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diff --git a/20917-8.txt b/20917-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ceff109 --- /dev/null +++ b/20917-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5269 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and +Manufacture of American Wines, by George Husmann + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and Manufacture of American Wines + +Author: George Husmann + +Release Date: March 27, 2007 [EBook #20917] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CULTIVATION OF THE NATIVE GRAPE *** + + + + +Produced by Steven Giacomelli and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images produced by Core Historical Literature +in Agriculture (CHLA), Cornell University) + + + + + + +THE CULTIVATION OF THE NATIVE GRAPE, + +AND + +MANUFACTURE OF AMERICAN WINES. + + + +By + + +GEORGE HUSMANN, + +OF HERMANN, MISSOURI. + + + +GEO. E. WOODWARD, +PUBLISHER AND IMPORTER, +Art, Architectural and Rural Books, +136 CHAMBERS STREET, +NEW YORK. + +ORANGE JUDD CO., 245 Broadway. + + + +Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, +by GEO. E. & F. W. WOODWARD, +In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, +for the Southern District of New York. + + + +TO THE GRAPE GROWERS OF +"OUR COUNTRY, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE," +THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED BY THEIR FRIEND AND FELLOW-LABORER, +THE AUTHOR. + + + + +INDEX. + + + PAGE. + +INTRODUCTION 9 + + +GRAPE CULTURE. + +Remarks on its History in America, especially at the West; +its Progress and its Future, 13 + + +PROPAGATION OF THE VINE. + + I.--From Seed 27 + + II.--By Single Eyes 30 + The Propagating House 31 + Mode of Operating 32 + +III.--By Cuttings in Open Air 37 + + IV.--By Layering 39 + + V.--By Grafting 40 + + +THE VINEYARD. + +Location and Soil 43 +Preparing the Soil 45 + + +WHAT SHALL WE PLANT? + +Choice of Varieties 47 +The Concord 48 +Norton's Virginia 48 +Herbemont 49 +Delaware 49 +Hartford Prolific 49 +Clinton 50 + + +PLANTING. + +Planting. 51 +Treatment of the Vine the First Summer 56 +Treatment of the Vine the Second Summer 57 +Treatment of the Vine the Third Summer 63 +Treatment of the Vine the Fourth Summer 69 +Training the Vines on Arbors and Walls 71 +Other Methods of Training the Vine 75 +Diseases of the Vine 78 +Insects Injurious to the Grape 80 +Birds 84 +Frosts 85 +Girdling the Vine to Hasten Maturity 86 +Manuring the Vine 91 +Thinning of the Fruit 91 +Renewing Old Vines 92 +Pruning Saws 93 +Preserving the Fruit 95 +Gathering the Fruit to Make Wine 96 + + +VARIETIES OF GRAPES. CLASS I.--VARIETIES MOST GENERALLY USED. + +Concord (Description) 97 +Concord (Plate) 111 +Norton's Virginia (Description) 98 +Norton's Virginia (Plate) 87 +Herbemont (Plate) 99 +Herbemont (Description) 101 +Hartford Prolific (Description) 101 +Hartford Prolific (Plate) 105 +Clinton 102 +Delaware (Description) 102 +Delaware (Plate) 81 + +CLASS II.--HEALTHY VARIETIES PROMISING WELL. + +Cynthiana 103 +Arkansas 104 +Taylor 104 +Martha 107 +Maxatawney (Description) 107 +Maxatawney (Plate) 177 +Rogers' Hybrid, No. 1 107 +Creveling (Description) 108 +Creveling (Plate) 117 +North Carolina Seedling 108 +Cunningham 109 +Rulander 109 +Louisiana 110 +Alvey 110 +Cassady 110 +Blood's Black 113 +Union Village (Description) 113 +Union Village (Plate) 167 +Perkins 113 +Clara (Description) 114 +Clara (Plate) 127 +Ive's Seedling 114 + +CLASS III.--HEALTHY VARIETIES--BUT INFERIOR IN QUALITY. + +Minor Seedling 116 +Mary Ann 119 +Northern Muscadine 119 +Logan 119 +Brown 119 +Hyde's Eliza 119 +Marion Port 120 +Poeschel's Mammoth 120 +Cape 120 +Dracut Amber 120 +Elsinburgh 120 +Garber's Albino 121 +Franklin 121 +Lenoir 121 +North America 121 + +CLASS IV.--VARIETIES OF GOOD QUALITY, BUT SUBJECT TO DISEASE. + +Catawba 121 +Diana 122 +Isabella 122 +Garrigues 123 +Tokalon 123 +Anna 123 +Allen's Hybrid 123 +Cuyahoga 123 +Devereux 124 +Kingsessing 124 +Rogers' Hybrid, No. 15 124 + +CLASS V.--VARIETIES UNWORTHY OF CULTIVATION. + +Oporto 124 +Massachusetts White 125 + + +WINE MAKING. + +Gathering the Grapes 131 +The Wine Cellar 133 +Apparatus for Wine Making.--The Grape Mill and Press 136 +Fermenting Vats 137 +The Wine Casks 138 +Making the Wine 140 +After Treatment of the Wine 146 +Diseases of the Wine and their Remedies 147 +Treatment of flat and Turbid Wine 147 +Use of the Husks and Lees 148 +Dr. Gall's and Petoil's Method of Wine Making 148 +The Must Scale or Saccharometer 150 +The Acidimeter and Its Use 151 +The Change of the Must, by Fermentation, into Wine 157 +Normal Must 161 +The Must of American Grapes 162 +Wine Making Made Easy 173 + + +STATISTICS. + +Cost of Establishing A Vineyard 179 +Cost of an acre of Concord 179 +Cost of an acre of Herbemont 179 +Cost of an acre of Norton's Virginia 180 +Cost of an acre of Delaware 180 +Cost of an acre of Catawba 180 +Product 181 +Produce Fifth Year 182 +Yield of Mr. MICHAEL POESCHEL'S Vineyard 184 +New Vineyard of Mr. M. POESCHEL, Planted in 1861; First Partial + Crop, 1863; Second Crop, 1864; Third Crop, 1865, 184, 185 +Yield of Vineyard of Mr. WILLIAM POESCHEL, 1857, 1858, + 1859, 1860 185 +Yield of Vineyard of Mr. WILLIAM POESCHEL 1861, 1862, + 1863, 1864 186 +Yield of Vineyard of Mr. WILLIAM POESCHEL 1865 187 +Yield of Delaware Vineyard of JOHN E. MOTTIER 189 + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +It is with a great deal of hesitation I undertake to write a book about +Grapes, a subject which has been, and still is, elucidated every day; +and about which we have already several works, which no doubt are more +learned, more elaborate, than anything I may produce. But the subject +is of such vast importance, and the area suitable for grape culture so +large, the diversity of soil and climate so great, that I may be +pardoned if I still think that I could be of some use to the beginner; +it is for them, and not for my brethren of the craft more learned than +I am, that I write. If they can learn anything from the plain talk of a +practical worker, to help them along in the good work, I am well +repaid. + +Another object I have in view is to make grape growing as easy as +possible; and I may be pardoned if I say that, in my opinion, it is a +defect in all books we have on grape culture, that the manner of +preparing the soil, training, etc., are on too costly a plan to be +followed by men of little means. If we are first to trench and prepare +the soil, at a cost of about $300 per acre, and then pay $200 more for +trellis, labor, etc., the poor man, he who must work for a living, can +not afford to raise grapes. And yet it is from the ranks of these +sturdy sons of toil that I would gain my recruits for that peaceful +army whose sword is the pruning-hook; it is from their honest, +hard-working hands I expect the grandest results. He who has already +wealth enough at command can of course afford to raise grapes with +bone-dust, ashes, and all the fertilizers. He can walk around and give +his orders, making grape culture an elegant pastime for his leisure +hours, as well as a source of profit. But, being one of the first class +myself, I had to fight my way up through untold difficulties from the +lowest round of the ladder; had to gain what knowledge I possess from +dear experience, and can therefore sympathize with those who must +commence without means. It is my earnest desire to save _them_ some of +the losses which _I_ had to suffer, to lighten their toil by a little +plain advice. If I can succeed in this, my object is accomplished. + +In nearly all our books on grape culture I notice another defect, +especially in those published in the East; it is, that they contain a +great deal of good advice about grape culture, but very little about +wine-making, and the treatment of wine in the cellar. For us here at +the West this is an all-important point, and even our Eastern friends, +if they continue to plant grapes at the rate they have done for the +last few years, will soon glut the market, and will be forced to make +them into wine. I shall therefore try to give such simple instructions +about wine-making and its management as will enable every one to make a +good saleable and drinkable wine, better than nine-tenths of the +foreign wines, which are now sold at two to three dollars per bottle. I +firmly believe that this continent is destined to be the greatest +wine-producing country in the world; and that the time is not far +distant when wine, the most wholesome and purest of all stimulating +drinks, will be within the reach of the common laborer, and take the +place of the noxious and poisonous liquors which are now the curse of +so many of our laboring men, and have blighted the happiness of so many +homes. Pure light wine I consider the best temperance agent; but as +long as bad whisky and brandy continue to be the common drink of its +citizens we can not hope to accomplish a thorough reform; for human +nature seems to crave and need a stimulant. Let us then try to supply +the most innocent and healthy one, the exhilarating juice of the grape. + +I have also endeavored throughout to give plain facts, to substantiate +with plain figures all I assert; and in no case have I allowed fancy to +roam in idle speculations which cannot be demonstrated in practice. I +do not pretend that my effort is "the most comprehensive and practical +essay on the grape," as some of our friends call their productions, but +I can claim for it strict adherence to truth and actual results. + +I have not thought it necessary to give the botanical description of +the grape-vine, and the process of hybridizing, etc.; this has already +been so well and thoroughly done by my friend FULLER, that I can do no +better than refer the scientific reader to his book. I am writing more +for the practical farmer, and would rather fill what I think a vacancy, +than repeat what has been so well said by others. + +With these few remarks, which I thought due to the public and myself, I +leave it to you, brother-winegrowers, to say whether or not I have +accomplished my task. To all and every one who plants a single vine I +would extend the hand of good fellowship, for he is a laborer in the +great work to cover this glorious land of the free with smiling +vineyards, and to make its barren spots flow with noble grape juice, +one of the best gifts of an all-bountiful Creator. All hail to you, I +greet you from _Free_ Missouri. + + + + +GRAPE CULTURE + +REMARKS ON ITS HISTORY IN AMERICA, ESPECIALLY AT THE WEST--ITS PROGRESS +AND ITS FUTURE. + + +In an old chronicle, entitled, "The Discovery of America in the Tenth +Century," by CHARLES C. PRASTA, published at Stralsund, we find the +following legend: + +"LEIF, son of ERIC the Red, bought BYARNES' vessel, and manned it with +thirty-five men, among whom was also a German, TYRKER by name, who had +lived a long time with LEIF'S father, who had become very much attached +to him in youth. And they left port at Iceland, in the year of our Lord +1000. + +But, when they had been at sea several days, a tremendous storm arose, +whose wild fury made the waves swell mountain high, and threatened to +destroy the frail vessel. And the storm continued for several days, and +increased in fury, so that even the stoutest heart quaked with fear; +they believed that their hour had come, and drifted along at the mercy +of wind and waves. Only LEIF, who had lately been converted to CHRIST +our Lord, stood calmly at the helm and did not fear; but called on Him +who had walked the water and quieted the billows, with firm faith, that +He also had power to deliver them, if they but trusted in Him. And, +behold! while he still spoke to them of the wonderful deeds of the +Lord, the clouds cleared away, the storm lulled; and after a few hours +the sea, calmed down, and rocked the tired and exhausted men into a +deep and calm sleep. And when they awoke, the next morning, they could +hardly trust their eyes. A beautiful country lay before them, green +hills, covered with beautiful forests--a majestic stream rolled its +billows into the ocean; and they cast the anchor, and thanked the Lord, +who had delivered them from death. + +A delightful country it seemed, full of game, and birds of beautiful +plumage; and when they went ashore, they could not resist the +temptation to explore it. When they returned, after several hours, +TYRKER alone was missing. After waiting some time for his return, LEIF, +with twelve of his men, went in search of him. But they had not gone +far, when they met him, laden down with grapes. Upon their enquiry, +where he had stayed so long, he answered: "I did not go far, when I +found the trees all covered with grapes; and as I was born in a +country, whose hills are covered with vineyards, it seemed so much like +home to me, that I stayed a while and gathered them." They had now a +twofold occupation, to cut timber, and gather grapes; with the latter, +they loaded the boat. And Leif gave a name to the country, and called +it Vinland, or Wineland." + +So far the tradition. It is said that coming events cast their shadows +before them. If this is so, may we not recognize one of those shadows +in the old Norman legend of events which transpired more than eight +hundred years ago? Is it not the foreshadowing of the destiny of this +great continent, to become, in truth and verity, a _Wineland_. Truly, +the results of to-day would certainly justify us in the assertion, that +there is as much, nay more, truth than fiction in it. Let us take a +glance at the first commencement of grape culture, and see what has +been the progress in this comparatively new branch of horticulture. + +From the very first settlement of America, the vine seems to have +attracted the attention of the colonists, and it is said that as early +as 1564, wine was made from the native grape in Florida. The earliest +attempt to establish a vineyard in the British North American Colonies +was by the London Company in Virginia, about the year 1620; and by +1630, the prospect seems to have been encouraging enough to warrant the +importation of several French vine-dressers, who, it is said, ruined +the vines by bad treatment. Wine was also made in Virginia in 1647, and +in 1651 premiums were offered for its production. BEVERLY even +mentions, that prior to 1722, there were vineyards in that colony, +producing seven hundred and fifty gallons per year. In 1664, Colonel +RICHARD NICOLL, Governor of New York, granted to PAUL RICHARDS, a +privilege of making and selling wine free of all duty, he having been +the first to enter upon the cultivation of the vine on a large scale. +BEAUCHAMP PLANTAGENET, in his description of the province of New +Albion, published in London, in 1648, states "that the English settlers +in Uvedale, now Delaware, had vines running on mulberry and sassafras +trees; and enumerates four kinds of grapes, namely: Thoulouse Muscat, +Sweet Scented, Great Fox, and Thick Grape; the first two, after five +months, being boiled and salted and well fined, make a strong red +Xeres; the third, a light claret; the fourth, a white grape which +creeps on the land, makes a pure, gold colored wine. TENNIS PALE, a +Frenchman, out of these four, made eight sorts of excellent wine; and +says of the Muscat, after it had been long boiled, that the second +draught will intoxicate after four months old; and that here may be +gathered and made two hundred tuns in the vintage months, and that the +vines with good cultivation will mend." In 1633, WILLIAM PENN attempted +to establish a vineyard near Philadelphia, but without success. After +some years, however, Mr. TASKER, of Maryland, and Mr. ANTIL, of +Shrewsbury, N.J., seem to have succeeded to a certain extent. It seems, +however, from an article which Mr. ANTIL wrote of the culture of the +grape, and the manufacture of wine, that he cultivated only foreign +varieties. + +In 1796, the French settlers in Illinois made one hundred and ten +hogsheads of strong wine from native grapes. At Harmony, near +Pittsburgh, a vineyard of ten acres was planted by FREDERIC RAPP, and +his associates from Germany; and they continued to cultivate grapes and +silk, after their removal to another Harmony in Indiana. + +In 1790, a Swiss colony was founded, and a fund of ten thousand dollars +raised in Jessamine county, Kentucky, for the purpose of establishing a +vineyard, but failed, as they attempted to plant the foreign vine. In +1801, they removed to a spot, which they called Vevay, in Switzerland +County, Indiana, on the Ohio, forty-five miles below Cincinnati. Here +they planted native vines, especially the Cape, or Schuylkill Muscadel, +and met with better success. But, after about forty years' experience, +they seem to have become discouraged, and their vineyards have now +almost disappeared. + +These were the first crude experiments in American grape culture; and +from some cause or another, they seem not to have been encouraging +enough to warrant their continuation. But a new impetus was given to +this branch of industry, by the introduction of the Catawba, by Major +ADLUM, of Georgetown, D.C., who thought, that by so doing, he conferred +a greater benefit upon the nation than he would have done, had he paid +the national debt. It seems to have been planted first on an extensive +scale by NICHOLAS LONGWORTH, near Cincinnati, whom we may justly call +one of the founders of American grape culture. He adopted the system of +leasing parcels of unimproved land to poor Germans, to plant with +vines; for a share, I believe, of one-half of the proceeds. It was his +ambition to make the Ohio the Rhine of America, and he has certainly +done a good deal to effect it. In 1858, the whole number of acres +planted in grapes around Cincinnati, was estimated, by a committee +appointed for that purpose, at twelve hundred acres, of which Mr. +LONGWORTH owned one hundred and twenty-two and a half acres, under +charge of twenty-seven tenants. The annual produce was estimated by the +committee at no less than two hundred and forty thousand gallons, worth +about as many dollars then. We may safely estimate the number of acres +in cultivation there now, at two thousand. Among the principal grape +growers there, I will mention Messrs. ROBERT BUCHANAN, author of an +excellent work on grape culture, MOTTIER, BOGEN, WERK, REHFUSS, DR. +MOSHER, etc. + +Well do I remember, when I was a boy, some fourteen years old, how +often my