit already
formed.
During this summer, canes from dormant
buds will start from the main stem. These
should be permitted to grow from two tC
four buds and then stopped, unless they
are wanted for the purpose of renewing tHe
vine. In such case, which does not often
occur, three or four are permitted to grow
full length and in autumn the strongest
only retained for the next years work, al
the old wood above being cut entirely away
Wherever n vine can be renewed from
strong healthy buds, it is always best to Dc
So
From this time forward the process, as
here described, is to be continued and re-
peated every year seeing that strong, new
canes are founded starting at, or below, the
lower wire. As a rule it may be said
that when a vine does not ripen its wood
| well il has been permitted to bear more
fruit than it was capable of maturing with
out loss to its regular, healthy system
Never strip the leaves from q vine. Some
do it under the impression that the SUI
ripens the fruit. Tho leaves are essentialy
requisite to the ripening of the fruit, ant
the best fruit will always be found where
there is an abundance of mature leave
fully exposed to the rays of light. Frui
cannot ripen without the assistance of the
| laauno