The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-06-03
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN
Raising Grapes.

Elliot In q contribution to the Boston
Cultivator:
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 vineyard will produce
fruit equally as soon.
Cut the ends of all the large roots
smooth with cut sloping from the UNI
der side of the root. If the roots are
very long, shorten them back to about
eighteen inches cut away all the small
fibers, for they almost uniformly get
dried or chilled in handling when
planting and so die; but if cut away
close TO the main roots, new fibers form
from the wound with great rapidity.
The ground being prepared and the
roots ready, take one at time, either
from wet cloth in which they may be
wrapped, or from the earth in which
the roots are heeled, in order that they
may not dry, and proceed to plant, TAX
ing care to spread the roots we'll, 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 or crack. Plantj just SO
deep as to leave one or two eyes above
the surface.
During this summer no pruning is
required, except to rub off all buds that
may start below the two eyes left at
planting. 1t should now have the up
per cane cut entirely away and the low
er cane put back to two eyes.
After the buds have started and
grown from four to six inches, examine
them and cut off all but the strongest
one, leaving this and this only to grow
the second summer. 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 q
short time the end bud on the lateral
will again grow, and the close of the
season will show the plant well. III
November, or as soon as the leaves drop
In the fall, proceed to again cut back,
leaving three buds, with the laterals
cut away clean. Another system prac-
ticed by some vlgnerons is to grow the
vine the second year. where the vine
at its annual pruning was cut to three
strong eyes, each of which is permitted
to grow and all the laterals fof four, FIVE
or ak eyes on these canes are rubbed
entirely out, while the laterals above
are allowed to grow, and the leading
stems are on no account stopped back
during the season.
Many a vineyard has been injured
for years by too great cropping the frs
season. During this summer the later
ais are to be pinched back or stopped
when they have made growth of three
four or five buds or leaves. Afterwards
these laterals will again grow, and if by
this means the vine, is too thick so tina
the sun and light do not reach all tn,
foliage, they may again be pinchet
back ; but if the sun and light reach al
clearly, it is well to let them alone.
The fruit bearing canes are to b,
stopped at from three to five buds, o.
leaves from the last bunch of fruit.
there are two lunches of fruit on thu
stem, then leave five buds if only ont
bunch, then shorten to three buds. Til,
main canes should never be stopped
until after the fruit has become colored
then. if they hang over the trellls to-
heavily, they may have the end pinch
ed, but not to the destruction of q sin
gle, or even half-formed leaf. If thi
Is done too early, or about the time tina
on the main shoot begin to grow, ant
the sap is expended in the formation o
new leaves and wood, instead Of per
lecting buds and fruit already formed
During this summer, canes from dor
mant buds will start from the mail
stem. These should be permitted t
grow from two to four buds and the
stopped, unless they are wanted for th
purpose of renewing the vine. In sue
case. which does not often occur, tire
or four are permitted to grow FIJI
length, and in autumn the stronges
only retained for the next years work
all the old wood above being cut entire
ly away. Wherever a vine can be re
newed from strong healthy buds, it
always best to do so.
From this time forward the process
as here described is to be continue
and repeated every year, seeing tbs
strong, new canes are founded startin
at. or below, the lower wire sarul
II may be said that when a vine doe
not ripen its wood well it has been pei
mitted to bear more fruit than it wa
capable of maturing without loss to II
regular, healthy system. Never stri
the leaves from vine. Some do it III
der the impression that the sun riper
the fruit. The leaves are essential
requisite to the ripening of the fruit AN
the best fruit will always be foun
where there is an abundance of matuI
leaves fully exposed to the rays of ligh
Fruit cannot ripen without the assis
ance of the leaves
POlled Angus Cattle,