father would enter into conversation with vintners from the +old country, about the feasibility of grape culture in Missouri. He +always contended that grapes should succeed well here, as the woods +were full of wild grapes, some of very fair quality, and that this +would indicate a soil and climate favorable to the vine. They would +ridicule the idea, and assert that labor was too high here, even if the +vines would succeed, to make it pay; but they could not shake his faith +in the ultimate success of grape culture. Alas! he lived only long +enough to see the first dawnings of that glorious future which he had +so often anticipated, and none entered with more genuine zeal upon the +occupation than he, when an untimely death took him from the labor he +loved so well, and did not even allow him to taste the first fruits of +the vines he had planted and fostered. Had he been spared until now, +his most sanguine hopes would be verified. + +I also well remember the first cultivated grape vine which produced +fruit in Hermann. It was an Isabella, planted by a Mr. FUGGER, on the +corner of Main and Schiller streets, and trained over an arbor. It +produced the first crop in 1845, twenty years ago, and so plentifully +did it bear, that several persons were encouraged by this apparent +success, to plant vines. In 1846, the first wine was made here, and +agreeably surprised all who tried it, by its good quality. The Catawba +had during that time, been imported from Cincinnati, and the first +partial crop from it, in 1848, was so plentiful, that every body, +almost, commenced planting vines, and often in very unfavorable +localities. This, of course, had a bad influence on so capricious a +variety as the Catawba; rot and mildew appeared, and many became +discouraged, because they did not realize what they had anticipated. A +number of unfavorable seasons brought grape growing almost to a stand +still here. Some of our most enterprising grape growers still +persevered, and succeeded by careful treatment, in making even the +Catawba pay very handsome returns. + +It was about this time, that the attention of some of our grape-growers +was drawn towards a small, insignificant looking grape, which had been +obtained by a Mr. WIEDERSPRECKER from Mr. HEINRICHS, who had brought it +from Cincinnati, and, almost at the same time, by Dr. KEHR, who had +brought it with him from Virginia. The vine seemed a rough customer, +and its fruit very insignificant when compared with the large bunch and +berry of the Catawba, but we soon observed that it kept its foliage +bright and green when that of the Catawba became sickly and dropped; +and also, that no rot or mildew damaged the fruit, when that of the +Catawba was nearly destroyed by it. A few tried to propagate it by +cuttings, but generally failed to make it grow. They then resorted to +grafting and layering, with much better success. After a few years a +few bottles of wine were made from it, and found to be very good. But +at this time it almost received its death-blow, by a very unfavorable +letter from Mr. LONGWORTH, who had been asked his opinion of it, and +pronounced it worthless. Of course, with the majority, the fiat of Mr. +LONGWORTH, the father of American grape-culture, was conclusive +evidence, and they abandoned it. Not all, however; a few persevered, +among them Messrs. JACOB ROMMEL, POESCHEL, LANGENDOERFER, GREIN, and +myself. We thought Mr. LONGWORTH was human, and might be mistaken; and +trusted as much to the evidence of our senses as to his verdict, +therefore increased it as fast as we could, and the sequel proved that +we were right. After a few years more wine was made from it in larger +quantities, found to be much better than the first imperfect samples; +and now that despised and condemned grape is _the_ great variety for +red wine, equal, if not superior to, the best Burgundy and Port; a wine +of which good judges, heavy importers of the best European wines too, +will tell you that it has not its equal among all the foreign red +wines; which has already saved the lives of thousands of suffering +children, men, and women, and therefore one of the greatest blessings +an all-merciful God has ever bestowed upon suffering humanity. This +despised grape is now the rage, and 500,000 of the plants could have +been sold from this place alone the last fall, if they could have been +obtained. Need I name it? it is the Norton's Virginia. Truly, "great +oaks from little acorns grow!" and I boldly prophecy to-day that the +time is not far distant when thousands upon thousands of our hillsides +will be covered with its luxuriant foliage, and its purple juice become +one of the exports to Europe; provided, always, that we do not grow so +fond of it as to drink it all. I think that this is pre-eminently a +Missouri grape. Here it seems to have found the soil in which it +flourishes best. I have seen it in Ohio, but it does not look there as +if it was the same grape. And why should it? They drove it from them +and discarded it in its youth; we fostered it, and do you not think, +dear reader, there sometimes is gratitude in plants as well as in men? +Other States may plant it and succeed with it, too, to a certain +extent, but it will cling with the truest devotion to those localities +where it was cared for in its youth. Have we not also found, during the +late war, that the Germans, the adopted citizens of this great country, +clung with a heartier devotion to our noble flag, and shed their blood +more freely for it, than thousands upon thousands of native-born +Americans? And why? Because here they found protection, equal rights +for all, and that freedom which had been the idol of their hearts, and +haunted their dreams by night; because they had been oppressed so long +they more fully appreciated the blessings of a free government than +those who had enjoyed it from their birth. But you may call me +fantastical for comparing plants to human beings, and will say, plants +have no appreciation of such things. Brother Skeptic, have you, or has +any body, divined _all_ the secrets of Nature's workshop? Truly we may +say that we have not, and we meet with facts every day which are +stranger than fiction. + +The Concord had as small a beginning with us. In the winter of 1855 a +few eyes of its wood were sent me by Mr. JAS. G. SOULARD, of Galena, +Ill. I grafted them upon old Catawba vines, and one of them grew. The +next year I distributed some of the scions to our vine-growers, who +grafted them also. When my vine commenced to bear I was astonished, +after what I had heard of the poor quality of the fruit from the East, +to find it so fine, and so luxurious and healthy; and we propagated it +as fast as possible. Now, scarcely nine years from the time when I +received the first scions, hundreds of acres are being planted with it +here, and one-third of an acre of it, planted five years ago, has +produced for me, in fruit, wine, layers, cuttings, and plants, the +round sum of ten thousand dollars during that time. Its wine, if +pressed as soon as the grapes are mashed, is eminently one of those +which "maketh glad the heart of man," and is evidently destined to +become one of the common drinks of our laboring classes. It is light, +agreeable to the palate, has a very enlivening and invigorating effect, +and can be grown as cheap as good cider. I am satisfied that an acre +will, with good cultivation, produce from 1,000 to 1,500 gallons per +year. My vines produced this season at the rate of 2,500 gallons to the +acre, but this may be called an extra-large crop. I have cited the +history of these two varieties in our neighborhood merely as examples +of progress. It would lead too far here, to follow the history of all +our leading varieties, though many a goodly story might be told of +them. Our friends in the East claim as much for the Delaware and +others, with which we have not been able to succeed. And here let me +say that the sooner we divest ourselves of the idea that one grape +should be _the_ grape for this immense country of ours; the sooner we +try to adapt the variety to the locality--not the locality to the +variety--the sooner we will succeed. The idea is absurd, and unworthy +of a thinking people, that one variety should succeed equally well or +ill in such a diversity of soil and climate as we have in this broad +land of ours. It is in direct conflict with the laws of vegetable +physiology, as well as with common sense and experience. In planting +our vineyards we should first go to one already established, which we +think has the same soil and location, or nearly so, as the one we are +going to plant. Of those varieties which succeed there we should plant +the largest number, and plant a limited number also of all those +varieties which come recommended by good authority. A few seasons will +show which variety suits our soil, and what we ought to plant in +preference to all others. Thus the Herbemont, the Cynthiana, Delaware, +Taylor, Cunningham, Rulander, Martha, and even the Iona, may all find +their proper location, where each will richly reward their cultivator; +and certainly they are all too good not to be tried. + +Now, let us see what progress the country at large has made in +grape-growing during, say, the last ten years. _Then_, I think I may +safely assert, that the vineyards throughout the whole country did not +comprise more than three to four thousand acres. _Now_ I think I may +safely call them over two millions of acres. _Then_, our whole list +embraced about ten varieties, all told, of which only the Catawba and +Isabella were considered worthy of general cultivation; _now_ we count +our native varieties by the hundreds, and the Catawba and Isabella will +soon number among the things which have been. Public taste has become +educated, and they are laid aside in disgust, when such varieties as +the Herbemont, Delaware, Clara, Allen's Hybrid, Iona, Adirondac, and +others can be had. _Then_, grape-growing was confined to only a few +small settlements; _now_ there is not a State in the Union, from Maine +to California, but has its vineyards; and especially our Western States +have entered upon a race which shall excel the other in the good work. +Our brethren in Illinois bid fair to outdo us, and vineyards spring up +as if by magic, even on the prairies. Nay, grape-culture bids fair to +extend into Minnesota, a country which was considered too cold for +almost anything except oats, pines, wolves, bears, and specimens of +daring humanity encased in triple wool. We begin to find out that we +have varieties which will stand almost anything if they are only +somewhat protected in winter. It was formerly believed that only +certain favored locations and soils in each State would produce good +grapes--for instance, sunny hillsides along large streams; now we begin +to see that we can grow some varieties of grape on almost any soil. One +of the most flourishing vineyards I have ever seen is on one of the +islands in the Missouri river, where all the varieties planted +there--some six or seven--seemed perfectly at home in the rich, sandy +mould, where it needs no trenching to loosen the soil. _Then_, +grape-growing, with the varieties then in cultivation, was a problem to +be solved; _now_, with the varieties we have proved, it is a certainty +that it is one of the most profitable branches of horticulture, paying +thousands of dollars to the acre every year. _Then_, wine went begging +at a dollar a gallon; _now_ it sells as fast as made at from two +dollars to six dollars a gallon. Instead of the only wine then +considered fit to drink, we number our wine-producing varieties by the +dozen, all better than the Catawba; among the most prominent of which I +will name--of varieties producing white wine, the Herbemont, Delaware, +Cassidy, Taylor, Rulander, Cunningham, and Louisiana; of light-red +wines, the Concord; of dark-red wines, the Norton's Virginia, +Cynthiana, Arkansas and Clinton; so that every palate can be suited. +And California bids fair to outdo us all; for there, I am told, several +kinds of wine are made from the same grape, in the same vineyard, and +in fabulous quantities. To cite an example of the increase in planting: +in 1854 the whole number of vines grown and sold in Hermann did not +exceed two thousand. This season two millions of plants have been grown +and sold, and not half enough to meet the demand. It is said that the +tone of the press is a fair indication of public sentiment. If this is +true what does it prove? Take one of our horticultural periodicals, and +nine-tenths of the advertisements will be "Grape-vines for sale," in +any quantity and at any price, from five dollars to one hundred dollars +per 100, raised North, East, South, and West. Turn to the reading +matter, and you can hardly turn over a leaf but the subject of grapes +stares you in the face, with a quiet impunity, which plainly says, "The +nation is affected with grape fever; and while our readers have grape +on the brain there is no fear of overdosing." Why, the best proof I can +give my readers that grape fever does exist to an alarming degree, is +this very book itself. Were not I and they affected with the disease, I +should never have presumed to try their patience. + +But, fortunately, the remedy is within easy reach. Plant grapes, every +one of you who is thus afflicted, until our hillsides are covered with +them, and we have made our barren spots blossom as the rose. + +Truly, the results we have already obtained, are cheering enough. And +yet all this has been principally achieved in the last few years, while +the nation was involved in one of the most stupendous struggles the +world ever saw, while its very existence was endangered, and thousands +upon thousands of her patriotic sons poured out their blood like water, +and the husbandman left his home; the vintner his vineyard, to fight +the battles of his country. What then shall we become now, when peace +has smiled once more upon our beloved country; and the thousands of +brave arms, who brandished the sword, sabre, or musket, have come home +once more; and their weapons have been turned into ploughshares, and +their swords into pruning hooks? When all the strong and willing hands +will clear our hillsides, and God's sun shines upon _one_ great and +united people; greater and more glorious than ever; because now they +are _truly free_. Truly the future lies before us, rich in glorious +promise; and ere long the words and the prophecy contained in the old +legend will become sober truth, and America will be, from the Atlantic +to the Pacific _one_ smiling and happy _Wineland_; where each laborer +shall sit under his own vine, and none will be too poor to enjoy the +purest and most wholesome of all stimulants, good, cheap, native +_wine_. Then drunkenness, now the curse of the nation, will disappear, +and peace and good will towards all will rule our actions. And we, +brother grape growers? Ours is this great and glorious task; let us +work unceasingly, with hand, heart, and mind; truly the object is +worthy of our best endeavors. Let those who begin to-day, remember how +easy their task with the achievements and experiments of others before +them, compared with the labors of those who were the pioneers in the +cultivation of the vine. + + + + +PROPAGATION OF THE VINE. + + +I.--FROM SEED. + +This would seem to be the most natural mode, were not the grape even +more liable to sport than almost any other fruit. It is, however, the +only method upon which we can depend for obtaining new and more +valuable varieties than we already possess, and to which we are already +indebted for all the progress made in varieties, a progress which is, +indeed, very encouraging; for who would deny that we are to-day +immeasurably in advance of what we were ten years ago. Among the +innumerable varieties which spring up every day, and which find ready +purchasers, just because they _are new_, there are certainly some of +decided merit. But those who grow seedlings, should bear in mind, that +the list of our varieties is already too large; that it would be better +if three-fourths of them were stricken off, and that no new variety +should be brought before the public, unless it has some decided +superiority over any of the varieties we already have, in quality, +productiveness and exemption from disease. It is poor encouragement to +the grape growing public, to pay from two to five dollars a vine for a +new variety, with some high-sounding name, if, after several years of +superior cultivation and faithful trial, they find their costly pet +inferior to some variety they already possessed, and of which the +plants could be obtained at a cost of from ten to fifty cents each. + +The grapes from which the seed is to be used, should be fully ripe, and +none but well developed, large berries, should be taken. Keep these +during the winter, either in the pulp, or in cool, moist sand, so that +their vitality may remain unimpaired. The soil upon which your seed-bed +is made, should be light, deep and rich, and if it is not so naturally, +should be made so with well decomposed leaf-mould. As soon as the +weather in spring will permit, dig up the soil to the depth of at least +eighteen inches, pulverising it well; then sow the seed in drills, +about a foot apart, and about one inch apart in the rows, covering them +about three-quarters of an inch deep. It will often be found necessary +to shade the young plants when they come up, to prevent the sun from +scalding them, but this should not be continued too long, as the plants +will become too tender, if protected too long. When the young plants +have grown about six inches, they may be supplied with small sticks, to +which they will cling readily; the ground should be kept clean and +mellow, and a light mulch should be applied, which will keep the soil +loose and moist. The young plants should be closely watched, and if any +of them show signs of disease, they should at once be pulled up; also +those which show a very feeble and delicate growth; for we should only +try to grow varieties with good, healthy constitutions. In the Fall, +the young plants should be either taken up, and carefully heeled in, or +they should be protected by earth, straw, or litter thrown over them. +In the Spring, they may be transplanted to their permanent locations; +the tops shortened in to six inches, and the roots shortened in to +about six inches from the stem. The soil for their reception should be +moderately light and rich, and loosened up to the depth of at least +eighteen inches. + +Make a hole about eight inches deep, then throw in soil so as to raise +a small mound in the centre of the hole, about two inches high; on this +place the young vine, and carefully spread the roots in all directions; +then fill up with well pulverized soil, so that the upper eye or bud is +even with the surface of the ground; then press the soil down lightly; +place a good stake, of about four feet high, with the plant, and allow +but one shoot to grow, which should be neatly tied to the stake as it +grows. The vines may be planted in rows six feet apart, and three feet +apart in the rows, as many of them will prove worthless, and have to be +taken out. Allow all the laterals to grow on the young cane, as this +will make it short-jointed and stocky. Cultivate the ground well, +stirring it freely with plough, cultivator, hoe, and rake, which +generally is the best mulch that can be applied. + +With the proper care and attention, our seedlings will generally grow +from three to four feet, and make stout, short-jointed wood this second +season. Should any of them look particularly promising, fruit may be +obtained a year sooner by taking the wood of it, and grafting strong +old vines with it. These grafts will generally bear fruit the next +season. The method to be followed will be given in another place. + +At the end of the second season the vines should be pruned to about +three eyes or buds, and the soil hilled up around them so as to cover +them up completely. The next spring take off the covering, and when the +young shoots appear allow only two to grow. After they have grown about +eighteen inches, pinch off the top of the weakest, so as to throw the +growth into the strongest shoot, which keep neatly tied to the stake, +treating it as the summer before, allowing all the laterals to grow. +Cultivate the soil well. At the end of this season's growth the vines +should be strong enough to bear the following summer. If they have made +from eight to ten feet of stocky growth, the leading cane may be pruned +to ten or twelve eyes, and the smaller one to a spur of two eyes. If +they will fruit at all, they will show it next summer, when only those +promising well should be kept, and the barren and worthless ones +discarded. + + +II.