The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-05-16
TOPICS FOR FARMERS,

Grape Culture.-The following brief,
practical and condensed rules for the
management of grapes, were given by
DIR. Whiting, at the Farmers Institute,
recently held at Saginaw, Michigan:
The soil best suited for the grape is de-
composing shale, but any good clay soil
thoroughly drained will do.
The ground should be carefully pre-
pared, and only well-rotted manure
used.
Decomposing turf is one of the best
fertilizers; when it can be obtained, no
other will be required.
The vines selected for planting should
be good one year old layers or cuttings.
They may look small, but will make the
best vines.
Good culture is as necessary to the
vine as to corn or cabbage.
Mulching and watering the first year
should not be neglected if drought is ex-
cessive. One good soaking is better
than many sprinklings. More water
can be saved with hoe than can be put
on with sprinkler.
In planting cut the vines back to two
buds, whatever its strength or age.
Summer pruning consists in pinching
off weak and struggling shoots in order
to confne the sap to the main branches.
The first summer allow but one main
shoot to grow. In the fall, after the first
frost, cut all the summer growth back to
within two buds of the ground.
The second year confne the sap to
two branches, and in the fall cut back
to three buds each.
The third year, if your vine has made
vigorous growth, few stems of grapes
may be allowed to mature, but better
| take off all the fruit than to suffer too
much to grow.
Too heavy bearing while young will
weaken the vines for all future time.
The trimming now depends on what
kind of trellis you wish to cover.
After you have obtained good vigor-
| Gus root, you can make it grow in almost
any place or shape you wish, by keeping
the branches desired tied up, and all the
others pinched back.
Each year a few of the strongest
| branches should be allowed to grow as
bearers of fruit the following year.
| In trimming cut away as much OF the
old wood as possible and save the new,
as all the fruit buds are on the new
wood.
You can easily tell how much to cut
away by holding your new wood up to
the trellis and imagine branch with
| three stems of grapes for each bud.
| If YOU do not cut off enough in the
| fall, and you find that the vine is going
to be too thick, don't fail to attend to it
when the new shoots are from three to
six inches long, in the spring, or while
in blossom. AS soon as the fruit is set
examine the vine, spread out the new
wood SO that each bunch of grapes will
hang free and clear; pick of all the
small stems of fruit, and fasten the
vines securely, SO that the wind will not
destroy your crop by breaking the young
and tender branches.
When the wood has grown SO that
there are three leaves beyond the last
bunch of grapes examine the vine, select
the branches you wish to save for fruit
bearing the coming year, and keep then
tied up until they have grown as long al
you wish to make use of. The ends ot
the other bearing branches should be
pinched off as soon as they reach this
point, three leaves beyond the las
stem of grapes"
Break off all shoots and laterals al
| fast as they make their appearance, Du
on no account injure the leaves on thu
bearing canes.
The fruit will color but not ripen i
the leaves are destroyed.
Grapes for fall and winter use shoult
be picked as soon as ripe, and when per
fectly dry, packed in fine sawdust. Sc
lect your box or jar, cover the bottom
with sawdust, then layers of grapes ant
sawdust alternately until full. Kee]
them in the coolest place you can fn'
free from frost until wanted for use.