Soil Culture: Containing a Comprehensive View of Agriculture, Horticulture, Pomology, Domestic Animals, Rural Economy, and Agricultural LiteratureWalden, J. H.
Science
Soil Culture: Containing a Comprehensive View of Agriculture, Horticulture, Pomology, Domestic Animals, Rural Economy, and Agricultural Literature
Walden, J. H.
Agriculture -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
for the young wood that will produce the next season. This principle is
applicable to vines of any shape or size you may choose to form. The
removal, in summer, of excessive growth, and shortening the ends of
those you design to retain, throws the strength of the vine into the
fruit, and to perfect the wood already formed. Liberal fall-pruning is
necessary to induce the formation of new wood the next season, for
bearing the following year. Parts that grow late do not mature
sufficiently to bear fruit the next season; hence, cut off the ends in
summer, and let what remains have the benefit of all the sap.
_Reduction of Fruit._--The grape is disposed to excessive bearing, which
weakens the vine, and injures the quality of the fruit. Liberal pruning
in autumn does much to remedy this evil, by not leaving room for an
excessive amount of fruit: hence, when you have a plenty of
fruit-bearing wood, cut off the ends, so as to leave spurs with two
buds, or at the most only four; when too much fruit sets, remove it very
early, before the juices of the vine have been wasted upon it. A vine
cut or wounded in spring will bleed profusely. Sheet India-rubber, or
two or three thicknesses of a bladder, wet and bound closely around, may
prevent the bleeding.
_Mildew_--is very destructive in confined locations, without a good
circulation of air. Sulphur and quicklime, separate or combined, dug
into the soil around the vines, is a preventive. Straw or litter of any
kind, spread thick under the vines, is, perhaps, the best remedy--the
action of it is in every way beneficial.
_Insects._--The rosebug, spanworm, great greenworm, and many other
insects, infest grapevines, and do much injury. The large worms are most
easily destroyed by hand; the small insects by flour-of-sulphur, or by
snuff, sprinkled over profusely when the vines are wet. The various
applications recommended in this work for the destruction of insects,
are useful on the grapevine. The principle is to apply something
offensive to the insects, without being injurious to the vines.
_Preserving Grapes._--Packed in sawdust or wheat-bran, always thoroughly
dried by heat, they will keep well until spring. Another method is
packing them in cotton-batting or wadding (the latter is best); or put
them in baskets holding no more than four or five quarts, cover tight
with cotton, and hang up in a cool, airy place, and they will long
remain in good condition. In shallow boxes, six inches deep, put a sheet
of wadding, and on it a layer of bunches of grapes, not allowed to
touch each other; on the top of the grapes put another sheet of cotton,
and then another layer of grapes, and so the third, covering the last
with cotton, and put the cover on tight, and keep in a cool place. This
is the most successful method.
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