Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-09
SolnnaI arto Courier.
Monday Morning, August 3, 1880.
Local News.
tFor other Local News see Second Page.
Grape Culture.

| SsAAcA A1COoA 4NOWo bO0 |
 Grape Culture.
 An Important Paper Read Before tho
 New Haven Horticultural Society.
 The following paper which was read before
 the New Haven Horticultural Society on las | Wednesday evening, by MT. David Saunders
 the Whitneyville nurseryman and florist, will
 be read with interest by large number o1
 our citizens. Nearly every householder hal
 their grapevines yet it is fact that but few people know how to successfully cultivate
 them.
 MT. Saunders says So much has beer
 said and written about the cultivation of the hardy grape that the following remarks
 must of necessity be in great measure g repetition of what may have been said or
 written by others; but as have been more
 or less interested in grape culture for quite a
 number of years, whatever I may now say
 may be regarded as the result of my own ex- perience.
 I will not attempt to give elaborate direc- tions for the preparation of the soil, presum- ing that all know that a rich and deep bed is 1 indispensable. In most city gardens there is
 usually a good deal of space occupied by ! walks, carriage drives, grass plots &c., that
 might be utilized for the purpose of growing grapes. Before laying down walks or drives,
 have the ground thoroughly trenched to a | depth of two or two and half feet liberal l ly manured and well mixed with bones, horns, leather parings, old boots or any ma- terial that will keep the soil from getting too
 close by the pressure that may afterwards be
 put upon it, at the same time furnishing a
 lasting supply of food for the roots of the I vines. Charcoal and oyster shells are also | good.
 In trenching the ground, instead of the
 usual mode of inverting the soil in layers, 8
 better way is, after taking out good wide 1 opening to the depth required, to cut down the face of the trench from top to bottom, a | few inches at time, shoveling it over as in
 mixing compost heap thus the whole is
 more thoroughly incorporated. If it is nee
 essary to keep the ground down to it's form l CT level the soil that is removed should be
 taken from the bottom or whatever may be
 the poorest part of it. If the bottom is not
 naturally porous, good drainage must be pro- ! vided.
 The situation should be open and airy | as possible, away from large trees. If the ! roots of trees-elms especially-get hold of 1 the border, farewell grapes.
 Presuming that the ground is ready now
 for planting vines two or three years old
 are the best. If they have been transplanted
 so much the better, as they will have more ] ibery roots Cut them down to the eyes, ,and
 if the roots are long and bare of fibre, cut
 them back to about two feet. Make an exca- vation about six inches deep md three or ! four feet wide according to the length of the | roots. Round up a little at the point where the | vine is intended to start from, lay the plant | in the hole, spread the roots out in all [ directions, keeping the stem down, so that \ when covered only thetwo eyes will be above ground work the soil carefully among the ! roots, fill up level and tramp well. If it can ! be had it is good thing to have 8 quantity of light, rich material at hand, such as leaf l mold mixed with bone dust, or well routed manure. Put little of this about the roots. ! It will help to give the vines good start. ! If the planting is done in fall, which is the best time make a mound over the whole plant before severe weather sets in, and throw some rough litter on top of all, re- moving in spring before the buds begin to swell
 The natural training growth of the vine where it can get anything to cling to, is up- right, and 1t is not until it reaches the top of that support and spreads out horizontally that it bears abundant crops of fruit there fore the aim in training should be to bring the bearing wood into horizontal instead of a perpendicular position, as Is most generally done, and that position may be assumed at one or ten feet from the ground, as may be desired or convenient. I will endeavor to bo a 1iS itah frai win on this horizontal system.
 Divide the space to be occupied by the trellis into equal parts from eight to ten feet. At each division set good posts that will stand six or seven feet above ground. On these nail slats three inches wide and one thick one slat one foot from the ground one at top, and one midway between then stretch three wires in each space and then the trellis is complete. The wires may be put on per pendicularly about eight inches apart if pre- ferred. A double trellis may sometimes be used to advantage, as on a line between neighbors set the post the line, nail on cross-bars 24 or feet long, at the points where the slats and wires would be placed on the extremities of these bars put on the slats and wires to be equally advantageous north and south line would he best, but a few points either way will make but lit tie difference. A trellis of that height is meant for two tiers of horizontal arms; if it is not desirable to have it so high, one can be made four feet high for one tier of arms only.
 Now plant vine at each post and one in the centre between; one will be to train on the lower slat, the other on the middle one. The first year tie up a single shoot from each vine; it is well to place stake to each, and as the young canes grow tie them securely, but not too tightly. Keep the laterals pinched at the first joint, until the slat is reached where it is designed to train the vine to. Af- ter that let it grow of it's own free will, as the x<,1 l. k1 growth, and consequently the moro strength to the whole plant.
 After the leaves have fallen cut the vines down one at the lower slat, the other at the middle one I will here remark that in grow ing vines it Is better to cut from II to inch es from the bud, as if cut too close the trien- nlal bud will dry out, and consequently start weak, if it is not killed altogether. The long one may be cut close of any time after the vines have begun to grow.
 The vines that have been cut long may be bent down and tied to the lower slat, where they will be more easily protected if thought necessary.
 Next spring let the two uppermost buds start train the two shoots fan-shape, keep the laterals pinched into one leaf beyond each growth if one of the shoots seems to get stronger than the other, bring it down to more horizontal position, letting the weak CT one grow upright After the canes have grown five or six feet they should be pinched, so as to concentrate the growth and allow the lower buds to fill out At the fall pruning if these canes are sufficiently strong, say about one half inch in diameter, they may be cut long enough to fill the space Nllotted them, and brought down and tied along the hori- zontal slat, but if rather weak cut to about half the distance, and next seasons growth will fill the space The following spring it will be well to bend down the arms below the slats, 80 the buds may break more evenly for this reason the vines will be able to carry 8 moderate crop of fruit. When the buds have all started, and made growth of two three inches, the arms should be brought up level and tied to the slat select the best buds, from 12 to 16 inches apart, to grow;rub of all others each shoot will probably show or punches of fruit, but as it will not be well to let them bear too heavy a crop the first year of bearing, all but two on the strongest, and one on the weaker shoots