--BY SINGLE EYES. + +As this method is mostly followed only by those who propagate the vine +for sale in large quantities, and but to a limited extent by the +practical vineyardist, I will give only an outline of the most simple +manner, and on the cheapest plan. Those wishing further information +will do well to consult "The Grape Culturist," by Mr. A. S. FULLER, in +which excellent work they will find full instructions. + +The principal advantages of this mode of propagation are the following: +1st. The facility with which new and rare kinds can be multiplied, as +every well ripened bud almost can be transformed into a plant. 2d. As +the plants are started under glass, by bottom heat, it lengthens the +season of their growth from one to two months. 3d. Every variety of +grape can be propagated by this method with the greatest ease, even +those which only grow with the greatest difficulty, or not at all, from +cuttings in open ground. + +As to the merits or demerits of plants grown under glass from single +eyes, to those grown from cuttings or layers in open ground, opinions +differ very much, and both have their advocates. For my part, I do not +see why a plant grown carefully from a single eye should not be as good +as one propagated by any other method; a poor plant is not worth +having, whether propagated by this or any other method, and, +unfortunately, we have too many of them. + + +THE PROPAGATING HOUSE. + +I will only give a description of a lean-to of the cheapest kind, for +which any common hot-bed sash, six feet long, can be used. + +Choose for a location the south side of a hill, as, by making the house +almost entirely underground, a great deal of building material can be +saved. Excavate the ground as for a cellar--say five feet deep on the +upper side, seven feet wide, and of any length to suit convenience, and +the number of plants you wish to grow. Inside of the excavation set +posts or scantlings, the upper row to be seven feet long above the +ground, and two feet below the ground; the lower row four and one-half +feet above the ground, so that the roof will have about two and +one-half feet pitch. Upon these nail the rafters, of two-inch planks. +Then take boards, say common inch-plank, and set them up behind the +posts, one above the other, to prevent the earth from falling in. This +will make all the wall that is needed on both sides. On the ends, +boards can be nailed to both sides of the posts, and the intervening +space tilled with spent tan or saw-dust. Upon the rafters place the +sash on the lower side; the upper side may be covered with boards or +shingles, where also the ventilating holes can be left, to be closed +with trap-doors. The house is to be divided into two compartments--the +furnace-room on one end, about eight feet long, and the propagating +house, The furnace is below the ground, say four feet long, the flue to +be made of brick, and to extend under the whole length of the bench. To +make the flue, lay a row of bricks flat and crosswise; on the ends of +these place two others on their edges, and across the top lay a row +flat, in the same way as the bottom ones were placed. This gives the +flue four inches by eight in the clear. The flue should rise rather +abruptly from the furnace, say about a foot; it can then be carried +fifty feet with, say six to nine inches rise, and still have sufficient +draft. Inside of the propagating room we have again two +compartments--the propagating bench, nearest to the furnace, and a +shelf for the reception of the young plants, after their first +transplanting from the cutting-pots or boxes. Make a shelf or table +along the whole length of the house; at the lower end it should be +about eighteen inches from the glass, and five feet wide. To a house +of, say fifty feet, the propagating bench may be, say twelve feet long, +and the room below it and around the flue should be inclosed with +boards, as it will keep the heat better. + + +MODE OF OPERATING. + +The wood should be cut from the vines in the fall, as soon as the +leaves have dropped. For propagating, use only firm, well-ripened wood +of the last season's growth, and about medium thickness. These are to +be preferred to either very large or very small ones. The time to +commence operating will vary according to climate; here it should be +the early part of February. The wood to be used for propagating can be +kept in a cool cellar, in sand, or buried in the ground out doors. Take +out the cuttings, and cut them up into pieces as represented in Figure +1. + +[Illustration: FIG. 1.] + +Throw these into water as they are cut; it will prevent them from +becoming dry. It will be found of benefit with hard-wooded varieties to +pack them in damp moss for a week or so before they are put into the +propagating pots or boxes; it will soften the alburnous matter, and +make them strike root more readily. They should then be put into, say +six-inch pots, filled to about an inch of the top with pure coarse +sand, firmly packed. Place the cuttings, the buds up, about an inch +apart, all over the surface of the pot; press down firmly with thumb +and forefinger until the bud is even with the surface; sift on sand +enough to cover the upper point of the bud about a quarter of an inch +deep; press down evenly, using the bottom of another pot for the +purpose, and apply water enough to moisten the whole contents of the +pot. Instead of the pots, shallow boxes of about six inches deep, can +also be used, with a few holes bored in the bottom for drainage. + +After the pots have been filled with cuttings they are placed in a +temperature of from 40° to 45°, where they remain from two to three +weeks, water being applied only enough to keep them moist, not wet. As +roots are formed at a much lower degree of temperature than leaves, +they should not be forced too much at the beginning, or the leaves will +appear before we have any roots to support them. But when the cutting +has formed its roots first, the foliage, when it does appear, will grow +much more rapidly, and without any check. Then remove them to another +position, plunging the pots into sand to the depth of, say three +inches, and raise the temperature at first to 60° for the first few +days, then gradually raise it to 80°. When the buds begin to push, +raise the temperature to 90° or 95°, and keep the air moist by frequent +waterings, say once a day. The best for this purpose is pure +rain-water, but it should be of nearly the same temperature as the air +in the house, for, if applied cold, it would surely check the growth of +the plants. The young growth should be examined every day, to see if +there is any sign of rotting; should this be the case, give a little +more air, but admit no sudden cold currents, as they are often fatal. +The glass should be whitewashed, to avoid the direct rays of the sun. + +When the young vines have made a growth of two or three inches shift +them into three-inch pots. + +So far we have used only pure sand, which did not contain much plant +food, because the growth was produced from the food stored up in the +bud and wood, and what little they obtained from the sand, water, and +air. Now, however, our young vines want more substantial food. They +should therefore be potted into soil, mixed from rotten sod, +leaf-mould, and well-decomposed old barnyard manure. This should be +mixed together six months before using; add, before using, one-quarter +sand, then mix thoroughly, and sift all through a coarse sieve. In +operating, put a quantity of soil on the potting bench, provide a +quantity of broken bricks or potsherds for drainage, loosen the plants +from the pots by laying them on their side, giving them a sudden jar +with the hand, to loosen the sand around them; draw out the plant +carefully, holding it with one hand, while with the other you place a +piece of the drainage material into the pot; cover it with soil about +an inch; then put in the plant, holding it so that the roots spread out +naturally; fill in soil around them until the pot is full; press the +soil down firmly, but not hard enough to break the roots. When the +plants are potted give them water to settle the earth around the roots, +and keep the air somewhat confined for a few days, until they have +become established, when more air may be given them. Keep the +temperature at 85° to 95° during the day, and 70° to 80° during the +night. + +When the plants have made about six inches of growth they can either be +placed in another house, or in hot-bed frames, if they are to be kept +under glass. The usual manner of keeping them in pots during summer, +shifting them into larger and larger sizes, I consider injurious to the +free development of the plants, as the roots are distorted and cramped +against the sides of the pots, and cannot spread naturally. I prefer +shifting them into cold frames, in which beds have been prepared of +light, rich soil, into which the young plants can be planted, and kept +under whitewashed hot-bed sashes for a while, which, after several +weeks, may be removed, and only a light shading substituted in their +place, which, after several weeks more, can also be removed. Thus the +young plants are gradually hardened, their roots have a chance to +spread evenly and naturally, without any cramping; and such plants, +although they may not make as tall a growth as those kept under glass +all the season, will really stand transplanting into the vineyard much +better than those hot-house pets, which may look well enough, but +really are, like spoiled and pampered children, but poorly fitted to +stand the rough vicissitudes of every-day life. + +The young plants should be lightly tied to small sticks provided for +the purpose, as it will allow free circulation of air, and admit the +sun more freely to the roots. In the fall, after their leaves have +dropped, they should be carefully taken up, shortened to about a foot +of their growth, and they are then ready either to sell, if they are to +be disposed of in that way, or for planting into the vineyard. They +should, however, be carefully assorted, making three classes of +them--the strongest, medium, and the smallest--each to be put separate. +The latter generally are not fit to transplant into the vineyard, but +they may be heeled in, and grown in beds another year, when they will +often make very good plants. Heeling in may be done as shown in Figure +2, laying the vines as close in the rows as they can conveniently be +laid, and then fill the trench with well-pulverized soil. They can thus +be safely kept during the winter. + +[Illustration: FIG. 2.] + +I have only given an outline of the most simple and cheapest mode of +growing plants from single eyes, such as even the vineyardist may +follow. For descriptions of more extensive and costly buildings, if +they desire them, they had better apply to an architect. I have also +not given the mode of propagating from green wood, as I do not think, +plants thus propagated are desirable. They are apt to be feeble and +diseased, and I think, the country at large would be much better off, +had not a single plant ever been produced by that method. + +Plants from single eyes may also be grown in a common hot-bed; but as +in this the heat can not be as well regulated at will, I think it, upon +the whole, not desirable, as the expense of a propagating house on the +cheap plan I have indicated, is but very little more, and will +certainly in the long run, pay much better. Of course, close attention +and careful watching is the first requisite in all the operations. + + +III.--BY CUTTINGS IN OPEN AIR. + +This is certainly the easiest and most simple method for the +vineyardist; can be followed successfully with the majority of +varieties, which have moderately soft wood, and even a part of the hard +wood varieties will generally grow, if managed carefully. + + +MODE OF OPERATING. + +There are several methods, which are followed with more or less +success. I will first describe that which I have found most successful, +namely, short cuttings, of two or three eyes each, which are made of +any sound, well ripened wood, of last season's growth. Prune the vines +in the fall or early winter, and make the cuttings as soon as +convenient; for if the wood is not kept perfectly fresh and green, the +cuttings will fail to grow. Now, cut up all the sound, well-ripened +wood into lengths of from two to four eyes each, making them of a +uniform length of say eight inches, and prepare them as shown in Figure +3. + +[Illustration: FIG. 3.] + +These should be tied into convenient bundles, from 100 to 250 in each, +taking care to even the lower ends, and then buried in the ground, +making a hole somewhat deeper than the cuttings are long, into which +the bundles are set on their lower ends, and soil thrown in between and +over them. In spring, as soon as the ground is dry enough, the +cutting-bed should be prepared. Choose for this a light, rich soil, +which should be well pulverized, to the depth of at least a foot, and +if not light enough, it should be made so by adding some leaf mould. +Now draw a line along the whole length of the bed; then take a spade +and put it down perpendicular along the line or nearly so, moving it a +little backwards and forwards, so as to open the cut. Now take the +cutting and press it down into the cut thus made, until the upper bud +is even with the surface of the soil. The cuttings may be put close in +the rows, say an inch apart, and the rows made two feet apart. Press +the ground firmly down with your foot along the line of cuttings, so as +to pack it closely around the cutting. After the bed is finished, mulch +them with straw, or litter, spent tan or saw-dust, say about an inch +thick, and if none of these can be had, leaves from the forest may be +used for the purpose. This will serve to protect the young leaves from +the sun, and will also keep an even moisture during the heat of summer, +at the same time keeping the soil loose and porous. If weeds appear, +they should be pulled up, and the cuttings, kept clean through the +summer. They will generally make a firm, hardy growth of from one to +four feet, have become used to all the hardships and changes of the +weather; and as they have formed their roots just where they ought to +be, about eight inches below the ground, will not suffer so much from +transplanting, as either a single eye or a layer, whose roots have to +be put much deeper in transplanting, than they were before, and thus, +as it were, become acclimated to the lower regions. For these reasons, +I think, that a good plant grown from a cutting is preferable to that +propagated by any other method. In the Fall, the vines are carefully +taken up, assorted and heeled in, in the same manner as described, with +single eyes, and cut back to about three inches of their growth. They +are then ready for transplanting into the vineyard. + + +IV.--BY LAYERING. + +This is a very convenient method of increasing such varieties as will +not grow readily from cuttings; and vines thus propagated will, if +treated right, make very good plants. To layer a vine, shorten in its +last season's growth to about one-half; then prepare the ground +thoroughly, pulverizing it well; then, early in spring make a small +furrow, about an inch deep, then bend the cane down and fasten it +firmly in the bottom of the trench, by wooden hooks or pegs, made for +the purpose. They may thus be left, until the young shoots have grown, +say six inches; then fill up with finely pulverized soil or leaf-mould. +The vines will thus strike root generally at every joint. The young +shoots may be tied to small sticks, provided for the purpose, and when +they have grown about a foot, their tips should be pinched off to make +them grow more stocky. In the Fall they are taken up carefully, +commencing to dig at the end furthest removed from the vine, and +separate each plant between the joints, so that every shoot has a +system of roots by itself. They are then either planted immediately, or +heeled in as described before. + + +V.