Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-01-10
How to Have Grapes in PLENTY.

and are due TO the fact that they have
mot been planted in such a way as 10
develop a strong root growth. In the
outset it must be said these remarks
refer TO the home vine, whether
trained on trellis, or arbor, or house.
or barn. They do not refer to the
vine planted in vineyards that are
cultivated and fortified and properly
cared for. The home vine is generally
stuck ia hole in the ground and the
earth filled in. when it is left to Itself
If it bears fruit, well. If it fails to
i bear fruit, the nurseryman is cursed
] as fraud, or the variety of vine
iplanted is charged with the failure.
or some wise ncis lbor suggests that
/ the soil may not be adapted to grapes,
or the owner finds some far away and
mysterious cause for not getting fruit.
says the New York Tribune farmer.
| The cause of failure to get fruit is not
in the soil, or the nurseryman. or the
! climate, as a rule. There are some
soils not favorable to the grape, I'd
! there are some nurserymen or their
agents who sell inferior and worth
less stock; but if the vine is planted
as 1t should be, and tended with even
moderate care, it will repay its owne,
by bearing fruit. If the soil is heavy
and wet, and the water stands on il or
in it, neither the vine nor any fruit
tree viii bear being planted in 1t.
Swamp oak or soft maple or skunk
cabbage would thrive in it, but not
fruit bearing trees or vines. Yet such
soil may be put in condition for
vines If Their is any fan for drainage
Such soil may grow abundance OF
fruit if well drained, and it is of little
use to plant the vine in it if II is not.
Drainage improves the land for any
and every crop Of the farm and garden.
A stony, gravelly soil may not suggest
fertility, but it is safe TO plant the
vine in it and expect fruit il it is
properly done.
The vine may be planted in a large
hole, the bottom of which has been
lined with broken bones, and the IN
ing in dirt mixed with bone meal and
wood ashes, 1t Will thrive if thus
| planted if some attention is given TO
pruning and training; but there is q
better way 1t is to plant The vine as
suggested above, in a large hole with
broken bones at the bottom of it, the
Ifilling-in dirt being mixed with bone
meal and wood ashes, 90 inches or
two feet from the line of arbor or
trellis. II is important to understand
this, so it is repeated plant the VINE
20 inches or two feet from the arbor
or trellis where it is 10 grow, drive
stake and train to it the first year
When the leaves fail trim is back 20
| 312 or four feet of the root Ii il
has not made more than four feet OF
growth, cut off the terminal bud only.
Now trench should be dug from the
| hole where the vine is planted, about
| eight inches deep, 10 the arbor or
treliis and the vine should be bent
down and laid in this trench: the
| filling-in dirt should have bone meal
mixed with it. Fill in the trench. firm
! the soil and turn up the end OF the
| vine To he trellis. In this way or
planting the vine will have feeding
! ground in the hole in which the roots
| were first planted and also in the two
/ feet distance to the trells 1t viii
throw out roots all along this distance
I in the trench and feed upon whatever
fertilizing and nourishing material
/ has been filed in. 1t will extend these
roots right and left for great dis
tances, and if there are other vines
planted along the trellis in the same
way there will be two feet Of border
between the holes in which the vines
were first planted and the trellis which
may be enriched from time to time rs
the vines grow.
Having such border along the
trellis will enable the planter TO know
exactly where to place the fertilizer
for his vines. He may feel sure thai
the border is filled with roots, apu
whatever vine food Is spread upon s.
or lightly dug into it will go directly
TO nourishing the vines. This border.
need not be restricted to two feet. It
may be three feet wide, or even more.
The more vine stem is laid down IN
the soil, the more luxuriant will be the
root growth. And this root growth is
the absolute need of the vine in order
TO produce abundance OF fruit BY way
Of illustration of the failure of Tn.
ordinary method Of planting vine in
hole where it is to grow, let it he
understood that the vine will send out
two or three great roots from its foot
which will run through the soil to
great lengths in search Of nouri8h-
ment. If it is not supplied near the
stem the roots will go far seeking II.
Some one Eas said that the vine wifi
expenG its energy in bringing nourish
ment from distance Of 20 or 80
feet to sustain It's life and, will have
little vigor to produce fruit This may
be the true explanation OF the failure
Of such a vine 10 produce fruit IN any
commensurate degree with its age and
size. II sounds reasonable. Bul
whether it Is the true explanation or
not the fact Is that vine with long,
thick roots viii not produce fruit
either abundantly or Of good quality
compared with the vine which finds
nourishment near the base of it's stem
and fills the space about its stem with
roOtlets