Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-06-27
The fatnr aud fireside,
OVER. BEARING GRAPE VINES.

Many varieties of grape-vines are liable to
over-bear, especially when the soil is not rich,
giving the roots poor chance to extend
owing to its hardness and in such cases, if
a very large quantity of fruit sets, it is best
to remove portion Of it when very small.
Take pair of scissors in June, and clip out
from one-third to one-half of the smallest
clusters, and what is left will ripen we'll and
be worth double what the entire crop would
be left upon the vines.
There are many places where grape grow
ing is not considered profitable, solely owing
to an improper management of the vines.
The soil being naturally not very fertile, and
perhaps otherwise not we'll adapted 10 grape.
growing in a careless way, the vines are gen.
orally set where the roots can not easily ex-
pand, perhaps by the side of a walk, in the
grass, or near building, where they are
quite as badly situated, if the soil be stiff and
clayey, and the result is, that the vines set
more fruit than the roots can sustain.
To obtain the largest possible quantity OF
well-ripened grapes everywhere, the vines
should grow where the soil is naturally rich,
or has been made rich by manures, and
spaded from twelve to fifteen inches deep, and
kept free of weeds and grass. In such soil
the roots of the vines will extend in all d.
rections from eight to fifteen feet, and they
will sustain a much larger crop of fruit than
they will where the soil is poor and almost
impenetrable.
The summer pruning of grape vines con-
sists in removing all small shoots that will
never become good bearing canes, easily dis.
tinguished by any person at all acquainted
with the nature of the vines. A certain num-
Der of the most thrifty canes Of this season 8
growth must be left entire, to produce next
years crop of fruit, or 20 afford the buds
from which the shoots grow that produce the
grapes. After six or eight good canes are
thus selected, the other canes may, or may
not, be cut back to within two or three leaves
of the fruit.-MeaD York OBSERVER
WORKING LANDS IN DRoUTHs.-During
drouths, crops should be we'll cultivated, as
the working of the soil is always beneficial to
the crops, no matter how severe drouth
may be. Then, also, is the best time to eradi
cate weeds, as the scorching sun and drying
winds soon end their existence. When farm
ers see their crop willing beneath the rays of
the sun, and the ground without any percep,
tible moisture, having had no rain for four,
six or eight weeks, they are excusable if they
feel 'blue," or have the "horrors," but during
half a century I have never heard of more
than failure of about half of any crop in any
part of the country from drouth, and in most
cases, though drouths may be very severe,
yet at least We got an average crop of most
things. So let no farmer despair, as we are
promised "seed time and harvest" to the end,
and we'll has this promise been fulfilled up t."
the present season. When drouths come
work the harder, and when the rain comes
as it surely will come-let it find your cul-
tivated crops free from weeds, and then look
at them, and see them grow as if by magic.
You may say, as you look upon field of corn
twenty-four hours after a soaking rain, "Can
it be possible that this is the same parched up
corn that I beheld here yesterday?" The
motto that old farmers should have posted up
in their kitchens is: "Never despair" Halt
the battle of life is won by cherishing deter.
mination to take the world as it comes, and
never give up in view Of adversity.-E1-
change.