--BY GRAFTING. + +The principal advantages to be gained by this method are: 1st. The +facility by which new and rare kinds may be increased, by grafting them +on strong stocks of healthy varieties, when they will often grow from +ten to twenty feet the first season, producing an abundance of wood to +propagate. 2d. The short time in which fruit can be obtained from new +and untried varieties, as their grafts will generally bear the next +season. 3d. In every vineyard there are, in these days of many +varieties, vines which have proved inferior, yet by grafting into them +some superior variety, they may be made very valuable. 4th. The +facility by which vines can be forced under glass, by grafting on small +pieces of roots, and the certainty with which every bud can thus be +made to grow. + +[Illustration: FIG. 4.] + +The vine, however, does not unite with the same facility as the pear +and apple, and, to ensure success, must be grafted under ground, which +makes the operation a difficult and disagreeable one. It will therefore +hardly become a general practice; but, for the purposes above named, is +of sufficient importance, to make it desirable that every vineyardist +should be able to perform it. I have generally had the best success in +grafting here about the middle of March, in the following manner: Dig +away the ground around the vine you wish to graft, until you come to a +smooth place to insert your scion; then cut off the vine with a sharp +knife, and insert one or two scions, as in common cleft-grafting, +taking care to cut the wedge on the scion very thin, with shoulders on +both sides, as shown in Figure 4, cutting your scion to two eyes, to +better insure success. Great care must be taken to insert the scion +properly, as the inner bark or liber of the vine is very thin, and the +success of the operation depends upon a perfect junction of the stock +and scion. If the vine is strong enough to hold the scion firmly, no +further bandage is necessary; if not, it should be wound firmly and +evenly with bass bark. Then press the soil firmly on the cut, and fill +up the hole with well pulverized earth, to the top of the scion. +Examine the stock from time to time, and remove all wild shoots and +suckers, which it may throw up, as they will rob the graft of +nourishment and enfeeble it. + +Others prefer to graft in May, when the leaves have expanded, and the +most rapid flow of sap has ceased, keeping the scions in a cool place, +to prevent the buds from starting. The operation is performed in +precisely the same manner, and will be just as successful, I think, but +the grafts that have been put in early, have the advantage of several +weeks over the others, and the latter will seldom make as strong a +growth, or ripen their wood as well as those put in early. + +Mr. A. S. FULLER performs the operation in the fall, preventing the +graft from freezing by inverting a flower-pot over it, and then +covering with straw or litter. He claims for this method--1st. That it +can be performed at a time when the ground is more dry, and in better +condition, and business not so pressing as in spring.--2d. That the +scion and stock have more time to unite, and will form their junction +completely during the winter, and will therefore start sooner, and make +a more rapid growth than in spring. It certainly looks feasible enough, +and is well worth trying, as, when the operation succeeds, it must +evidently have advantages over any of the other modes. + +Vines I had grafted in March have sometimes made twenty to thirty feet +of growth, and produced a full crop the next season. This will show one +the advantage to be derived from it in propagating new and scarce +varieties, and in hastening the fruiting of them. Should a seedling, +for instance, look very promising in foliage and general appearance, +fruit may be obtained from it from one to two seasons sooner by +grafting some of the wood on strong stocks, than from the original +plant. Hence the vast importance of grafting, even to the practical +vineyardist. + + + + +THE VINEYARD. + + +LOCATION AND SOIL. + +As the selection of a proper location is of vast importance, and one of +the main conditions of success, great care and judgment should be +exercised in the choice. Some varieties of grapes may be grown on +almost any soil, it is true; but even they will show a vast difference +in the quality of the fruit, even if the quantity were satisfactory; on +indifferent soil, and in an inferior location. Everybody should grow +grapes enough for his own use, who owns an acre of ground, but every +one cannot grow them and make the most delicious wine. + +The best locations are generally on the hillsides, along our larger +rivers, water-courses, and lakes, sloping to the East, South, and +Southwest, as they are generally more exempt from late spring frosts +and early frosts in fall. The location should be sheltered from the +cold winds from the north and northwest, but fully exposed to the +prevailing winds in summer from the south and southwest. If a hill is +chosen at any distance from a large body of water, it should be high +and airy, with as gentle a slope as can be obtained. The locations +along creeks and smaller water-courses should be particularly avoided, +as they are subject to late spring frosts, and are generally damp and +moist. + +The soil should be a dry, calcareous loam, sufficiently deep, say three +feet; if possible, draining itself readily. Should this not be the case +naturally, it should be done with tiles. + +I was much struck by the force of a remark made by medical friend last +summer, when, in consequence of the continual rains, the ague was very +prevalent. It was this: wherever you will find the ague an habitual +guest with the inhabitants you need not look for healthy grapevines. +Wherever we find stagnant water let us avoid the neighboring hillsides, +for they would not be congenial to our grape-vines. But on the bluffs +overhanging the banks of our large streams, especially on the northern +and western sides, where the vines are sheltered from the north and +west winds, and fully exposed to the warm southern winds of our summer +days, and where the fogs arising from the water yet give sufficient +humidity to the atmosphere, even in the hottest summer days, to refresh +the leaf during the night and morning hours; where the soil on the +southern and eastern slopes is a mixture of decomposed stone and +leaf-mould, and feels like velvet to the feet--there is the paradise +for the grape; and the soil is already better prepared for it than the +hand of man can ever do. Such locations should be cheap to the +grape-grower at _any_ price. We find them very frequently along the +northern banks of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and they will no +doubt become the favored grape regions of the country. The grape grows +there with a luxuriance and health which is almost incredible to those +living in less favored locations. + +But the question may be asked here, what shall be done by those who do +not live in these favored regions, and yet would like to grow grapes? I +answer, let them choose the best location they have, the most free and +airy, and let them choose only those sturdy varieties that withstand +everything. They cannot grow the most delicate varieties--the +Herbemont, the Delaware, the Clara, are not for them; but they can grow +the Concord, Hartford Prolific, and Norton's Virginia, and they at +least are "very good," although they may not be the "best." There is no +excuse for any one in this country why he should not grow his own +grapes, for the use of his family at least, if he has any ground to +grow them on. + + +PREPARING THE SOIL. + +In this, the foundation of all grape-growing, the vineyardist must also +look to the condition in which he finds the soil. Should it be free of +stones, stumps, and other obstructions, the plough and sub-soil plough +will be all-sufficient. + +Should your soil be new, perhaps a piece of wild forest land, have it +carefully grubbed, and every tree and stump taken out by the roots. +After the ground is cleared take a large breaking-plough, with three +yoke of sturdy oxen, and plough as deep as you can, say twelve to +fourteen inches. Now follow in the same furrow with an implement we +call here a sub-soil stirrer, and which is simply a plough-share of +wedge shape, running in the bottom of the furrow, and a strong coulter, +running up from it through the beam of the plough, sharp in front, to +cut the roots; the depth of the furrow is regulated by a movable wheel +running in front, which can be set by a screw. With two yoke of oxen +this will loosen the soil to the depth of, say twenty inches, which is +sufficient, unless the sub-soil is very tenacious. In land already +cultivated, where there are no roots to obstruct, two yoke of oxen or +four horses attached to the plough, and one yoke of oxen or a pair of +horses or mules to the sub-soil plough, will be sufficient. In stony +soil the pick and shovel must take the place of the plough, as it would +be impossible to work it thoroughly with the latter; but I think there +is no advantage in the common method of trenching or inverting the +soil, as is now practiced to a very great extent. If we examine the +growth of our native vines we will generally find their roots extending +along the surface of the soil. It is unnatural to suppose that the +grape, the most sun-loving of all our plants, should be buried with its +roots several feet below the surface of the soil, far beyond the reach +of sun and air. Therefore, if you can afford it, work your soil deep +and thoroughly; it will be labor well invested; is the best preventive +against drouth, and also the best drainage in wet weather; but have it +in its natural position--not invert it; and do not plant too deep. +Should the soil be very poor it may be enriched by manure, ashes, +bone-dust, etc.; but it will seldom be found necessary, as most of our +soil is rich enough; and it is not advisable to stimulate the growth +too much, as it will be rank and unhealthy, and injurious to the +quality and flavor of the fruit. + +Wet spots may be drained by gutters filled with loose stones, or tiles, +and then covered with earth. Surface-draining can be done by running a +small ditch or furrow every sixth or eighth row, parallel with the +hillside, and leading into a main ditch at the end or the middle of the +vineyard. Steep hillsides should be terraced or benched; but, as this +is very expensive, they should be avoided. + + + + +WHAT SHALL WE PLANT? + + +CHOICE OF VARIETIES. + +It is a very difficult matter, in a vast country like ours, where the +soil and climate differ so much, to recommend any thing; and I think it +a mistake, into which many of our prominent grape-growers have fallen, +to recommend _any_ variety, simply because it succeeded well _with +them_, for _general_ cultivation. Grape-growing is, perhaps, more than +any other branch of horticulture or pomology, dependent upon soil, +location and climate, and it will not do to dictate to the inhabitants +of a country, in which the "extremes meet," that they should _all_ +plant one variety. Yet this has been done by some who _pretend_ to be +authorities, and it shows, more than any thing else, that they have +more arrogance than knowledge. I, for my part, have seen such widely +different results, from the same varieties, under the same treatment, +and in vineyards only a few miles apart, but with a different soil and +different aspect, that I am reluctant to recommend to my next neighbor, +what he shall plant. + +But, while the task is a difficult one, yet we may lay down certain +rules, which can govern us in selection of varieties to a certain +extent. We should choose--1st. The variety which has given the most +general satisfaction in the State or county in which we live, or the +nearest locality to us. 2d--Visit the nearest accessible vineyard in +the month of August and September, observe closely which variety has +the healthiest foliage and fruit; ripens the most uniformly and +perfectly; and either sells best in market, or makes the best wine, and +which, at the same time, is of good quality, and productive enough. +Your observations, thus taken, will be a better guide than the opinion +of the most skillful grape grower a thousand miles off. + +I will now name a few of the most prominent varieties which should at +least be tried by every grape grower. + + +THE CONCORD. + +This grape seems to have given the most general satisfaction all over +the country, and seems to be _the_ "grape for the million." Wherever +heard from, it seems to be uniformly healthy and productive. Our +Eastern friends complain of its inferior quality; this may be owing +partly to their short seasons, and partly to the too early gathering of +the fruit. It is one of those varieties which color early, but should +hang a long time after coloring, to attain its full perfection. Here it +is at least _very_ good; makes an excellent wine, and, if we take into +consideration its enormous productiveness, its vigor and adaptability +to all soils and climates, we must acknowledge that as yet it stands +without a rival, and will be a safe investment almost anywhere. Our +long summers bring it to a perfection of which our Eastern friends have +no idea, until they try it here. It will do well in almost any soil. + + +NORTON'S VIRGINIA. + +This, so far, is the leading grape for red wine, and its reputation +here and in the entire West is now so fully established, that it would +be difficult indeed to persuade our people into the belief, that any +other grape could make a better red wine. It is healthy and uniformly +productive, and will be safe to plant, I think, in nearly all the +Western States. I rather doubt that our Eastern friends will succeed in +making a first class wine from it, as I think their summers are too +short, to develop all its good qualities. Will succeed in almost any +soil, but attains its greatest perfection in southern slopes with +somewhat strong soil. + + +HERBEMONT. + +This is a truly delicious grape, but somewhat tender, and wants a long +season to fully ripen its fruit and bring out all its good qualities. +Will hardly do much further north than we are here, in Missouri, but +is, I think, destined to be one of the leading grapes for the Southern +States. If you have a warm, southern exposure, somewhat stony, with +limestone foundation, plant the Herbemont, and you will not be +disappointed. It is healthy and very productive; more refreshing than +the Delaware, and makes an excellent wine. + + +DELAWARE. + +Is much recommended by Eastern authorities, and where it succeeds, is +certainly a fine grape and makes a delicious wine. Here at the West, it +has proved a failure in most locations, being subject to leaf-blight, +and a feeble grower. There are some locations, however, where it will +flourish; and whoever is the fortunate possessor of such a one should +not forget to plant it. It seems to flourish best in light, warm, +somewhat sandy soil. + + +HARTFORD PROLIFIC. + +This is immensely productive; of very fair quality here; hardy and +healthy; and if planted for early marketing, will give general +satisfaction. It hangs well to the bunch, and even makes a very fair +wine. Will flourish in almost every soil. + + +CLINTON. + +Hardy, healthy and productive; will make a fair wine, but is here not +equal even to the Concord, and far behind the Norton's Virginia in +quality. May be desirable further north. + + + + +PLANTING. + + +The distance at which the vines may be planted will of course vary +somewhat with the growth of the different varieties. The rows may all +be six feet apart, as this is the most convenient distance for +cultivating, and gives ample space for a horse and man to pass through +with plough or cultivator. Slow-growing varieties, such as the Delaware +and Catawba, may be planted six feet apart in the rows, making the +distance six feet each way; but the Concord, Norton's Virginia, +Herbemont, Hartford Prolific, Cunningham, and all the strong growers, +will need more room, say ten feet in the rows, so as to give the vines +ample room to spread, and allow free circulation of air--one of the +first conditions of health in the vines, and quality of the fruit. + +The next question to be considered is: Shall we plant cuttings or +rooted plants? My preference is decidedly for the latter, for the +following reasons: Cuttings are uncertain, even of those varieties +which grow the most readily; and we cannot expect to have anything like +an even growth, such as we can have if the plants are carefully +assorted. Some of the cuttings will always fail, and there will be gaps +and vacancies which are hard to fill, even if the strongest plants are +taken for replanting. Therefore, let us choose plants. + +But we should not only choose rooted plants, but the best we can get; +and these are good one year old, whether grown from cuttings, layers or +single eyes. A good plant should have plenty of strong, well-ripened +roots; not covered with excrescences and warts, which is always a sign +of ill health; but smooth and firm; with well-ripened, short-jointed +wood. They should be of uniform size, as they will then make an even +stand in the vineyard, when not forced by the propagator into an +unnaturally rank growth by artificial manures. This latter +consideration, I think, is very important, as we can hardly expect such +plants, which have been petted and pampered, and fed on rich diet, to +thrive on the every-day fare they will find in the vineyard. Do not +take second or third rate plants, if you can help it; they may live and +grow, but they will never make the growth which a plant of better +quality would make. We may hear of good results sometimes, obtained by +planting second-rate plants, but certainly the results would be better +if better plants had been chosen. Especially important is the selection +of good plants with those varieties which do not propagate and +transplant readily, such as the Norton's Virginia, Delaware, and other +hard-wood varieties. Better pay double the price you would have to give +for inferior plants; the best are the cheapest in the end, as they will +make the healthiest vines, and bear sooner. + +But I would also caution my readers against those who will sell you +"extra large layers, for _immediate_ bearing," and whose "plants are +better than those whom anybody else may grow," as their advertisements +will term it. It is time that this humbug should cease; time that the +public in general should know, that they cannot, in nature and reason, +expect any fruit from a plant transplanted the same season; and that +those who pretend it can be done, without vital injury to the plant, +are only seeking to fill their pockets at the cost of their customers. +They know well enough themselves that it cannot be done without killing +or fatally injuring the plant, yet they will impose upon the credulity +of their confiding customers; make them pay from $3 to $5 a piece for a +plant, which these good souls will buy, with a vision of a fine crop of +grapes before their eyes, plant them, with long tops, on which they may +obtain a few sickly bunches of fruit the first season; but if they do +the vines will make a feeble growth, not ripen their fruit, and perhaps +be winter-killed the next season. It is like laying the burden of a +full grown man on the shoulders of a child; what was perhaps no burden +at all to the one, will kill the other. Then, again, these "plants, +superior to those of every one else." It is the duty of every +propagator and nursery-man to raise good plants; he can do it if he +tries; it is for his interest as much as for the interest of his +customers to raise plants of the best quality; and we have no reason to +suppose that we are infinitely superior to our neighbors. While the +first is a downright swindle, the latter is the height of arrogance. If +we had a good deal less of bombast and self laudation, and more of +honesty and fair dealing in the profession, the public would have more +confidence in professional men, and would be more likely to practice +what we preach. Therefore, if you look around for plants, do not go to +those who advertise, "layers for immediate bearing," or "plants of +superior quality to all others grown;" but go to men who have honesty +and modesty enough to send you a sample of their best plants, if +required, and who are not averse to let you see how they grow them. +Choose their good, strong healthy, one year old plants, with strong, +firm, healthy roots, and let those who wish to be humbugged buy the +layers for _immediate_ bearing. You must be content to wait until the +third year for the first crop; but, then, if you have treated your +plants as you ought to do, you can look for a crop that will make your +heart glad to see and gather it. You cannot, in reason and nature +expect it sooner. If your ground has been prepared in the Fall, so much +the better, and if thrown into ridges, so as to elevate the ground +somewhat, where the row is to be, they may be planted in the Fall. The +advantages of Fall planting are as follows: The ground will generally +work better, as we have better weather in the Fall; and generally more +time to spare; the ground can settle among the roots; the roots will +have healed and callused over, and the young plant be ready to start +with full vigor in spring. + +[Illustration: FIG. 5.] + +Mark your ground, laying it off with a line, and put down a small stick +or peg, eighteen inches long, wherever a plant is to stand. Dig a hole, +about eight to ten inches deep, as shown in Figure 5, in a slanting +direction, raising a small mound in the bottom, of well-pulverized, +mellow earth; then, having pruned your plant as shown in Figure 6, with +its roots and tops shortened in, as shown by the dotted lines, lay it +in, resting the lower end on the mound of earth, spread out its roots +evenly to all sides, and then fill in among the roots with rich, +well-pulverized earth, the upper bud being left above the ground. When +planted in the fall, raise a small mound around your vine, so that the +water will drain off, and throw a handful of straw or any other mulch +on top, to protect it. Of course, the operation should be performed +when the ground is dry enough to be light and mellow, and will readily +work in among the roots. + +[Illustration: FIG. 6.] + + +TREATMENT OF THE VINE THE FIRST SUMMER. + +The first summer after planting nothing is necessary but to keep the +ground free from weeds, and mellow, stirring freely with hoe, rake, +plough, and cultivator, whenever necessary. Should the vines grow +strong they may be tied to the stakes provided in planting, to elevate +them somewhat above the ground. Allow all the laterals to grow, as it +will make the wood stronger and more stocky. They may even be +summer-layered in July, laying down the young cane, and covering the +main stem about an inch deep with mellow soil, leaving the ends of the +laterals out of the ground. With free-growing kinds, such as the +Concord and Hartford Prolific, these will generally root readily, and +make very good plants, the laterals making the stems of the layers. +With varieties that do not root so readily, as the Delaware and +Norton's Virginia, it will seldom be successful, and should not be +practiced. The vineyard may thus be made to pay expenses, and furnish +the vines for further plantations the first year. They are taken up and +divided in the fall, as directed in the chapter for layers. In the +fall, prune the vine to three buds, if strong enough, to one or two if +it has only made a weak growth. A fair growth is from four to five feet +the first summer. During the winter, trellis should be provided for the +vines, as we may expect them to grow from twelve to fifteen feet the +coming summer. The cheapest and most economical are those of strong +upright posts, say four inches in diameter, made of red cedar if it can +be had, if not, of any good, durable timber--mulberry, locust, or white +oak--and seven feet long, along which No. 10 wire is stretched +horizontally. Make the holes for the posts with a post-hole auger, two +feet deep; set in the posts, charred on one end, to make them durable. +If wire is to be used, one post every sixteen feet will be enough, with +a smaller stake between, to serve as a support for the wires. Now +stretch your wire, the lowest one about two feet from the ground, the +second one eighteen inches above it, and the third eighteen inches +above the second. The wires may be fastened to the posts by nails, +around which they can be twisted, or by loops of wire driven into the +post. Where timber is plenty, laths made of black oak may be made to +serve the same purpose; but the posts must then be set much closer, and +the wire will be the cheapest and neatest in the end. A good many +grape-growers train their vines to stakes, believing it to be cheaper, +but I have found it more expensive than trellis made in the above +manner, and it is certainly a very slovenly method, compared with the +latter. Trellis is much more convenient for tying the vines, the canes +can be distributed much more evenly, and the fruit and young wood, not +being huddled and crowded together as on stakes, will ripen much more +evenly, and be of better quality, as the air and sun have free access +to it. + + +TREATMENT OF THE VINE THE SECOND SUMMER. + +We find the young vine at the commencement of this season pruned to +three buds of the last season's growth. From these we may expect from +two to three strong shoots or canes. Our first work will be to +cultivate the whole ground, say from four to six inches deep, ploughing +between the rows, and hoeing around the vines with a two-pronged German +hoe, or _karst_. Figure 7 shows one of these implements, of the best +form for that purpose. The ground should be completely inverted, but +never do it in wet weather, as this will make the ground hard and +cloggy. + +[Illustration: FIG. 7.] + +Of the young shoots, if there are three, leave only the two strongest, +tying the best of them neatly to the trellis with bass, or pawpaw bark, +or rye straw. If a Catawba or Delaware, you may let them grow +unchecked, tying them along the uppermost wire, when they have grown +above it. The Concord, Herbemont, Norton's Virginia, and other +strong-growing varieties, I treat in the following manner: When the +young shoot has reached the second wire I pinch off its leader. This +has the tendency to force the laterals into stronger growth, each +forming a medium-sized cane. On these we intend to grow our fruit the +coming season, as the buds on these laterals will generally produce +more and finer fruit than the buds on the strong canes. Figure 8 will +show the manner of training the second summer, with one cane layered, +for the purpose of raising plants. This is done as described before; +only, as the vine will make a much stronger growth this season than the +first, the layering maybe done in June, as soon as the young shoots are +strong enough. Figure 9 shows the vine pruned and tied, at the end of +the second season. Figure 10 illustrates the manner of training and +tying the Catawba or Delaware. + +[Illustration: FIG. 8. FIG. 9.] + +[Illustration: FIG. 10.] + +The above is a combination of the single cane and bow system, and the +horizontal arm training, which I first tried on the Concord from sheer +necessity; when the results pleased me so much that I have adopted it +with all strong-growing varieties. The circumstances which led me to +the trial of this method were as follows: In the summer of 1862, when +my Concord vines were making their second season's growth, we had, in +the beginning of June, the most destructive hail storm I have ever seen +here. Every leaf was cut from the vines, and the young succulent shoots +were all cut off to about three to three and a half feet above the +ground. The vines, being young and vigorous, pushed out the laterals +vigorously, each of them making a fair-sized cane. In the fall, when I +came to prune them, the main cane was not long enough, and I merely +shortened in the laterals to from four to six buds each. On these I had +as fine a crop of grapes as I ever saw, fine, large, well-developed +bunches and berries, and a great many of them, as each had produced its +fruit-bearing shoot. Since that time I have followed this method +altogether, and obtained the most satisfactory results. + +The ground should be kept even and mellow during the summer, and the +vines neatly tied to the trellis with bast or straw. + +There are many other methods of training; for instance, the old bow and +stake training, which is followed to a great extent around Cincinnati, +and was followed to some extent here. But it crowds the whole mass of +fruit and leaves together so closely that mildew and rot will follow +almost as a natural consequence, and those who follow it are almost +ready to give up grape-culture in despair. Nor is this surprising. With +their tenacious adherence to so fickle a variety as the Catawba, and to +practices and methods of which experience ought to have taught them the +utter impracticability long ago, we need not be surprised that +grape-culture is with them a failure. We have a class of grape-growers +who never learn, nor ever forget, anything; these we cannot expect +should prosper. The grape-grower, of all others, should be a close +observer of nature in her various moods, a thinking and a reasoning +being; he should be trying and experimenting all the time, and be ready +always to throw aside his old methods, should he find that another will +more fully meet the wants of his plants. Only thus can he expect to +prosper. + +There is also the arm system, of which we hear so much now-a-days, and +which certainly looks very pretty _on paper_. But paper is patient, and +while it cannot be denied that it has its advantages, if every spur and +shoot could be made to grow just as represented in drawings, with three +fine bunches to each shoot; yet, upon applying it practically, we find +that vines are stubborn, and some shoots will outgrow others; and +before we hardly know how, the whole beautiful system is out of order. +It may do to follow in gardens, on arbors and walls, with a few vines, +but I do not think that it will ever be successfully followed in +vineyard culture for a number of years, as it involves too much labor +in tying up, pruning, etc. I think the method described above will more +fully meet the wants of the vinyardist than any I have yet seen tried; +it is so simple that every intelligent person can soon become familiar +with it, and it gives us new, healthy wood for bearing every season. +Pruning may be done in the fall, as soon as the leaves have dropped. + + +TREATMENT OF THE VINE THE THIRD SEASON. + +At the commencement of the third season, we find our vine pruned to two +spurs of two eyes each, and four lateral canes, of from four to six +eyes each. These are tied firmly to the trellis as shown in Figure 12, +for which purpose small twigs of willows (especially the golden willow, +of which every grape-grower should plant a supply) are the most +convenient. The ground is ploughed and hoed deeply, as described +before, taking care, however, not to plough so deep as to cut or tear +the roots of the vine. + +Our vines being tied, ploughed, and hoed, we come to one of the most +important and delicate operations to be performed; one of as +great--nay, greater--importance than pruning. I mean summer-pruning, or +pinching, _i.e._ thumb or finger pruning. Fall-pruning, or cutting +back, is but the beginning of the discipline under which we intend to +keep our vines; summer-pruning is the continuation, and one is useless, +and cannot be followed systematically without the other. + +Let us look at our vine well, before we begin, and commence near the +ground. The time to perform the first summer-pruning is when the young +shoots are about six to eight inches long, and when you can see plainly +all the small bunches or buttons--the embryo fruit. We commence on the +lower two spurs, having two buds each. From these two shoots have +started. One of them we intend for a bearing cane next summer; +therefore allow it to grow unchecked for the present, tying it, if long +enough, to the lowest wire. The other, which we intend for a spur again +next fall, we pinch with thumb and finger to just beyond the last bunch +or button, taking out the leader between the last bunch and the next +leaf, as shown in Figure 11, the cross line indicating where the leader +is to be pinched off. We now come to the next spur, on the opposite +side, where we also leave one cane to grow unchecked, and pinch off the +other. We now go over all the shoots coming from the arms or laterals +tied to the trellis, and also pinch them beyond the last bunch. Should +any of the buds have pushed out two shoots, we rub off the weakest; we +also take off all barren or weak shoots. If any of them are not +sufficiently developed we pass them over, and go over the vines again, +in a few days after the first pinching. + +[Illustration: FIG. 11.] + +This early pinching of the shoot has a tendency to throw all the vigor +into the development of the young bunch, and the leaves remaining on +the shoot, which now grow with astonishing rapidity. It is a gentle +checking, and leading the sap into other channels; not the violent +process which is often followed long after the bloom, when the wood has +become so hardened that it must be cut with a knife, and by which the +plant is robbed of a large quantity of its leaves, to the injury of +both fruit and vine. Let any of my readers, who wish to satisfy +themselves, summer-prune a vine, according to the method described +here, and leave the next vine until after the bloom, and he will +plainly perceive the difference. The merit of first having practised +this method here, which I consider one of vast importance in +grape-culture, belongs to Mr. WILLIAM POESCHEL, of this place, who was +led to do so, by observing the rapid development of the young bunches +on a shoot which had accidentally been broken beyond the last bunch. +Now, there is hardly an intelligent grape-grower here, who does not +follow it; and I think it has added more than one-third to the quantity +and quality of my crop. It also gives a chance to destroy the small, +white worm, a species of leaf-folder, which is very troublesome just at +this time, eating the young fruit and leaves, and which makes its web +among the tender leaves at the end of the shoot. + +The bearing branches having all been pinched back, we can leave our +vines alone until after the bloom, only tying up the young canes from +the spurs, should it become necessary. But do not tie them over the +bearing canes, but lead them to the empty space on both sides of the +vine; as our object must be to give the fruit all the air and light we +can. + +By the time the grapes have bloomed, the laterals will have pushed from +the axils of the leaves on the bearing shoots. Now go over these again, +and pinch each lateral back to one leaf, as shown in Figure 12. This +will make the leaf which remains grow and expand rapidly, serving at +the same time as a conductor of sap to the young bunch opposite, and +shading it when it becomes fully developed. The canes from the spurs, +which we left unchecked, and which we design to bear fruit the next +season, may now also be stopped or pinched, when they are about three +feet long, to start their laterals into stronger growth. Pinch off all +the tendrils; this is a very busy time for the vine-dresser, and upon +his close attendance and diligence now, depends, in a great measure, +the value of his crop. Besides, "a stitch in time saves nine," and he +can save an incredible amount of labor by doing everything at the +proper time. + +[Illustration: FIG. 12.] + +In a short time, the laterals on the fruit-bearing branches which have +been pinched will throw out suckers again. These are stopped again, +leaving one leaf of the young growth. Leave the laterals on the canes +intended for next years' fruiting to grow unchecked, tying them neatly +with bass, or pawpaw bark, or with rye straw. + +This is about all that is necessary for this summer, except an +occasional tying up of a fruiting branch, should its burden become more +than it can bear. But the majority of the branches will be able to +sustain their fruit without tying, and the young growth which may yet +start from the laterals may be left unchecked, as it will serve to +shade the fruit when ripening. Of course, the soil must be kept clean +and mellow, as in the former summer. This short pruning is also a +partial preventative against mildew and rot, and the last extremely wet +season has