It might be considered almost superfluous to say anything on this subject, as so much has been already said by others in articles and published in book form, giving the various opinions and differing methods of culture. This reminds me of a parson I once heard of, the rector of a small village in the old country, who had his sermons printed to last him, one for every Sunday in the year, and when he got through he started on the same batch again. So with grape culture, it will stand going over again. It would be impossible for me to enter into details on this subject here. I don't think it would be necessary even if I could, so I will be brief and sum it all up in a nutshell.

If good grapes are expected it is necessary they should have good material to grow them in. A prepared border should be made, excavated two and a half feet deep and four or five feet wide, with a layer of four or five inches of rough materials at bottom, such as brick bats, old mortar, oyster shells, etc, to act as a drainage. This is an im-portant element in the matter, especially if the ground is heavy, in which case the border should be filled up with rotten sod and a good mixture of cow dung. Horse dung is not suitable for grape borders, as it contains too much fungus. Three-year-old vines should be selected for planting. Vines which have been grown in pots can be procured of any nurseryman in the neighborhood at a moderate charge. They should be planted about six feet apart, in a straight line up the middle of the border, and not allowed to bear fruit the first year. The second season they may be allowed to bear four or five bunches on each vine; and if everything goes well a good average crop may be expected the following year.

As to the management of vines I think pruning may be done any time, from first of January to middle of March. If this matter is delayed longer than the latter time they are apt to bleed too much, which is injurious to the vines, as grapes grow on the wood they make the current year. It is indispensably necessary that this growth should come from the preceding year's wood; hence the necessity of pruning down to within two or three eyes of the last season's growth. I find the system of pruning generally in vogue is to leave old canes year after year, until they have no good eyes or joints capable of producing fruit bearing wood, except a little growth at the extremities of the canes, which you have to depend on for your next year's fruit, and very poor stock at that. I think this system ought to be discouraged and instead young canes layered of the preceding year's growth in the spring, which when sufficiently strong and well rooted will take the place of the old cane which can be cut away.

In the process of growth and fruiting, if the latter comes too thick, the vines should be gone over and the bunches regulated out with the thumb and finger according to your own judgment and the strength of the vines. When the young shoots have made growth three joints from the fruit, one joint should be pinched off, leaving two from the bunch, thus giving a tendency to check the flow of sap, which is favorable to the fruiting. This operation will need repeating again during the season. Vine borders should be mulched at all times with about four or five inches of cow dung. A good sowing of bone dust in the fall of the year will be beneficial. Mulching protects the roots in winter, keeps them moist in summer, and acts as a stimulant to the vines. The coarse manure may be raked off in the spring and the rest lightly dug in with a fork and the border again mulched immediately.