Though the vine will grow in a great variety of soils it thrives best in soil rather light and dry. A granite of limestone formation is de sirable; and gently-sloping hillsides, especially if they face the south or southwest, are more favorable than valleys or level fields. In a wet lotation the land should be thoroughly under drained. Deep plowing is essential, and sub soiling is desirable. Moderate quantities of well-rotted stable manure should be incoipo rated with the soil and ground bones and fer tilizers rich in potash will tend to promote vigorous and healthy growth of the vines. Planting may be either in spring or in fall. For die fruit garden many growers prefer vines two years old, but where planting is on an extensive scale those one year old are con sidered best. The distance apart of the vines varies with the character of the variety, from six to eight feet for the small-growing sorts to 10 by 10 feet for the more vigorous Icinds. At the time of planting the tops of the vines should be cut back to two or three buds. and it is often desirable to shorten the roots. Planting should be carefully done, and during the first two seasons low growing crops, as beans or po tatoes, may be grown between the rows; but fertilizers must be liberally used or the other plants will retard the growth of the vines. Whether any other crop is grown or not, suffi cient cultivation must be given to keep the soil mellow and prevent growth of weeds and grass. In the fall of the first year the top of the vine should be cut to a single cane with three buds. The second season this cane should be tied to a stake four feet high, the lateral shoots pinched off when about five inches long, also the end of the vine when the top of the stake is reached. The third season, a trellis upon which the vines can be trained, is requisite: this may be made of posts, reaching six feet above ground, 20 feet apart, on which are fastened four lines of galvanized wire. The fruit borne this season will be on branches from the main stem; but in later years the laterals must be cut badc to three buds, after the leaves have fallen in autumn, from which will grow the new wood on which fruit will be home the next season. Summer pruning consists in pinching back the young shoots on which fruit has started, but which are not intended for bearing canes the next year. This must not be overdone, as it is important to leave foliage enough to shade the fruit and fully to elaborate the sap. If the vine shows tendency to overbear, the fruit should be thinned when it is quite small, care being taken to remove the smallest and most imper fect clusters. Girdling the vine consists in re moving from the beanng canes, near the base, a ring of bark three-sixteenths to three-eighths of an inch wide. It is done, at the north, early in July, and hastens the ripening of the fruit about 10 days. The fruit is rendered somewhat softer, and seems more liable to crack; but the size is considerably increased and the flavor is fully niaintained. It is to be practised only on canes which are to be removed the next season.
If the best quality is to be secured, the fruit must remain on the vine till it is fully ripe. When the fruit is gathered, the stems should be cut rather than broken. Only the varieties with thick skins can be safely sent to distant markets, and shipments ought always to be in baskets or boxes of thoroughly seasoned wood. In cold regions it is necessary to give the vine protection during the winter. Some varieties require less than others, but where the cold is severe it is well to at least lay. the vines on the ground at the approach of winter. Evergreen boughs are useful for covering. Where these cannot be had, two or three inches of soil may be thrown over the tops. Gravel or sand an swers better for covering than clay or other compact soils.
The principal diseases of the American vine are mildew and black-rot. The causes of mil dew are supposed to be certain peculiar condi tions of the atmosphere, neglect of pruning, ladc of mineral elements in the soil, and lack of constitutional vigor of the plant. Dusting the affected foliage every two weeks with flow ers of sulphur, when the leaves are wet, is a common rernedy. To prevent black-rot the leaves may be sprayed every 10 days, during the growing season, with the Bordeaux mixture as used for preventing the potato-rot. A pre ventive of both mildew and blacic-rot, which is rapidly growing in favor, is the use of paper bags, which are put over die clusters when the fruit is quite small, and fastened around the stems with common pins: the two-pound size is generally used. This method is useful also in preventing injury to the fruit by bees and other insects. The chief enemy of the Euroan vine-grower is the Phylloxera (q.v.), which has caused immense losses. The remedies con sist in submerging the ground 1,vith water seven or eight weeks each winter, or the application of chemical insecticides, e.g., sulphocarbonate of potassium, or bisulphide of carbon, in sufficient quantities to reach the infested roots; but these are far too costly for !general use. Preventive measures are the planting in soil containing 60 per cent of sand (an expensive method which can be employed in but few localities), and the grafting of the E.uropean varieties on hardy American sorts. The principal enemy of the vine-grower in this country is the rose-bug, which often proves very destructive by eating the flowers. Hand-picking and dusting with pyrethrum powder are the leading remedies.
The juice of ripe grapes contains consider able grape-sugar (see SUGAR), small quantiues of a glutinous, substance, and of extractive, bitartrate of potash, tartrate of lime, a little malic acid, and other ingredients, suspende4 or dissolved in water. The rapidity with which it passes into a state of fennentation after being expressed from the fruit is remarkable.
For the making of wine, the wine-trade, the qualities and uses of wine, the different lcinds of wine? etc., see WINE and WINE-MAKING. Concerning the other commercial products of the grape, See BRANDY ; VINEGAR ; TARTARIC ACID ; RAISIN ; CURRANT.