I notice in a late Dumber of the Horticulturist, some remarks from a correspondent, whose argument seems to be, that to have fine grapes we should not deeply trench and enrich the ground; the vines should not be pruned, and finally the grass and weeds should be left to grow undisturbed! Examples are also given where this course has been eminently successful, while the carefully pruned and cultivated vines have proved nearly worthless.

I have been, Mr Editor, a cultivator and admirer of the Grape - principally in an amateur way - for about twenty years, and have also had some opportunities for observation; but I must say the above doctrine is directly opposed to my whole experience.

1 have never yet been troubled with rot, or mildew - but whether this is owing to a fortunate locality, or to some favorable atmospheric influence; or whether it is fairly attributable to my mode of treatment, I will not confidently assert. But I have seen many vines grown with a degree of neglect which I think ought to make not only knives and hoes, but even their owners " blush," which produced no well-ripened fruit, and which suffered from both mildew and rot, in the same vicinity where my own grapes ripened perfectly.

In regard to pruning, I have never seen vines do well for any length of time, treated upon the closely cut spur system; and would sooner employ a man to prune my vines who had never before seen a grape vine, than trust them to the tender mercies of an opinionated German, who had dressed vineyards all his former life in Germany. For our native vines, I think the true system lies between the excessive pruning of the foreigner, and the total neglect advocated by your correspondent; and that any vine was ever injured in fruit-bearing or health by judicious pruning and cultivation, I cannot believe. Vines are often neglected in the early part of the season, until a wilderness of young growth, and a great deal more fruit than can be properly matured is the consequence. Then the tyro, to make up for former neglect, " pitches in," knife in hand, and prunes with a vengeance - cutting out a large portion of the newly-formed wood and leaves, but carefully leaving all the fruit. In the fall, he wonders that many of his grapes are still green, when they should be ripe; part are rotten, and none of them have flavor or aroma.

He wonders, too, that the following year his vines are feeble and unhealthy; and sighs for the wild Fox grapes he remembers to have eaten in his boyhood, and wishes he could still find the same fragrant variety that left his youthful appetite nothing further to desire I

A grape vine should be treated as Isaac Walton handled his fish, " tenderly, as though you loved" it. It should receive frequent and careful attention, and be so pruned as never to require a wholesale slashing to keep it within reasonable bounds. I prune my vines upon what is called the long cane, or renewal system, and feel confident it is the best. I train up, during the growing season, strong new canes, between the fruit-bearing branches, pinching off the laterals and tendrils their whole length. The wood that bears fruit the present year, I prune out in the fall, usually in November, and shorten the new canes to the length I wish them to occupy the next season. The following spring, each bud on the new canes will usually produce a lateral branch showing from two to four bunches of fruit. As soon as the bloom is past, I cut out, except in rare instances, all except one bunch, leaving the finest on each lateral, shortening them in at the distance of four to six leaves beyond the bunch. I look over the vines afterwards, every week or ten days, and where these laterals again start, I pinch them off. I commenced at the top of the vine, and work downward; as checking the growth above throws the sap into the lower branches, which are always most feeble.

In the meantime, I train up strong, healthy canes in the position of the fruit-bearing branches of last year for next season's fruit. This course has always given me satisfaction, and is sinple, and easily understood.

As to soil, I believe a limestone soil to be the best, and where the soil does not contain lime naturally, it should be liberally supplied. The finest growth I have ever seen has been made by vines planted beside new stone walls, where considerable quantities of lime and sand had fallen in process of building.