The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-07-31
THE PRESS.
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
grape Culture.

air failure, in southern and central New
England, and the corresponding vine region
westward. The fruiting vine requires
warm, dry and fertile soil exposed to sun and
air, to rain and dew; and the best results
are never realized, where any one of these
requisites is wanting.
To ripen the fruit of most varieties about
a hundred days must intervene from flower
ing to frost. Ripeness is indicated by ripe
seed, not always by the color of the berry.
Unlike the pear, it never ripens after it is
picked; nor will the cluster mature, after the
foliage at and beyond it is destroyed. Frozen
grapes are without value. To protect the
wood and fruit-buds through the winter,
when the mercury falls much below zero,
slight covering is essential.
The branches, and the roots also, must be
watered, must be duly fed, and guarded from
disease must be protected from winters cold,
and warmed by the summers sun to insure
success. The most perfect system of grape
growing calls for sheltered locality of mod
crate elevation; warm, moist soil with
growth of root, stem, arm, cane, shoot, and
cluster, which shall throw the entire plant
under the control of the cultivator.
To secure successful culture, in the open
air in New England. most vines need all
the sunshine over the roots that it is posi-
BILE to give them; they need TO be trained
while growing, so that they can be readily
laid down in winter; they also need sys-
TEN of thinning out Of fruit, and checking
OF foliage, so that the smallest possible
amount Of seed is allowed to the greatest
weight of fruit; so that no foliage is per-
mitted but that wanted to mature the fruit,
and to form root, wood and bud for the next
years crop.
For propagation, plants well grown i'll the
open air are the most desirable, because ac-
climated; and ho cuttings can be better
than those known as "rootlings," because
the white. roots are in early spring drawn
out from the cutting without starting the
leaf bud, and they are then in condition to
be set out and to bud out as soon as spring
opens, with roots ready formed to sustain
them. All vines require one seasons growth
in the nursery before the final planting.
In preparing vine bed, dig trench run
ming northerly and southerly, thirty inches
deep by ten feet wide. No draining is need
ed il gravel or sand is at the bottom; but if
the subsoil is retentive, tile or other draining
must be used. Replace the surface soil, mix.
ing with it all such fertilizers as form food for
tho v;no. oud in cuoh condition opd ouant;
ty, especially the inorganic parts, as may
be supposed to last for an age-leather, hair,
horn-piths, bones. spent lime, ashes, muck.
leafmould, turf, etc. Street scrapings, and
wellrotted manure may also be added eau
tiousiy, but these should be excluded from
contact with the roots of the vine. When
this is filled to the depth Of twenty inches,
that is. ten inches below the surface, the
young vines of one years growth in the nur-
sery, or layers of the preceding season are
set out. A single cane is to be grown from
each vine, and two buds are allowed to start
when the stronger has grown foot, stop
the weaker one by pinching, and in the fall
trim it of.
For vines on buildings, the root bed should
be made as already stated; less width is need
ed for few vines. 1t should be as favorable
as possible for the SUMS rays, and away from
the roots and shade of trees. 1t is not neces-
sary that it should be near the building
The vines with the single canes can be car
ried under walks and pavements twenty feet
or more to trellis constructed on the east,
south or west side of building. This trel.
lis should be a few feet from the building,
with horizontal wires three-eighths of an
inch in diameter, and eighteen inches apart.
and supported every two or three feet by up
rights of wood or iron.
Space can be economical in garden with
fence on its east, north and west sides, by
preparing beds of moderate extent, and
planting vines one foot from the fence. They
can also be carried perpendicularly to Stats
or wires at right angles with the fence, seven
feet above the ground, to each of which two
vines can be secured. A pleasant walk in
summer is under s1ch vines, which with
hanging clusters have most beautiful effect.
In autumn after the foliage has fallen, the
shoots are trimmed to spurs of one or more
buds, one only to grow, and the vines are
laid down along the bed and covered slightly
with turf, sea-weed, straw, hay or evergreen
branches. In April the covering is removed,
and the vines are lifted to the trellis. Super
fuous buds are rubbed off. The bed is grad
ually filled till it is level with the contiguous
ground. 1t is kept free from weeds during
the growing season, and open to the direct
rays of the sun during the best part of the
day. This natures the fruit from one to two
weeks earlier than that on vines whose roots
are shaded, giving it higher flavor, and
greater market value.
Insects, disease, and frost are enemies to
the vine. A small insect called thr;ps. at
tacks the opening bud and blossom they hide
under fallen grape leaves and in the creyices
of wood near by. Destroy the leaves when
damp and cold, as the insect then adheres to
them. Wash the wood with mixture of kero-
sene and soft-soap, diluted with tobacco Tea.
The root louise may be destroyed by flooding
the roots for few days. The sulphur bellows
is the remedy for the mildew freely used at its
first appearance. 1t is well to sulphur
the clusters as protection in advance.
Frost In the spring often kills the bud, and in
the fall the leaf running the ripsning fruit
On clear, still night when the mercury falls
below 500 direct radiation, the cause of cold.
may be checked by the slightest covering OF
muslin, fy-netting or paper. A smoke on
the windward side of the garden kept up at
night by brush, leaves and saw-dust is often
efectual.
Tbs varieties that are desirable, are few in
number. After testing more than sixty and
with an experience in handling thousands of
fruiting vines for many years, we regret our
inability to furnish anything more than such
a list as one which advanced ameteurs will
smile at when they see it. The Hartford
Concord and Martha for the table and mar,
ket; and the Ives and Clinton for wine, will
yield under ordinary care, abundance of de-
sirable fruit. though not the choicest quality:
and this is more than can be said of most va
riptias They ara So thrifty Iaoltb,, 11