Year: 1879

SUMMER PRUNING OF GRAPE-vINEs.-l The pruning of grape-vines in the sum- mer is rarely attempted except by pro- fessional growers. But it is very use- tul practice. It keeps the vine within bounds, prevents much useless and wasteful growth which would otherwise divert the strength of the plant from the formation of fruit, and greatly improves the quality of the grapes. There is no secret about the method. With sharp pruning-knife (which has curved blade) slash off by quick stroke the ends of the shoots which are intended to bear fruit, leaving those intended to make wood to grow on. If fine fruit is de- sired, only one bunch should be left on each spur or shoot branch if abundance IS desired more than quality, two clus- ters may be left. The ends of the shoots may be pinched off with the finger and thumb just as easily.

 TRAINING FRUIT TREEs.-"As the twig is bent the trees inclined" By taking advantage of this docile disposi- tion one can make anything of young tree. The direction of the branches, the form of the head, the height or the TO- tundity of the tree may be changed to suit one's wishes. An ill-shaped young tree may be brought into regularity j; upright branches may be made to droop by hanging sufficient weights (stones or brickbats) upon them; dropping or wrongly-directed branches may be led aright by means of strings to support or confine them; too-vigorous limbs may be shortened in by pinching of the ex- treme end while it is soft ; badly placed shoots may thus be nipped in the bud or changed into fruit spurs, and inner branches may be prevented from grow ing and thus wasting the vigor of the tree upon useless material which must be cut away after it has grown. By in- genuity and judgment, the use of the knife may be dispensed with altogether, and all the pruning be done with the thumb and fingers.

 WEED KI11Na.-Very few excel in the art. It is more than any other the cri- terion of good cultivator of fields or gardens. We were on the point of say ing that the month of May is the time for beginning to practice this essential of success. True, so 1t is, as far as mere killing goes, but the wideawake crop grower had an eye open all last season | tn thof %o,, upon the land-no wind floating in thistle-down no sly plants in obscure corners maturing seeds and dropping them into the waiting soil no unrotted manure, full of seeds of docks and grasses and all manner of weed-unclean- ness, put on as mulch or protection, to treat the crop by and by as the Saxons did the Britons-saving them from the Picts to inaict cruelty and treachery themselves. Any vegetable is weed, that robs, by its growth in the same ground, the particular plant we wish to carry to perfection. In the meadow, grass is the crop, and every other plant or bush is 0 weed. But in the grain field or potato-patch the same grass be. comes weed, to be extirpated to the last blade. Dry weather, SO generally unwelcome in the growing season, has the great merit of aiding the farmer effectively in this heavy, weary work, which he needs must do, and do prompt. ly, if he hopes to have return for his outlay.

 Every inch of growth in the weeds is so much taken from his crop, irrevoca. ply for that season. This makes it SC important to stop the beginnings-te slice off the tiny seedlings with sharI blade, or scratch them out and expose their roots to sun and wind just as soor as they show themselves. In gardens where the soil has been raked very fine and made very smooth, a thin blade pushed or drawn through the fine soi just below the surface is the easiest anc most rapid and most completely etfectua destroyer of the weeds and opener of the crust. But when the surface has beer left lumpy, the work Is still easier anG more rapid, provided that prong hoe or tooth cultivator or harrow is used These break the clods and scatter the mould and weeds in every direction, lik, foam before boat. It is now that tn, aid of dry weather is so valuable. Many weeds grow quite readily from pieces and weed broken into three or fou cuttings becomes three or four weeds Il lieu of one, if the soil is moist and tn, air humid. In this regard our climat gives us great advantage over tn famous farmers of old England. The, are often obliged to rake and pick weed out of the soil and carry them of. t, prevent their taking root again-a1 enormous job, yet often unavoidable.

 

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