The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-06-06
Valuable Suggestions About the Cul.
Inre OF Grapes.
IColeman,s Rural World. 22l


The following brief, practical, and con-
| dersed rules for the management OF grapes,
were given by Tr. Whiting at the Farmers
Institute, recently held at Saginaw, Mich ::
The soil best suited for the grape is de-
composing shaie, but any good clay soil
thoroughly drained will DO.
The ground should he carefully prepared
and only well-ro,ted manure used.
Decomposing turf is one Of the best fer
tilizers; 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 vii make the best
vines.
Good culture is as necessary to the vine
as to corn or cabbage.
,iulching and watering The first year
should not he neglected II drouth is excess
i've One good soaking is better than many
sprinklinGs. More water can he saved
with hoe than can b. put on with
sprinkler.
In planting, cut the vine back to two
buds, whatever its strength or age.
Summer pruning consists in pinching
! If weak and Struggling shoots, in order ~
cJntine the sap TO the main branches.
4 ne nI-t suuitltT allow but oIe 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 confine The sap TO two
branches, and in the fall cut back TO three
buds each.
The third year, ii you5 vine has made
| vigorous growth, a few stems of grapes may
| be allowed 10 mature, but better take off all
IL l.,
grow.
Too heavy bearing while young will
| weaken the vine for all future time. The
trimming now depends on what Kind OF
| trellis you wish to cover.
After you have obtained a cool vigorous
root, you can make it grow in almost any
place or shape you wish, by keeping the
branch,s desired tied up, and all the others
pinched back.
Each year 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 10 cut
| away by holding your new wood up TO the
! trellis aud imagine a branch with three
stems Of grapes Tor 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 in
ches long, in the spring, or while in bios
SON. As soon as the fruit is set, examine
| the vine, spread out the new wood so that
| each bunC.i Of grapes will hang free and
clear pick off all the small stems OF fruit,
and fasten the vines securely, so that the
wind viii not destroy your crop by break
ing the young and tender branches.
When the wood has grown so that there
are three leaves beyond the las: bunch Of
grapes, examine the vine, select the branch
es YOU wish 10 save for fruit raising the
coming year, and keep them tied up until
they have grown as long as you wish to
make use Of The ends of the other bear
ing branches should be pinched off as soon
as they reach this point, three leaves be-
yond the last stem Of grapes"
Break of all shoots and laterals as soon
as they make their appearance, but on no
account injure the leaves on the bearing
ones.
The fruit will color but not ripen If the
leaves are destroyed.
Grapes Tor fall and winter use should be
plucked as soon as ripe, and, wien perfect
~ dry, packed in fine dry saw-dust. Select
your box or jar, cover the bettem with saw
dust, then layers OF grapes and saw-dust al
ternately until full. Keep them in the
coolest place you can find free from irUst,
until wanted for use.