again shown the importance of letting in light and air to +all parts of the vine; as those vineyards, where a strict system of +early summer pruning had been followed, did not suffer half as much +from rot and mildew as those where the old slovenly method still +prevailed. + +My readers will perceive, that Fall-pruning, or shortening-in the +ripened wood of the vine, and summer-pruning, shortening in and +thinning out the young growth, have one and all the same object in +view, namely, to keep the vine within proper bounds, and concentrate +all its energies for a two-fold object, namely, the production and +ripening of the most perfect fruit, and the production of strong, +healthy wood for the coming season's crop. Both operations are, in +fact, only different parts of one and the same system, of which +summer-pruning is the preparatory, and fall pruning the finishing part. + +If we think that a vine is setting more fruit than it is able to bear +and ripen perfectly, we have it in our power to thin it, by taking away +all imperfect bunches, and feeble shoots. We should allow no more wood +to grow than we need for next season's bearing; if we allow three canes +to grow where only two are needed, we waste the energies of the vine, +which should all be concentrated upon ripening its fruit in the most +perfect condition, and producing the necessary wood for next season's +bearing, and that of the best and most vigorous quality, but no more. +If we prune the vine too long, we over-tax its energies; making it bear +more fruit than it can perfect, and the result will be poor, +badly-ripened fruit, and small and imperfect wood. If, on the contrary, +we prune the vine too short, we will have a rank, excessive growth of +wood and leaves, and encourage rot and mildew. Only practice and +experience will teach us the exact medium, and the observing vintner +will soon find out where he has been wrong, better than he can be +taught by a hundred pages of elaborate advice. Different varieties will +require different treatment, and it would be foolishness to suppose +that two varieties so entirely different, as for instance, the Concord +and the Delaware, could be pruned, trained and pinched in the same +manner. The first, being a rank and vigorous grower, with long joints, +will require much longer pruning than the latter, which is a +slow-growing, short-jointed vine. Some varieties, the Taylor for +instance, also the Norton, will fruit better if pruned to spurs on old +wood, than on the young canes; it will therefore be the best policy for +the vintner in pruning these, to retain the old arms or canes, pruning +all the healthy, strong shoots they have to two buds, as long as the +old arms remain healthy; always, however, growing a young cane to fall +back upon, should the old arm become diseased; whereas, the Catawba and +Delaware, being only moderate growers, will flourish and bear best when +pruned short, and to a cane of last season's growth. The Concord and +Herbemont, again, will bear best on the laterals of last season's +growth, and should be trained accordingly. Therefore it is, because +only a few of the common laborers will take the pains to think and +observe closely, that we find among them but few good vine-dressers. + +At the end of this season, we find our Concords or Herbemonts, with the +old fruit-bearing cane, and a spur on each side, from which have grown +two canes; one of which was stopped, like all other fruit-bearing +branches, and which we now prune to a spur of two eyes; and another, +which was stopped at about three feet, and on which the laterals were +allowed to grow unchecked. We therefore have one of these canes, with +its laterals, on each side of the vine. These laterals are now pruned +precisely as the last season, each being cut back to from four to six +eyes, and the old cane, which has borne fruit, is cut away altogether. +With Norton's Virginia, Taylor, and some others, which will bear more +readily on spurs from old wood, the old cane is retained, provided the +shoots on it are sound and healthy, with well developed buds; the weak +ones are cut away altogether, and the others cut back to two eyes each. +One of the canes is pruned, as in the Concord, to be tied to one side +of the trellis, the next spring. This closes our summer and fall +pruning for the third year. Of the gathering of the fruit, as well for +market as for wine, I shall speak in another chapter. + + +TREATMENT OF THE VINE THE FOURTH SUMMER. + +We may now consider the vine as established, able to bear a full crop, +and when tied to the trellis in spring, to present the appearance, as +shown in Fig. 13. The operations to be performed are precisely the same +as in its third year. + +[Illustration: FIG. 13.] + +In addition, I will here remark, that in wet seasons the soil of the +vineyard should be stirred as little as possible, as it will bake and +clog, and in dry seasons it should be deeply worked and stirred, as +this loose surface-soil will retain moisture much better than a hard +surface. Should the vines show a decrease in vigor, they may be manured +with ashes or compost, or still better, with surface-soil from the +woods. This will serve to replenish the soil which may have been washed +off and is much more beneficial than stable manure. When the latter is +applied, a small trench should be dug just above the vine, the manure +laid in, and covered with soil. But an abundance of fresh soil, drawn +up well around the vine, is certainly the best of all manures. + +Where a vine has failed to grow the first season, replant with extra +strong vines, as they will find it difficult to catch up with the +others; or the vacancy can be filled up the next season, by a layer +from a neighboring vine, made in the following manner: Dig a trench +from the vine to the empty place, about eight to ten inches deep, and +bend into it one of the canes of the vine, left to grow unchecked for +that purpose, and pruned to the proper length. Let the end of it come +out to the surface of the ground with one or two eyes above it, at the +place where the vine is to be, and fill up with good, well pulverized +earth. It will strike roots at almost every joint, and grow rapidly, +but, as it takes a good deal of nourishment from the parent vine, that +must be pruned much shorter the first year. When the layer has become +well established, it is cut from the parent vine; generally the second +season. + +Pruning is best done in the fall, but it can be done on mild days all +through the winter months, even as late as the middle of March. +Fall-pruning will prevent all flow of sap, and the cuttings are also +better if made in the fall, and buried in the ground during winter. All +the sound, well-ripened wood of last season's growth may be made into +cuttings, which may be either planted, as directed in a former chapter, +or sold; and are an accession to the product of the vineyard not to be +despised, for they will generally defray all expenses of cultivation. + + +TRAINING THE VINES ON ARBORS AND WALLS. + +This is altogether different from the treatment in vineyards; the first +has for its object to grow the most perfect fruit, and to bring the +vine, with all its parts, within the easy reach and control of the +operator; in the latter, our object is to cover a large space with +foliage, for ornament and shade, fruit being but a secondary +consideration. However, if the vine is treated judiciously, it will +also produce a large quantity of fruit, although not of as good quality +as in the vineyard. + +[Illustration: FIG. 14. FIG. 15.] + +Our first object must be to grow very strong plants, to cover a very +large space. Prepare a border by digging a trench two feet deep and +four feet wide. Fill with rich soil, decomposed leaves, burnt bones, +ashes, etc. Into this plant the strongest plants you have, pruned as +for vineyard planting. Leave but one shoot to grow on them during the +first summer, which, if properly treated, will get very strong. Cut +back to three buds the coming fall. These will each throw out a strong +shoot, which should be tied to the arbor they are designed to cover, as +shown in Figure 14, and allowed to grow unchecked. In the fall +following cut each shoot back to three buds, as our first object must +be to get a good basis for our vines. These will give us nine canes the +third summer; and as the vine is now thoroughly established and strong, +we can begin to work in good earnest. It will be perceived that the +vine has three different sections or principal branches, each with +three canes. Cut one of these back to two eyes, and the other two to +six or eight buds each, according to the strength of the vine, as shown +in Figure 15. The next spring tie these neatly to the trellis, and when +the young shoots appear thin out the weakest, and leave the others to +grow unchecked. The next fall cut back as indicated by the black cross +lines, the weakest to be cut back to one or two eyes, and the stronger +ones to three or four, the spurs at the bottom to come in as a reserve, +should any of the branches become diseased. Figure 16 shows the manner +of pruning. + +[Illustration: FIG. 16.] + +In this manner a vine can be made, in course of time, to cover a large +space, and get very old. The great vine at Windsor Palace was planted +more than sixty years ago, and in 1850 it produced two thousand large +bunches of magnificent grapes. The space covered by the branches was +one hundred and thirty-eight feet long, and sixteen feet wide, and it +had a stem two feet nine inches in circumference. This is one of the +largest vines on record. They should, however, be strongly manured to +come to full perfection. + +Other authorities prefer the Thomery system of training, but I think it +much more complicated and difficult to follow. Those wishing to follow +it will find full directions in DR. GRANT'S and FULLER'S books, which +are very explicit on this method. + + +OTHER METHODS OF TRAINING THE VINE. + +There are many other systems in vogue among vine-dressers in Germany +and France, but as our native grapes are so much stronger in growth, +and are in this climate so much more subject to mildew and rot, I think +these methods, upon the whole, but poorly adapted to the wants of our +native grapes, however judicious they may be there. I will only mention +a few of them here; one because it is to a great extent followed in +Mexico and California, and seems to suit that dry climate and arid soil +very well; and the other, because it will often serve as a pretty +border to beds in gardens. The first is the so-called buck or stool +method of training. The vine is made to form its head--_i.e._, the part +from which the branches start--about a foot above the ground, and all +the young shoots are allowed to grow, but summer-pruned or checked just +beyond the last bunch of grapes. The next spring all of the young +shoots are cut back to two eyes, and this system of "spurring in" is +kept up, and the vine will in time present the appearance of a bush or +miniature tree, producing all its fruit within a foot from the head, +and without further support than its own stem. Very old vines trained +in this manner often have twenty to twenty-five spurs, and present, +with their fruit all hanging in masses around the main trunk, a +pleasing but rather odd aspect. This method could not be applied here +with any chance of success only to those varieties which are slow +growers, and at the same time very hardy. The Delaware would perhaps be +the most suitable of all varieties I know for a trial of this method; +such strong growers as the Concord and Norton's Virginia could never be +kept within the proper bounds, and it would be useless to try it on +them. It might be of advantage on poor soil, where there is at the same +time a scarcity of timber. Figure 17 shows an old vine pruned after +this method. + +[Illustration: FIG. 17.] + +The other method of dwarfing the grape is practiced to make a pretty +border along walks in gardens, and is as follows: Plant your vines +about eight feet apart; treat them the first season as in common +vineyard planting, but at the end of the first season cut back to two +eyes. Now provide posts, three to three and a half feet long; drive +them into the ground about eighteen inches to two feet, which can be +easily done if they are pointed at one end, and nail a lath on top of +them. This is your trellis for the vines, and should be about eighteen +inches above the ground when ready. Now allow both shoots which will +start from the two buds to grow unchecked; and when they have grown +above the trellis, tie one down to the right, the other to the left, +allowing them to ramble at will along it. The next fall they are each +cut back to the proper length, to meet the next vine, and in spring +tied firmly to the lath, as shown in Figure 18. When the young shoots +appear, all below the trellis are rubbed off, but all those above the +trellis are summer-pruned or pinched immediately beyond the last bunch +of grapes, as in vineyard culture, and the trellis, with its garland of +fruit, will present a very pretty appearance throughout the summer. In +the fall all of these shoots are pruned to one bud, from which will +grow the fruit-bearing shoot for the next season, as shown in Figure +19; and the same treatment is repeated during the summer and fall. + +[Illustration: FIG. 18. FIG. 19.] + + +DISEASES OF THE VINE. + +I cannot agree with Mr. FULLER that the diseases of the vine are not +formidable in this country. They are so formidable that they threaten +to destroy some varieties altogether; and the Catawba, once the glory +and pride of the Ohio vineyards, has for the last fifteen years +suffered so much from them, that many of the grape-growers who are too +narrow-minded to try anything else are about giving up grape-growing in +despair. + +It is very fortunate, therefore, that we have varieties which do not +suffer from these diseases, or only in a very slight degree; and my +advice to the beginner in grape-culture would be, "not to plant largely +of any variety which is subject to disease." Men may talk about +sulphuring, and dusting their vines with sulphur through bellows; but I +would rather have vines which will bear a good crop without these windy +appliances. We can certainly find some varieties for _every_ locality +which do not need them, and these we should plant. + +The mildew is our most formidable disease, and will very often sweep +away two-thirds of a crop of Catawbas in a few days. It generally +appears here from the first to the fifteenth of June, after abundant +rains, and damp, warm weather. It seems to be a parasitic fungus, and +sulphur applied by means of a bellows, or dusted over the fruit and +vine is said to be a partial remedy. Close and early summer-pruning +will do much to prevent it, throwing, as it does, all the strength of +the vine into the young fruit, developing it rapidly, and also allowing +free circulation of air. In some varieties--for instance, the +Delaware--it will only affect the leaves, causing them to blight and +drop off, after which the fruit, although it may attain full size, will +not ripen nor become sweet, but wither and drop off prematurely. In +seasons when the weather is dry and the air pure, it will not appear. +It is most prevalent in locations which have a tenacious subsoil, and +under-draining will very likely prove a partial preventive, as excess +of moisture about the roots is no doubt one of its causes. + +The gray rot, or so-called grape cholera, generally follows the mildew, +and I think that the latter is the principal cause of it, as I have +generally found it on berries whose stems have been injured by the +mildew. The berry first shows a sort of gray marbling; in a day or two +it turns to a grayish-blue color, and finally withers and drops from +the bunch. It will continue to affect berries until they begin to +color, but only attack a few varieties--the Catawba, To Kalon, +Kingsessing, and sometimes the Diana. + +The spotted, or brown rot, will also attack many of our varieties; it +is very destructive to the Isabella and Catawba, and even the Concord +is not quite free from it. But it is, after all, not very destructive, +and not half as dangerous as the mildew or gray rot. + +Early and close summer-pruning is a partial preventative against all +these diseases, as it will hasten the development of the fruit, allow +free circulation of air, and the young leaves which appear on the +laterals after pinching seem to be better able to withstand the effects +of the mildew, often remaining fresh and green, and shading the fruit, +when the first growth of leaves have already dropped. + +But "an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure," and our +best preventive is to plant none but healthy varieties. A grape, +however good it may be in quality, is not fit for general cultivation +if seriously affected with any of these diseases. Nothing can be more +discouraging to the grape-grower than to see his vines one day rich in +the promise of an abundant crop, and a few days afterwards see +two-thirds or three-fourths swept away by disease. It is because I have +so often felt this bitter disappointment, that I would warn my readers +against planting varieties subject to them. I would save _them_ from +the discouragement and bitter losses which I have experienced, when it +was out of my power to prevent it. They _can_ prevent it, for the +grape-growing of to-day is no longer the same uncertain occupation it +was ten years ago. We of to-day have our choice of varieties not +subject to disease; let us make it judiciously, and we may be sure of a +paying crop every year. + + +INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE GRAPE. + +The grape has many enemies of this kind, but if they are closely +watched from the beginning their ravages are easily kept within proper +bounds. + +The common gray cut-worm will often eat the young tender shoots of the +vine, and draw them into the ground below. Wherever this is perceived +the rascal can easily be found by digging for him under some of the +loose clods of ground below the vine, and should be destroyed without +mercy. + +[Illustration: FIG. 20. +DELAWARE.