Smyrna times., 1880-04-28
Grapes.
Recently there

cusslon In agricultural papers i'm regard to |
the grape rot and its remedies" A writer |
in the January number of the C6uatry Gen.
heman quotes the old adage, that IAN ounce |
of prevention is bOtter than a pound of
cure" and suggests that it is wiser and
better to remove or preveRt predisposing
causes than te apply remedies. He says in
substance, that lit is conceded that mildew
always precedes rot. That mildew is never
found on vines of slow growth therefore,
to encourage and ensure slow growth OF
vine, especially in the spring, is to etfectually
prevent mildew and rot. With this in
view, he seeded his vineyard heavily to clover
and moved it just before it headed out
three times during the season, leaving the
grass on the ground. The result he says
was very satisfactory"
| have Concord grapevines trained on
an arbor on one side OF the garden, which
are thus highly manured and cultivated
during the entire season. A splendid
growth of vine is made, and there is an
abundance of bloom and setting of fruit.
but all drop off or rot long before coming
to maturity. la my vineyard of onehalf
acre, consisting of Concords, Delawares.
Hartford Prolitics, WardeAs and Isabellas
(mostly Concords), which are from five to
ten years old, the ground is only moderately
rich, and receives only ordinary cu!tiva.
ton. For three years the crop has been
large, but there have been very few perfect
clusters. In July, generally, mildew ap.
pears, soon followed by the rot. The Der.
ries drop out, leaving what is called strag.
| CLING clusters, which are unstable, exceIt
at a very low price. OF these varieties. the
Concord and Warden only are worthy of
cultivation here.
| Runniu aVar a bocL ,,ioy,, 7 l,.a
cord vine that stands in walk, and conse.
quentlY receives no cultivation. This one
bears more and better clusters than anv
in the vineyard.
| On trellis at the south end of the
house, there are two Concord vines five
years old standing in bluegrass sod.
| which Tor three years past have borne large
crops OF very perfect clusters These have
received no cultivation whatever since the
first year.
do not pretend to account for these
facts; but it is evident that cultivation.
or non.cuitivation, has much to do with
them. have seeded my vineyard to clover.
and will perhaps in due time report results
BERRY CRATES AND BASKETS.
Now, if not already done. is a good time
to put berry crates in thorough repair and
unless new, paint them. IL paws to shin
fruit in neat, clean packages Commission
men have assured me that often the soma
quality of peaches in old and new baskets
will sell for enough more in the new TO
pay for the baskets. This is measurablv
true OF berry crates. believe the increased
price received for fruit in new or neatly
painted crates used three or more times
during the season, will pay for the crates.
twenty-five pounds OF paint and one
Ion f.f Wur,ll s..A.-
two quart crates one coat. man can
easily paint fifty crates day. Thus the
expense OF material and labor will not ex
csed six cents per crate.
1t is not economy, either, to ship fruit in
cid black berry baskets The best and
most profitable use of such is kindlinp
wood. 1t is hoped that the time is not far
OIL when our manufacturers will furnish us
baskets, costing not more than $500 psr
thousand. These we can afford to let 90
with the fruit.
WASH FOR TREES.
Visiting q fruit farm near Brdgeyille.
several years ago, / was shown two rows of
peach trees in an orchard ten years old, the
bodies of which had been washed with n
solution of concentrated lye. There was a
wonderful difference in appearance in favor
of those SO treated. The bark was as
smooth as on trees one year old, and the
trees seemed every way healthier and more
vigorous. Since then have applied the
same to young peach and apple orchard
three times, at intervals of two years, with
like results. The trees we're not onlv
washed on the bodies. but as far up on the
branches as the small limbs would allow.
The color and smeothness of the bark
shows distinctly where the wash stopped,
The concentrated lye, or saponifre, as some
call it, can be procured at almost any of
the general merchandise stores and costs
from l24 to Is cents per pound. One
pound dissolved in six gallons of water
will make as strong lye as can safely be
applied. On small trees, paint brush is
the best thing to put it on with. On large
trees, whitewash brush. If the trees are
small, one pound will, when dissolved, 90
over at least thousand trees; so that, ex.
cepting laber, the expense is mere moth.
ing.-JdS. B. Gilchrist, IN PeninsuLar Ne,os.
POTATo CULTURE" Good crops may be