The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-20
Grape Culture.


The following brief. practical and condensed
rules for the management Of grapes will be
found quite valuable and reliable in every re-
speet:
best suited for the grape is deeotn posing shale,
but any good clay soil, thoroughly drained, will
do. The ground should be well prepared, and
used Decomposng turf is one Of the be st fer
tiizars: when II can be obtained no other will
be required. The vine selected for
PLANT
should be good one year old layers or cuttings
They may look small, but will make the best
vines,
MuLCHING
and watering the first year should not be no
ing is better than many sprinklings. More
water can be saved with hoe than can be put
on with a sprinkler.
PLANTING
consists In laying the cuttings into the ground
prepared In planting cut the vine back to two
buds, whatever its strength or age
PRUNING.
in summer. consists in pinching off weak and
struggling shoots, in order to eonflne the sap to
the main branches. The first summer allow
but one main shoot to grow. In the fal 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 nature. but
better take off all the fruit than to suffer too
much to grow. Too heavy bearing will weaken
the vine, when young, for all future time. The
TRIMMING
now depends on what kind Of trellis you wish
TO cover. After you hay obtained a good Wig
oTous root you make groW In dm9s any
es desired tied up and all the others pinched
back: In trimming cut away as much OF the old
wood as possible and save the new, as all the
FRUIT
buds on the new wood Each year few Of the
strongest branches should be allowed to grow
as bearers of fruit the following year.
1t is easy to know how much to cut away by
holding your new wood up the trellis, and
imagining u branch with three stems of grape
for each bud II you do not cut enough in the
fall and you find that the vine is growing to
be- too thick, do not fail to attend TO it whom the
new shoots are from three to six inches long
in the spring, or while In blossom. As soon as
the
FRUIT rs 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 anC
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 them tied up until they have grown as
long as you wish them. The ends of the Other
bearing branches should be pinched off as sooI
as they reach this point, three leaves beg onc
! the last stem of grapes.
| Break off all
| SHOOTS AND LATERALs
Ms fast as they make their appearance. but or
no account iniure the leaves on the bearine
canes. The fruit will color, but not ripen II the
| leaves are destroyed. Grapes for
FALL AND WINTER
use should be picked as soon as ripe and wher
perfectly dry, packed in fine, dry sawdust. Sc
| leet your box 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 find free
from frost, until wanted for use.
Discount of per cent on state. taxes
paid In May.
Ladies' drink Moet & Chandon and smacl
/ their Inns with delight,