--_Berries 1/2 diameter_.] + +Small worms, belonging to the family of leaf-folders, some of them +whitish gray, some bluish green, will in spring make their webs among +the young, downy leaves at the end of the shoots, eating the young +bunches or buttons, and the leaves. These can be destroyed when summer +pruning for the first time. Look close for them, as they are very +small; yet very destructive if let alone. + +A small, gray beetle, of about the size and color of a hemp-seed, will +often eat a hole into the bud, when it is just swelling, and thus +destroy it. He is very shy, and will drop from the vine as soon as you +come near him. It is a good plan to spread a newspaper under the vine, +and then shake it, when he will drop on the paper and can be caught. + +Another bug, of about the size of a fly, gray, with round black specks, +will sometimes pay us a visit. They will come in swarms, and eat the +upper side of the leaves, leaving only the skeletons. They are very +destructive, devouring every leaf, as far as they go; they can also be +shaken off on a paper or sheet spread under the vine. + +The thrip, a small, rather three-cornered, whitish-green insect, has of +late been very troublesome, as they eat the under side of the leaves of +some varieties, especially the Delaware and Norton's Virginia, when the +leaf will show rusty specks on the surface, and finally drop off. It +has been recommended to go through the vineyard at night, one man +carrying a lighted torch, and the other beating the vines, when they +will fly into the flame, and be burnt. They are a great annoyance, and +have defoliated whole vineyards here last fall. + +Another leaf-folder makes his appearance about mid-summer, making its +web on the leaf, drawing it together, and then devouring his own house. +It is a small, greenish, and very active worm, who, if he "smells a +rat," will drop out of his web, and descend to the ground in +double-quick time. I know of no other plan, than to catch him and crush +his web between the finger and thumb. + +The aphis, or plant louse, often covers the young shoots of the vine, +sucking its juices. When a shoot is attacked by them, it will be best +to take it off and crush them under your feet, as the shoot is apt to +be sickly afterwards, any way. + +The grape vine sphynx will be found occasionally. It is a large, green +worm, with black dots, and very voracious. Fortunately, it is not +numerous, and can easily be found and destroyed. + +There are also several caterpillars--the yellow bear, the hog +caterpillar, and the blue caterpillar, which will feed upon the leaves. +The only remedy I know against them is hand picking, but they have not +as yet been very numerous, nor very destructive. + +Wasps are sometimes very troublesome when the fruit ripens, stinging +the berries and sucking the juice. A great many can be caught by +hanging up bottles, with a little molasses, which they will enter, and +get stuck in the molasses. + + +BIRDS. + +These are sometimes very troublesome at the time of ripening, and +especially the oriole is a "hard customer," as he will generally dip +his bill into every berry; often ruining a fine bunch, or a number of +them, in a short time. I have therefore been compelled to wage a war +upon some of the feathered tribe, although they are my especial +favorites, and I cannot see a bird's nest robbed. However, there are +some who do not visit the vineyard, except for the purpose of +destroying our grapes, and these can not complain if we "won't stand it +any longer," but take the gun, and retaliate on them. The oriole, the +red bird, thrush, and cat bird are among the number, and although I +would like to spare the latter three, in thankful remembrance of many a +gratuitous concert, the first must take his chance of powder and lead, +for the little rascal is too aggravating. A few dry bushes, raised +above the trellis will serve as their resting place before they +commence their work of destruction, where they can be easily killed. + + +FROSTS. + +Although our winters are seldom severe enough to destroy the hardy +varieties, yet they will often fatally injure such half hardy varieties +as the Herbemont and Cunningham, and the severe winter of 1863,-'64, +killed even the Catawba, down to the snow line, and severely injured +the Norton's Virginia, and even the Concord. Fortunately, such winters +occur but rarely, and even in localities where the vines are often +destroyed by the severe cold in winter, this should deter no one from +growing grapes, as, with very little extra labor he can protect them, +and bring them safely through the winter. I always cover my tender +varieties, in fact, all that I feel not quite safe to leave out, even +in severe winters, in the following manner: The vines are properly +pruned in the fall; then select a somewhat rainy day, when the canes +will bend more easily. One man goes through the rows, and bends the +canes to the ground along the trellis, while another follows with the +spade, and throws earth enough on them to hold them in their places. +Afterwards, I run a plough through the rows, and cover them up +completely. In the spring when all danger from frost is over, I take a +so-called spading fork, and lift the vines. The entire cost of covering +an acre of grape vines and taking them up again in spring, will not +exceed $10; surely a trifling expense, if we can thereby ensure a full +crop. + +We have thus a protection against the cold in winter, but I know none +against early frosts, in fall, and late spring frosts; and the grape +grower should therefore avoid all localities where they are prevalent. +The immediate neighborhood of large streams, or lakes, will generally +save the grape grower from their disastrous influence; and our summers, +here, along the banks of the Missouri river, are in reality full two +months longer than they are in the low, small valleys, only four to six +miles off. Let the grape grower, in choosing a locality, look well to +this, and avoid the hills along these narrow valleys. Either choose a +location sufficiently elevated, to be beyond their influence, or, what +is better still, choose it on the bluffs above our large streams; where +the atmosphere, even in the heat of summer, will never become too dry +for the health of the vine. It is a sad spectacle to see the hopes of a +whole summer frustrated by one cold night; to see the vines which +promised an abundant crop but the day before, browned and wilted beyond +all hopes of recovery, and the cheerless prospect before you, that it +may occur every spring; or to see the finest crop of grapes, when just +ripening, scorched and wilted by just one night's frost, fit for +nothing but vinegar. Therefore, look well to this, when you choose the +site of your vineyard, and rather pay five times the price for a +location free from frost, than for the richest farm along the so-called +creek bottoms, or worse still, sloughs of stagnant water. + + +GIRDLING THE VINE TO HASTEN MATURITY. + +The practice of girdling to induce early ripening is supposed to have +been invented by Col. BUCHATT, of Metz, in 1745. He claimed for it that +it would also greatly improve the quality of the fruit, as well as +hasten maturity. That it accomplishes the latter, cannot be denied; it +also seems to increase the size of the berries, but I hardly think the +fruit can compare in flavor with a well developed bunch, ripened in the +natural way. As it may be of practical value to those who grow grapes +for the market, enabling them to supply their customers a week earlier +at least, and also make the fruit look better, and be of interest to +the amateur cultivator, I will describe the operation for their +benefit. + +[Illustration: FIG. 21 +NORTON'S VIRGINIA--_Berries 1/3 diameter._] + +It can be performed either on wood of the same season's growth, or on +that of last year, but in any case only upon such as can be pruned away +the next fall. If you desire to affect the fruit of a whole arm or +cane, cut away a ring of bark by passing your knife all around it, and +making another incision from a quarter to half an inch above the first, +taking out the intermediate piece of bark clean, down to the wood. It +should be performed immediately after the fruit is set. The bunches of +fruit above the incision will become larger, and the fruit ripen and +color finely, from a week to ten days before the fruit on the other +canes. Of course, the cane thus girdled, cannot be used for the next +season, and must be cut away entirely. The result seems to be the +consequence of an obstruction to the downward flow of the sap, which +then develops the fruit much faster. + +Ripening can also be hastened by planting against the south side of a +wall or board fence, when the reflection of the rays of the sun will +create a greater degree of warmth. + +But nothing can be so absurd and unnatural than the practice of some, +who will take away the leaves from the fruit, to hasten its ripening. +The leaves are the lungs of the plants; the conductors and elevators of +sap; and nothing can be more injurious than to take them away from the +fruit at the very time when they are most needed. The consequence of +such an unwise course will be the wilting and withering of the bunches, +and, should they ripen at all, they will be deficient in flavor. Good +fruit must ripen _in the shade_, only thus will it attain its full +perfection. + +Another practice very injurious to the vines is still in practice in +some vineyards, and cannot be too strongly condemned. It is the +so-called "cutting in" of the young growth in August. Those who +practice it, seem to labor under the misapprehension that the young +canes, after they have reached the top of the trellis, and are of the +proper length and strength for their next year's crop, do not need that +part of the young growth beyond these limits any more, and that all the +surplus growth is "of evil." Under the influence of this idea they arm +themselves with a villainous looking thing called a bill-hook, and cut +and slash away at the young growth unmercifully, taking away one-half +of the leaves and young wood at one fell swoop. The consequence is a +stagnation of sap: the wood they have left, cannot, and ought not to +ripen perfectly, and if anything like a cold winter follows, the vines +will either be killed entirely, or very much injured at least. The +intelligent vine dresser will tie his young canes, away from the +bearing wood as much as he can, to give the fruit the fullest +ventilation; but when they have reached the top of the trellis, tie +them along it and let them ramble as they please. They will thus form a +natural roof over the fruit, keep off all injurious dews, and shade the +grapes from above. There is nothing more pleasing to the eye than a +vineyard in September, with its wealth of dark green foliage above, and +its purple clusters of fruit beneath, coyly peeping from under their +leafy covering. Such grapes will have an exquisite bloom, and color, as +well as thin skin and rich flavor, which those hanging in the scorching +rays of the sun can never attain. + + +MANURING THE VINE. + +As remarked before, this will seldom be necessary, if the vintner is +careful enough to guard against washing of the top-soil, and to turn +under all leaves, etc., with the plow in the Fall. The best manure is +undoubtedly fresh surface soil from the woods. Should the vines, +however, show a material decrease in vigor, it may become necessary to +use a top-dressing of decomposed leaves, ashes, bone-dust, charcoal, +etc. Fresh stable-yard manure I would consider the last, and only to be +used when nothing better can be obtained. Turn under with the plow, as +soon as the manure is spread. Nothing, I think, is more injurious than +the continual drenching with slops, dish-water, etc., which some good +souls of housewives are fond of bestowing on their pet grape vines in +the garden. It creates a rank, unwholesome growth, and will cause +mildew and rot, if anything can. + + +THINNING OF THE FRUIT. + +This will sometimes be necessary, to more fully develop the bunches. +The best thinning is the reduction of the number of bunches at the time +of the first summer pruning. If a vine shows more fruit, than the vine +dresser thinks it can well ripen, take away all weak and imperfect +shoots, and also all the small and imperfect bunches. If the number of +bunches on the fruit bearing branches is reduced to two on each, it +will be no injury, but make the remaining number of bunches so much +more perfect. Thinning out the berries on the bunches, although it will +serve to make the remaining berries more perfect and larger, is still a +very laborious process, and will hardly be followed to any extent in +vineyards, although it can well be practised on the few pet vines of +the amateur, and will certainly heighten the beauty of the bunches and +berries. + + +RENEWING OLD VINES. + +Should a vine become old and feeble, it can be renewed by layering. The +vine is prepared in the following manner: Prune all the old wood away, +leaving but one of the most vigorous of your canes; then dig a trench +from the vine along the trellis, say three feet long, eight inches +deep; into this bend down the old vine, stump, head and all, fastening +it down with a strong hook, if necessary, letting the end of the young +cane come out about three eyes above the ground, and fill up with rich, +well pulverized soil. The vine will make new roots at every joint, and +become vigorous, and, so to say, young, again. Some recommend this +process for young vines, the first year after planting; but if good +plants have been chosen and planted, it will not be necessary. Feeble +and poor plants may need this process, but if plants have good strong +roots when planted, (and _only_ such should be planted when they can be +obtained), they will not be benefited by it. + + +A FEW NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS. + +_Pruning Shears._ These are very handy, and with them the work can be +done quicker, and with less labor, as but a slight pressure of the hand +will cut a strong vine. Fig. 22 will show the shape of one for heavy +pruning. They are made by J. T. HENRY, Hampden, Connecticut, and can be +had in almost all hardware stores. The springs should be of brass, as +steel springs are very apt to break. A much lighter and smaller kind, +with but one spring, is very convenient for gathering grapes, as it +will cut the stem easily and smoothly, and not shake the vine, as +cutting with the knife will do. They are also handy to clip out unripe +and rotten berries, and should be generally used instead of knives. + +[Illustration: FIG. 22] + +_Pruning Saws._ It will sometimes be necessary to use these, to cut out +old stumps, etc., although, if a vine is well managed, it will seldom +be necessary. Fig. 23 will show a kind which is very convenient for the +purpose, and will also serve for orchard pruning; the blade is narrow, +connected with the handle, and can be turned in any direction. + +[Illustration: FIG. 23.] + + +GATHERING THE FRUIT FOR MARKET. + +In this, the vineyardist, of course, only aims at profit, and for that +purpose the grapes are often gathered when they are hardly +colored--long before they are really ripe--because the public will +generally buy them at a high price. Let us hope, however, that better +taste will in time prevail, and that even a majority of the public will +learn to appreciate the difference between ripe and unripe fruit. I +would advise my readers at least to wait until the fruit is fully and +evenly colored; for it is our duty to do all we can to correct this +vicious leaning towards swallowing unripe fruit, which is so prevalent +in this nation, and the producer will not lose anything either, because +his fruit will look much better, it will therefore bring the same price +which half ripened fruit would have brought, even a week sooner, and +will weigh heavier. Every grape will generally color full two weeks +before it is fully ripe; and as they are one of the fruits that will +not ripen _after_ they are gathered, they will shrivel and look +indifferent if gathered before. + +To ship them to market any distance, they should be packed in low, +shallow boxes, say six inches high, so that they will hold about two +layers of grapes. Cut the branches carefully, with as long a stem as +possible, for more convenient handling, taking care to preserve all the +bloom, and clipping out all the unripe berries. They are generally +weighed in the basket before packing. Now put a layer of vine leaves on +the bottom of the box; then make a layer of grapes, laying them as +close as possible; then put a layer of leaves over them; on them put +another layer of grapes, filling up evenly; then spread leaves rather +thickly over them, and nail on the cover. The box should be perforated +with holes, to admit some air. The grapes must be perfectly dry when +gathered, and the box should be well filled to prevent shaking and +bruising. + + +PRESERVING THE FRUIT. + +For this purpose, the fruit must be thoroughly ripe. When fully ripe, +the stem will turn brown, and shrivel somewhat. The fruit is then +carefully gathered, and laid upon a dry floor, or shelves, for a day or +two, so that some of the moisture will evaporate. They can then be +packed in boxes, in about the same manner as described before, but +paper will be better than leaves for this purpose. They are then put +away on shelves, in an airy room, which must, however, be free from +frost, in an even temperature of from 30° to 40°. They should be +examined from time to time, and the decayed berries taken out. They may +thus be kept for several months. + + +GATHERING THE FRUIT TO MAKE WINE. + +For this purpose, the grapes should hang as long as it is safe to allow +them; for it will make a very material difference in the quality of the +wine, as the water will evaporate, and only the sugar remain; and the +flavor or the bouquet will only be fully developed in fully ripened +fruit. For gathering, use clean tin or wooden pails; cut the stems as +short as possible, and clip or pinch out all unripe or rotten berries, +leaving none but fully ripe berries on the bunch. The further process +will be described under "wine making." + + + + +VARIETIES OF GRAPES. + + +I would here, again remark, that I consider the question of "what to +plant" as chiefly a local one, for which I do not presume to lay down +fixed rules; but which every one must, to a certain extent, determine +for himself, by visiting vineyards as nearly similar in soil and +location to the one he intends to plant, and then closely observing the +habits of the varieties after planting. Only thus can we obtain certain +results; not by following blindly in the footsteps of so-called +authorities, who may live a hundred, or a thousand miles from us, and +whose success with certain varieties, on soil entirely different from +ours, under different atmospheric influences, can by no means be taken +by us as evidence of our success under other circumstances. + + +CLASS 1.