The Portland daily press., 1878-05-29
Grape Culture.

The following brief, practical and condensed
rules tor the management of grapes were
given by Dr.. Whiting at the farmers insti-
tute, recently held at Saginaw, Mich: The
soil best suited for the grape is decomposiog
shale, but any good clay soil thoroughly
drained will do. The ground should be care
fully prepared 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 nee
essary to the vine as to corn or cabbage
Mulching and watering the first year should
not be neglected if drought is excessive 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 vine back to two buds,
whatever its strength or age. Summer
pruning consists in pinching off weak and
struggling shoots in order to confiue the sap
to the main branches. The first summer
allow but one main shoot to grow. To the
fall, after the first frost, cut all the summer
growth back to within two buds of the
ground. The second year confine 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 a 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 vine for ali future
time. The trimming now depends on what
Kind OF trellis you wish to cover. After you
have obtained good vigorous 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. Each
year few of the strongest branches should
be allowed to grow as bearers of fruit the fol-
lowing 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
trelis, and imagine branch with three
stems Of grapes for each bud. If you do not
cat off enough in the fall and you find that
the vine is going to be too thick, do not 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 off 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, ex-
anime the vine, select the branches you wish
to save for fruit bearing the coming year, and
keep them tied up until they have grown as
you wish. The ends of the other bearing
branches should be pinched off as soon as
they reach this point, "three leaves beyond
the last stem of GRAPES" Break off all shoots
and laterals as fast as they make their ap-
oearance, but on no account ipjure the leaves
on The bearing canes. The fruit will color
Dut not ripen if the leaves are destroyed.
grapes Tor fall and winter use should be
pickeu as soon as ripe, and when perfectly
dry, packed. in fine dry sawdrst, Select
your box or Jar, cover the bottom with saw
dust, then layers OF grapes and sawdust alter
nately until full. Keep them in the coolest
place you can fluid free from frost, until
wanted for use.