Show alfrom prom grom from the like new uy day book dook june I 1 is 19 Grapis Ripe ning ia the tile ahde sha shw ila iia we notice that few grapes are perfectly matured in open culture on manhattan ma or long lon 9 island and the query upon tuis thi subject by Y the thle daitor editor of the horticulturist is t had has ban beanan an d in our opinion so correctly b by y some correspondents ts of that journal tha that t we sepu publish the commil communications found in the june number of that valuable publication for several seasons the wt isabella grapes we have haye had bad ripened thoroughly in a situation where they received no ray of sun till after twelve in fi consequence I 1 of this absence of light for tor half the day the vine is usually two weeks later in assuming its leaves than its fellows in the neighborhood and yet thi the berries were larger blacker I 1 and moore inore uniformity uniform ily good and free from mildew in their native places our wild grapes ascend trees and there parte porte elves in much shade why should they not do so in gardens ac we submitted the quei question tion to two experienced P persons dersons and give their replies J JAT esq dear sir with regard to your gour inquiry concerning grapes ripening in the shade I 1 have always found that grapes ripen well only when the foliage continues healthy and lux mant until the fruit is ripe it oftentimes occurs when grapes are growing in a sheltered spot but tinder under the full influence of sun that the foliage is covered with ahr yore 1 an and d occasionally on ally aily red spi spid dier rier er thebe these boon soon oon rord tore work a dreadful d havoc on the leaves the leaves dry up are blown biown off and the grapes hanging anthe vines are perfectly exposed the leaves being all fallen off except a few growing points this is a very common occurrence and where it is so the half of the berries will he be green never ripening on the other hand band when the vine happens to be trained in a rather shady position the leaves are seldom destroyed by insects consequently aly the fruit has the full benefit of them and ripens I 1 think and I 1 speak from observation that grapes will riper ripen better when the plants are fully exposed roni provided ded the foliage is kept in healthy and vigorous action and plenty of it I 1 never practice cloge cloie summer pruning on native grapes 1 bhart I feathe the shoot about six eyes above the bunch and allow all the lateral branches to remain and cut out the branches when too thick r there ia is no doubt that our w wine ine lne growers in the west have not yet practiced the proper system of growing the vine vines they keep them too small smail prune too much they should be allowed to extend yearly until one vine covered a large space and inherited a stem or trunk where the sip sap would be more thoroughly elaborated it has been frequently remarked that the he best grapes are always found at extreme points of it hoots no matter how long these shoots scoots may be I 1 am of opinion that the native grape will never sever be improved by crossing with the foreign our native grapes are all more or lebs less subject act to mildew and any tinge of foreign blood would only increase that tendency we must eR deavor by cross impregnation and cultivation to improve our native varieties without any admixture of the foreign element I 1 would expect more from an improvement on the foreign such as the E B hamburg crossed with iabella isabella so as to impart a beetle of the foxy flavor var to give character and taste to the incipient sweetness of the he foreign sorts no doubt they would be improved by it I 1 have often spoken against the common practice of training the foreign grape grapo up rafters as aa it allows the fruit to han ban hang clear of the foliage in a which I 1 am now building it is intended to form perpendicular trellises and keep the glass perfectly clear from foia fola foliage ge the leaves shade and protect the fruit from the influences of the atmosphere mo sphere those who have gathered strawberries know that the finest flavored and best colored fruit is ia 1 always hid among the foli aee buethe folia tolla gmt amt have all the light and air ar i th itcan be ota obtained ined 1 I would not expect to grow krapes grapes to their greatest perfection by planting vines lil iti 1 ab died spots but bull buti 1 would ex expect hect to faid the aa wilF drapea es war ji insaf otoki lius juska as you will find th e et potatoes where the thi haulm is stron strongest kest jest an and d health healthiest ies les t thesis Th isis gorn somewhat rambling so exact aa an essay but hut you will gat hermy gather my views froni irom iron it on the subject you mentioned t very respectfully i WILLIAM germantown pa I 1 mr air samuel miller of Calm dale enlea thus i I 1 some years a ago alo go when the grape crop was waa as a total failure in this whole region I 1 discovered i a framework loaded with the most pei per feet isabella and Cataw bas I 1 almost ever saw at the bides of the poor arbor there was 10 fruit hut but the level top wad waa covered and densely shaded by a thick crop of leaves while underneath as if to bide from the sun hung bung in splendid clusters the grapes above alluded to to scarcely a ray fay of sunshine fell upon them the whole abble day da except when the wind parted the leaves these chese graphs I 1 were vere highly color colored gd and very bit fit finely flavored i shade usually ripens the sweetest currants raspberries rasp berries and grapes in their native state but when hen there i adeep deep trenching drenching tren ching and blah high it may be different respectfully MILLER |