The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-11-01
WHY DO TRELIIsED CRAZE VINES
DIE?

MIR. EDITOR: The caption of this
articl e was suggested to my mind at
a meeting OF our Horticultural Society
a few months ago when the question
was at ktd, "What varieties OF grapes
are best for culture on tlellises or high
stakes" l began to inquire why This
query was IropOunded and was ill.,
IUrn.ed that sIape VINES tIaintd on
high ,ILIIises in this latitude we've
generally short lived. Since then
h ave petty thoroughly investigated
the subject and discovered in every
case which l examined where vines
were tr aimed On high trellises that
many wee either dead or in dying
condition. Il desire TO state paTen-
het ically that this was not so ON the
A tlanIic coast flCm whence L came
L wish 10 submit the foregoing gues-
tiOn and have it reach as many per-
SONS as possible with the hope that
ONE Ole may he able TO solve this
pefplt king pIOble m, and l can think
Of 10 plan whereby it will reach so
many readers as through the columns
of your widely disseminated journal.
So far as my investigation has gone
| find but little difference in favor of
any variety, even the hardy Concord
see ms 10 die young when used rs an
arbOr vine. l have, however, discOv-
cred that vines die from the top down.
W ard, and while the top is dead, l
find instances where the roots seem
to be in normal or healthy condition
an d if the old vine is cut off in time
near the ground new and apparently
h ealtby looking shoots spring up.
This cOnstTains me TO believe that the
high training and that alone is re-
spOnsible for the losses incurred.
Methinks / hear some one say take
down your vines and give them low
culture and you will Obviate the diff
Guilty, and / verify believe that that
would save them. But the question
is how TO keep them alive on the
trellis.
Many persons, especially in town,
find it a great convenience to have |
the fruit grow high out of the reach
of fowls and other destructive forces,
and they also very highly prize the
pie asapt shade in the hot summer
days made by the thick foliage over
t heir walks, and thus, if the vines
W hOuld live, make it both comforta-
a BILE and profitable by utilizing space
tn at could not be otherwise used.
Now it may seem presumptuOus
after asking the question, for me to
e xpress an opinion, but as winter is
a pproachiDg and prompt action may
be beneficial, l will venture to say
that l believe this whole difficulty
m ay be overcome by taking the vines
fro M the trellis as soon as the leaves
drop off and letting them lie on the
ground Hptil about the middle of
March. Indeed it might be well to
dig shallow trench and bury them,
provided the drainage is such that
the water will not gather in the
trench and destroy the vines, as they
are compelled to do with their trel-
ised vines up north if they wish to
save them from freezing to death. In
short, may it not be the sudden t
changes of weather in winter that
kills our vines when trained high? {
In the hope that some of your readers
may be able TO throw some light on g
this subject, through your paper, and =
help us out of this dilema, / submit
he question. ID. b. ID. SMELTZER.
.