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Page 20
Stakes will answer as supports to the vines during the first and
second seasons; but thereafter trellises or arbors are needed. The
latter will probably be employed over the central walk of the
garden, and may be constructed after several simple and pretty
designs, which I leave to the taste of the reader. If vines are
planted about buildings, fences, etc., trellises may be made of
anything preferred--of galvanized wire, slats, or rustic poles
fastened to strong, durable supports. If vines are to be trained
scientifically in the open garden, I should recommend the
trellises figured on pages 120 and 142 of Mr. Fuller's work, "The
Grape Culturist." These, beyond anything I have seen, appear the
best adapted for the following out of a careful system of pruning
and training. Such a system Mr. Fuller has thoroughly and lucidly
explained in the above-named book.
Unless the reader has had experience, or is willing to give time
for the mastery of this subject, I should advise that he employ an
experienced gardener to prune his vines after the second year. It
is a brief task, but a great deal depends upon it. In selecting a
man for the work I should require something more than exaggerated
and personal assurances. In every village there are terrible
butchers of vines and fruit-trees, who have some crude system of
their own. They are as ignorant of the true science of the subject
as a quack doctor of medicine, and, like the dispenser of
nostrums, they claim to be infallible. Skilful pruning and
training is really a fine art, which cannot be learned in a day or
a year. It is like a surgical operation, requiring but little
time, yet representing much acquired skill and experience. In
almost every locality there are trustworthy, intelligent
gardeners, who will do this work for a small sum until the
proprietor has learned the art himself, if so inclined. I should
also employ the same man in spring to tie up the vines and train
them.
If one is not ambitious to secure the best results attainable, he
can soon learn to perform both the tasks well enough to obtain
fairly good fruit in abundance. It should be our constant aim not
to permit long, naked reaches of wood, in one part of the vine,
and great smothering bunches of fruit and foliage in another part.
Of course the roots, stem, and leading arms should be kept free
from useless shoots and sprouts; but having reached the trellis,
the vine should be made to distribute bearing fruit-spurs evenly
over it. Much can be learned about pruning from books and by
watching an expert gardener while giving the annual pruning; but
the true science of trimming a vine is best acquired by watching
buds develop, by noting what they will do, where they go, and how
much space they will take up in a single summer. In this way one
will eventually realize how much is wrapped up in the
insignificant little buds, and now great the folly of leaving too
many on the vine.
In my next chapter I shall treat briefly of the propagation of the
grape, its insect enemies, diseases, etc.; and also of some other
fruits.
CHAPTER IV
THE VINEYARD AND ORCHARD
He who proposes to plant grape-vines will scarcely fail to take
the sensible course of inspecting the varieties already producing
fruit in his locality. From causes often too obscure to be learned
with certainty, excellent kinds will prove to be well adapted to
one locality, and fail in others. If, therefore, when calling on a
neighbor during August, September, or October, we are shown a vine
producing fruit abundantly that is suited to our taste, a vine
also which manifests unmistakable vigor, we may be reasonably sure
that it belongs to a variety which we should have, especially if
it be growing in a soil and exposure somewhat similar to our
garden plot. A neighbor worthy of the name will be glad to give us
a few cuttings from his vine at the time of its annual pruning;
and with, very little trouble we also may soon possess the desired
variety. When the vine is trimmed, either make yourself or have
your friend make a few cuttings of sound wood from that season's
growth. About eight inches is a good length for these vine-slips,
and they should contain at least two buds. Let each slip be cut
off smoothly just under the lowest bud, and extend an inch or two
above the uppermost bud. If these cuttings are obtained in
November or December, they may be put into a little box with some
of the moist soil of the garden, and buried in the ground below
the usual frost-line--say a foot or eighteen inches in our
latitude. The simple object is to keep them in a cool, even
temperature, but not a frosty one. Early in April dig up the box,
open a trench in a moist but not wet part of the garden, and
insert the cuttings perpendicularly in the soil, so that the upper
bud is covered barely one inch. In filling up the trench, press
the soil carefully yet firmly about the cuttings, and spread over
the surface just about them a little fine manure. The cuttings
should be a foot apart from each other in the row. Do not let the
ground become dry about them at any time during the summer. By
fall these cuttings will probably have thrown out an abundance of
roots, and have made from two to three feet of vine. In this case
they can be taken up and set out where they are to fruit. Possibly
but one or two of them have started vigorously. The backward ones
had better be left to grow another year in the cutting bed.
Probably we shall not wish to cultivate more than one or two vines
of the variety; but it is just as easy to start several cuttings
as one, and by this course we guard against failure, and are able
to select the most vigorous plant for our garden. By taking good
care of the others we soon derive one of the best pleasures which
our acre can afford--that of giving to a friend something which
will enhance the productiveness of his acre, and add to his
enjoyment for years to come.
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