Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-03-30
Grape Culture,

Grape Culture.
L. S. Hubbard, the grapevine man of
Fredonia, N. Y, issues the following
in regard to the planting and culture
of vines:
Strong growing kinds, like Rogers
Hybrids, Concord, Elvira, Hartford,
Brighton, Ives, Prentiss, Diana, Aga
wan, Talman, Wordens, should be
planted eight feet. apart in the row.
For slower growing kinds like Della
ware, EumelaD, Martha, Catawba,
Lady, Iona, six feet is better. The
slow-growing kinds should be planted
on the richest soil, and have liberal
dressings of manures, while the strong
growing kinds do best in moderately
fertile soil, or if on rich soil they must
be planted farther apart, pruned long,
and trained on higher stakes or trellises,
so as to have room to run. When ready
to plant, stake out the ground in rows
about eight feet apart, and six to eight
feet apart in the row. Take twenty
five to fifty vines from the trench, cut
the roots back to ten or twelve inches
long, and place them in tub or buck
ct Of water. In planting, take only
one root from the water at time, so
none shall get dried out. Make holes
one foot deep and two feet across, hav-
ing two or three inches of good, rich
soil placed in the bottom of each hole.
Spread the roots in the bottom of the
hole in every direction, taking care not
to have them cross each other. Place
6ne, rich earth carefully around and in
among the roots and fill the hole only
partially full, or within three inches
of the top Of the plant. If the tops
are snort, the hole may remain partly
filled up in the shape of basin until
later in the season, when it can be
gradually filed in as the growth pro-
crosses. Stir the soil frequently dur
ing the summer, and keep it free from
weeds. Do not attempt to grow vege.
tables, fruit or anything else among the
vines, it will only take so much from
the growth of TIE grape.
The first fall after planting prune the
new canes back, leaving only one spur
of four or FIVE buds. The second sea.
son, after the shoots have grown few
inches, rub off = all but two of
the strongest, which should be
trained for fruiting, if of strong
growth. The second fall, after the
leaves drop, cut these canes back two
or three feat, leaving both for fruiting
if they have made growth Of five t.
eight feet. If less growth than this
leave only one cane for fruit. II
growth had been but feeble, cut back
to one spur as the fall before. The
third season train these canes to stakes
or trellis. After this date there are sc
many methods OF pruning and training
it would be impossible here to describe
them. The simplest methods is to
have the old wood cut back every
year, leaving on strong vines, three OF
four of the strongest canes that start
nearest above the crown of the vine.
These canes cut back to two or three
feet in length each, according to the
growth of the following years fruit
ing. The second year no fruit ought
to remain on the vines. The third
year, strong vines, with coed culture,
ought to produce three or four lbs of
fruit each and the following year
nearly full crop. But vines of
weaker growth will net do this.
Above all things let nothing else oc-
cupy the ground. Grapes will not
thrive In grass, weeds or other crops.
Care must be taken not to allow the
vine to overbear, or it may be injured
SO as 10 never recover. Ten lbs per
vine, or three tons per acre, is full
crop for the strong growers, and under
ordinary treatment they should not
bear more than this.