The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-02-03

diligently directed, I will give you an
sxample. A city gentleman, some
years ago, had small lot or yard fill- |
ID with few fruit trees that appro-
priated every ray Of sunshine that
to penetrate 1t, and he want
I'd some grapes. After a careful survey
pf the situation he concluded, by little
extra care, the vine may get foo,
hold and sufficient nourishment from
he same source a. the trees dld. The
vine was planted and as It grew IL
was trained up by the side Of the house
in single cane to the caves of the
second story, and given a trellis built
from the gutter TO the roof. An attic
window in the roof gave access to the
vine for pruning and gathering the
fruit, and for years that vine respond.
ed annually with bounteous crop of
delicious fruit, little ingenuity did it.
Assuming our vines have started to
grow and just as soon as the buds
start, | select the strongest one rub
bing off all others, as soon as
sufficient growth has been made. /
tie TO the stake as it grows and pinch
of all laterals as they appear TO one
leaf, by so doing all the strength of
the vine is utiliz, d to produce just the
growth you want. AT the ex
piration of the second year it now be.
comes necessary to decide what system
you propose to adopt. Volumes have
been written on pruning and training
the vine. We have the Fuller. the
Campbell, the Kniffer, Downing and
host of authorities. have no opin
ion to offer respecting the two leading
systems, stake or trellis, as both have
warm advocates. However l would
advise any parties who ave interested
In grape glowing to procure an excel
lent little treatise on Pruning and
training the vine" by E. Williams Of
New Jersey, Sec. of the American
Horticultural Society, being a practical
grower of grapes. The reader will
find much information and his meth
DDS for raising grapes are excellent.
1t matters not how you want to train
your vines either on pllin post, or
on the most elaborate trellis the grape
will adapt itself to either, pruning will
regulate the amount of fruit, you can
prune for fruit or prune for shade,
there are few points for the novice
10 bear in mind they are very simple.
Before you attempt to prune remem.
ber that as a rule, first, that all fruit
grows on the new wood of last years
growth, il other words the wood of
this year contain the bud which pro-
duce the fruitful canes of next year
That the tendency of the sap is to the
extremity of the vine, that the straight
er the cane the more rapid the growth
and the strongest growth from prun
ed cane will be found nearest the
end. A most common sight ls to see
an old grape vine silh the only bear
ing wood at the extremity of the yiue
from neglect in pruning have often
been asked what shall l do with my
grape vine it only bears little fruit at
the top of the trellisi As last re-
sort would cut it right off even with
the ground, the vine will in one season
throw out new growth and the follow.
ing season you will have better and
fiuer grapes, and the vine will be read,
for any kind of training. you wish to
give it. The most common error with
amatuers is leaving too much wood on
the vine, the temptation to large crop
# fruit is one that few can overcome.
The result is often times vines load, d
with fruit that never ripen simply
because the vine was allowed TO bear
more fruit than it could mature. How.
ever as rule find it safe to cut back
the last years wood to two or some.
times three buds, much depends on the
strength and vigor of the vine. By
careful observation you will find that
all varieties canrot be treated alike.
The shy aud slow growing Delaware
require more gentle treatment than
The vigorous "Agawam' or Concord +"
Then we have summer pruning anoth-
er method of regulating the growth of
the vines; bear this in mind that when
the leaves are well grown and even the
grapes have began to form, you can
cut off as you please any useless
growth, by so doing you can direct the
sap into developing fine clusters, by
pinching back the shoots at one or two
leaves beyond the last cluster of fruit.
1t will retard the flow of sap aid re-
tain it where it is needed for the full
development of buds and fruit. Re-
move all imperfect clusters if YOU want
to have some fine clusters. Put paper
bags on them, you can allow your
grapes to remain from four to six
weeks longer on your vines. If you
have not trit d it do so and you will be
surprised at the result Let me urge
those who have only few vines NOR.
to plant out the coming spring, plant
around your yards, about the stoop
and piazza, there is something so home
like about the vine. What more
grateful or pleasing shade can you sit
beneath What more pleasing to the
child as it comes hungry and thirsty
from school? No fruit more refresh
ing and none more heal hful. So well
known have become the medicinal
properties of the grape, that in some
countries grape cnres have been estab
lished in which disease in many forms
have been successfully treated. Not
only are they thus beneficial, but a lux.
ury that can be indulged in by poor
as well as rich. If you do not want to
grow grapes for profit, grow them for
pleasure, you will seldom have more
than you can use, only let me add in
the words of Horace Greedy "grow
grapes and plenty Of them"