--_Varieties most generally used._ + + +CONCORD. + +Originated with Mr. E. BULL, of Concord, Mass. This variety seems to be +the choice of the majority throughout the country, and however much +opinions may differ about its quality, nobody seems to question its +hardiness, productiveness, health and value as a market fruit. Here it +is of very good quality--and our Eastern brethren have no idea what a +really well ripened Missouri grown Concord grape is. It seems to become +better the further it is grown West and South; an observation which I +think applies with equal force to the Hartford Prolific, Norton's +Virginia, Herbemont and others. + +Bunch large, heavy shouldered--somewhat compact; berries large, round, +black, with blue bloom; buttery, sweet and rich _here_, when well +ripened; with very thin skin and tender pulp. A strong and vigorous +grower; with healthy, hardy foliage; free from mildew, and but slightly +subject to rot; succeeds well in almost any soil; and is, so far, the +most profitable grape we grow. A fine market fruit, and also makes a +fine, light red wine, which is generally preferred to the Catawba. Can +be easily grown from cuttings. + + +NORTON'S VIRGINIA, (NORTON'S SEEDLING, VIRGINIA SEEDLING). + +Originated by DR. N. NORTON, of Richmond, Virginia. This grape has +opened a new era in American grape culture, and every successive year +but adds to its reputation. While the wine of the Catawba is often +compared to Hock, in the wine of Norton's Virginia, we have one of an +entirely different character; and it is a conceded fact that the best +red wines of Europe are surpassed by the Norton as an astringent, dark +red wine, of great body, fine flavor, and superior medical quality. +Vine vigorous and hardy, productive; starting a week later in the +Spring than the Catawba, yet coloring a week sooner; and will succeed +in almost any soil, although producing the richest wine in warm, +southern aspects. Bunches medium, compact; berries small, black, sweet +and rich; with dark bluish red juice; only moderately juicy. Healthy in +all locations, as far as I know, but I doubt its utility in the East, +as I do not think the summers warm and long enough. Seems to attain its +greatest perfection in Missouri, but is universally esteemed in the +West. Very difficult to propagate, as it will hardly grow from cuttings +in open air. + +[Illustration: FIG. 24. +HERBEMONT.--_Berries 1/3 diameter._] + + +HERBEMONT (HERBEMONT MADEIRA, WARREN). + +Origin uncertain. Wherever this noble grape will succeed and fully +ripen, it is hard to find a better, for table, as well as for wine. Its +home seems to be the South; and I think it will become one of the +leading varieties, as soon as the new order of things has been fully +established, and free, intelligent labor has taken the place of the +drudging, dull toil of the slave. It is particularly fond of warm, +southern exposures, with light limestone soil, and it would be useless +to plant it on soil retentive of moisture. Bunch long, large shouldered +and compact; berry medium, black, with blue bloom--"bags of wine," as +Downing fitly calls them; skin thin, sweet flesh, without pulp, juicy +and high flavored, never clogs the palate; fine for the table, and +makes an excellent wine, which should be pressed immediately after +mashing the grapes, when it will be white, and of an exquisite flavor; +generally ripens about same time as Catawba. A very vigorous and +healthy grower, but tender in rich soils, and should be protected in +winter. Extremely productive. + + +HARTFORD PROLIFIC. + +Raised by Mr. STEEL, of Hartford, Conn.: hardy, vigorous and +productive; bunch large, shouldered, rather compact; berry full medium, +globular, with a perceptible foxy flavor; skin thick, black, covered +with blue bloom; flesh sweet, juicy; much better here than at the East; +of very fair quality for its time of ripening; hangs well to the bunch +here, although said to drop at the East. For market, this is perhaps as +profitable as any variety known, as it ripens very early and uniformly, +producing immense crops. I have made wine from it, which, although not +of very high character, yet ranks as fair. + + +CLINTON. + +Origin uncertain; from Western New York; vigorous, hardy and +productive; free from disease; bunch medium, long and narrow, generally +shouldered, compact; berry medium, roundish oblong, black, covered with +bloom; juicy; somewhat acid; colors early, but should hang late to +become thoroughly ripe; brisk vinous flavor, but somewhat of the aroma +of the frost grape; makes a dark red wine, of good body, and much +resembling claret, but not equal to Norton's Virginia, or even the +Concord, in my estimation. Although safe and reliable, I think it has +lately been over praised as a wine grape, and as it is a very long, +straggling grower, it is one of the hardest vines to keep under +control. Propagates with the greatest ease. + + +DELAWARE. + +First disseminated and made known to the public by Mr. A. THOMPSON, of +Delaware, Ohio. This is claimed by many to be the best American grape; +and although I am inclined to doubt this, and prefer, for my taste, a +well ripened Herbemont, it is certainly a very fine fruit. +Unfortunately, it is very particular in its choice of soil and +location, and it seems as if there are very few locations at the West +where it will succeed. Whoever has a location, however, where it will +grow vigorously and hold its leaves, will do well to plant it almost +exclusively, as it makes a wine of very high character, and is very +productive. A light, warm soil seems to be the first requisite, and the +bluffs on the north side of the Missouri river seem to be peculiarly +adapted to it, while it will not flourish on those on the south side. +Bunch small, compact, and generally shouldered; berry below medium, +round; skin thin, of a beautiful flesh-color, covered with a lilac +bloom; very translucent; pulp sweet and tender, vinous and delicious; +wood very firm; short-jointed; somewhat difficult to propagate, though +not so much so as Norton's Virginia. Subject in many locations, to +leaf-blight, and is _there_ a very slow grower. Fine for the table, and +makes an excellent white wine, equal to, if not superior, to the best +Rhenish wines, which sells readily at from five to six dollars per +gallon. Although I cannot recommend it for general cultivation, it +should be tried every where, and planted extensively where it will +succeed. Ripens about five days later than Hartford Prolific. + + +CLASS 2.--_Healthy varieties promising well_. + + +CYNTHIANA (RED RIVER). + +Origin unknown--said to come from Arkansas. This grape promises fair to +become a dangerous rival to Norton's Virginia, which variety it +resembles so closely in wood and foliage, that it is difficult if not +impossible to distinguish it from that variety. The bunch and berry are +of the same color as Norton's Virginia, but somewhat larger, and more +juicy; sweeter, with not quite as much astringency, and perhaps a few +days earlier. Makes an excellent dark red wine, with not as much +astringency, but even more delicate aroma, and was pronounced the "best +red wine on exhibition," at the last meeting of the State Horticultural +Society, where it was in competition with eight samples of the Norton's +Virginia. A strong grower, and productive; as difficult to propagate as +the Norton. Mr. FULLER evidently has not the true variety, when he +calls it worthless, and identical with the Chippewa and Missouri, from +both of which it is entirely distinct. + + +ARKANSAS. + +Closely resembles the foregoing, and will also make an excellent wine +of a similar character. I consider both of these varieties as great +acquisitions, as they are perfectly healthy, very productive, and will +make a wine unsurpassed in merit by any of their class. + + +TAYLOR (BULLITT.) + +This grape, under proper treatment, has proved very productive with me, +and will make a wine of very high quality. The bunches and berries are +small, it is true; but not much more so than the Delaware; it also sets +its fruit well, and as it is hardy, healthy, and a strong grower, it +promises to be one of our leading wine grapes. Bunches small, but +compact, shouldered; berry small; white at the East; pale flesh-color +here; round, sweet, and without pulp; skin very thin. Requires long +pruning on spurs, to bring out its fruitfulness. + +[Illustration: FIG. 25. +HARTFORD PROLIFIC.--_Berries 1/2 diameter._] + + +MARTHA. + +This new grape, grown from the seed of the Concord, by that +enthusiastic and warm-hearted horticulturist, SAMUEL MILLER, of +Lebanon, Pa., promises to be one of the greatest acquisitions to our +list of really hardy and good grapes, which have lately come before the +public. It has fruited with me the last extremely unfavorable season, +and has stood the hardest test any grape could be put to, without +flinching. Bunch medium, but compact and heavy, shouldered; berry pale +yellow, covered with a white bloom; perhaps a trifle smaller than the +Concord; round; pulpy, but sweet as honey, with only enough of the foxy +aroma to give it character; juicy--very good. I esteem it more highly +than any other white grape I have, as it has the healthy habit and +vigorous growth of its parent, and promises to make an excellent white +wine. Hangs to the bunch well, and will ripen some days before the +Concord. + + +MAXATAWNEY. + +Another very promising white grape--a strong grower, and healthy; may +be somewhat too late in the east, but will, I think, be valuable at the +West and South. Bunch medium to large---not shouldered; berry above +medium; oval; pale yellow, with a slight amber tint on one side; pulp +tender, sweet and sprightly; few seeds; fine aroma; quality, best. +Ripens about same time as Catawba; seems to be productive. + + +ROGERS' HYBRID, NO. 1. + +This variety, which is also too late in ripening for the East, to be +much esteemed there, fruited with me last season, and more than +fulfilled all the expectations I entertained of it. It is the best of +Mr. ROGERS' Hybrids, which I have yet tasted; and its productiveness, +healthy habit, large berry, and good quality, makes it one of the most +desirable of all the grapes we raise here, for the table and market. +Bunch medium, loose, shouldered; berry very large, oblong, pale +flesh-color; skin thin; pulp tender; few seeds, separating freely from +the pulp; sweet, vinous and juicy; quality very good. Ripens about same +time as Catawba. It is to be regretted that Mr. ROGERS has not named +some of the best of his hybrids, as the numbers give rise to many +mistakes, and a great deal of confusion. It would be in the interest of +grape-growing if this was avoided, by naming at least the best of them. + + +CREVELING, (CATAWISSA) (BLOOM). + +This grape, although not quite perhaps so early as has been claimed for +it--ripening about five days after Hartford Prolific--is yet of much +better quality; and if it only should prove productive enough, will no +doubt make an excellent wine. Bunch long, loose, shouldered; berry full +medium, black, round, with little bloom; pulp tender; dark juice, sweet +and very good--seems to be hardy and healthy. + + +NORTH CAROLINA SEEDLING. + +Bunch large, shouldered, compact; berry large, oblong, black, with blue +bloom; pulpy, but sweet and good; ripens only a few days after Hartford +Prolific--very productive, hardy and healthy; strong grower. One of the +most showy market grapes we have--not much smaller than Union +Village--and as it ripens evenly, and is of very fair quality, is quite +a favorite in the market. Makes also a wine of very fair quality. + + +CUNNINGHAM. + +For the West, and very likely further South, this is a very desirable +grape for wine, of the Herbemont class. Bunch compact and heavy, +sometimes shouldered; berry rather small, black, without pulp, juicy +sweet and good; productive, but somewhat tender; strong grower; should +be covered in Winter; makes a very delicious wine, of the Madeira +class, which very often remains sweet for a whole year. Ripens late, +about a week after the Catawba. + + +RULANDER. + +Mr. FULLER evidently does not know this grape, as he says it is the +same as Logan. The Rulander we have here, is claimed to be a true +foreign variety. I am inclined to think, however, that it is either a +seedling from foreign seed, raised in the country, or one of the +Southern grapes of the Herbemont class. Be this as it may however, it +certainly bears no resemblance to the Logan, which is a true Fox, of +the Labrusca family. Vine a strong, vigorous, short-jointed grower, +with heart-shaped, light green, smooth leaves; very healthy, and more +hardy than either the Herbemont or Cunningham. Bunch rather small, very +compact, shouldered; berry small, black, without pulp, juicy sweet and +delicious; not subject to rot or mildew: makes a delicious, high +flavored wine, but not a great deal of it. The wine of this variety is +certainly one of the most delicate and valuable ones we have yet made +here and on the soil around Hermann, it will, I think, take preference +over the Delaware. Ripens a few days later than Concord. + + +LOUISIANA (BURGUNDER). + +Introduced here by Mr. F. MUENCH, who received it from Mr. THEARD, of +Louisiana, where it has been cultivated for some time. Some claim that +it is the grape which makes the famous white Burgundy wine of Europe. I +am inclined to think it is also a native, grown from foreign seed, like +the foregoing, which it closely resembles in foliage and wood; but +will, I think, make a wine of still higher quality, perhaps the most +delicate white wine we yet have. It can hardly be distinguished from +the Rulander in appearance, but has a more sprightly flavor. Ripens at +the same time. + + +ALVEY (HAGAR). + +This nice little grape will certainly make one of the most delicious +red wines we have, if it can only be raised in sufficient quantity. It +is healthy and moderately productive, but a slow grower. Bunch loose, +small, shouldered; berry small, black, without pulp, juicy, sweet and +delicious; quality best. Ripens about the same time as the Concord. + + +CASSADY. + +Bunch medium, very compact, shouldered; berry medium, round, +greenish-white, covered with white bloom; thick skin, pulpy, but very +sweet, and of fine flavor; makes an excellent white wine; very +productive, but somewhat subject to leaf-blight in wet seasons; does +not rot or mildew. + +[Illustration: FIG. 26. +CONCORD.--_Berries 1/2 diameter._] + + +BLOOD'S BLACK. + +Has often been confounded with Mary Ann, as both varieties were +disseminated here, by different persons, under the same name. The true +Blood's Black is a few days later than Hartford Prolific; bunch heavy +and compact, shouldered; berry round, black, full medium, of very fair +quality, and an excellent early market grape. The vine is healthy, +hardy, and enormously productive. + + +UNION VILLAGE. + +Perhaps the largest native grape, of fair quality; bunch large, heavy +and compact, shouldered; berry very large, oval, black, with blue +bloom, pulpy, but juicy, sweet and good. Of better quality here than +Isabella; tolerably free from disease, and a splendid market and table +fruit. Ripens rather late. + + +PERKINS. + +For those who do not object to a good deal of foxy flavor, this will be +a valuable market grape, on account of its earliness, beautiful color, +and great productiveness. Mr. FULLER has evidently not the true +variety, as he describes it as a "black grape, sour and worthless." + +Bunch medium, compact, shouldered; berry full medium, oval, +flesh-color, with a beautiful lilac bloom; very sweet, pulpy and foxy. +Ripens at same time with Hartford Prolific. Vine a strong grower, +healthy and hardy. + + +CLARA. + +For family use, there is at present no grape here at the West, which is +superior to this in quality; and although it will not pay to plant +largely, either for market or wine, yet no one who can appreciate a +really good grape, should be without a few vines of it at least. + +Bunch long, rather loose, shouldered; berry medium, pale yellow, +translucent, without pulp, sweet, juicy, and of excellent flavor; vine +moderately productive and healthy. Ripens with Catawba. + + +IVES' SEEDLING, (IVES' MADEIRA). + +This variety is recommended so much lately, as a superior grape for red +wine, that I will mention it here, although I have not yet fruited it. +It was first introduced by Col. WARING, of Hamilton County, Ohio, and +is said to be free from rot, healthy and vigorous, and to make an +excellent red wine, the must having sold from the press at $4 to $5 per +gallon. The following description is from bunches sent me from Ohio +last fall: + +Bunch medium, compact, shouldered; berry rather below medium, black, +oblong, juicy, sweet and well flavored; ripens about the time of the +Concord. Vine vigorous and healthy; said to propagate with the greatest +ease; evidently belonging to the Labrusca species. + +We have a seedling here of the Norton's Virginia, raised by Mr. F. +LANGENDORFER, of this neighborhood, which promises to be a valuable +wine grape for this location. It has not yet been named, and the owner +says will never receive a name, unless it proves, in some respect, +superior to anything we have yet. He has fruited it twice, and made +wine from it the last season, which is of a very high character, +resembling Madeira, of a brownish-yellow color; splendid flavor, and of +great body. The vine is a strong grower, healthy and very productive; +bunch long, seldom shouldered, very compact; berry small, black, with +blue bloom; only moderately juicy, and ripens a week later than its +parent. I am inclined to think that it will be of great value here and +further south as a wine grape, although it would ripen too late to suit +the climate further north. + +It may be expected here that I should speak of the Iona, Israella, and +Adirondac, as many, and good authorities too, think they will be very +valuable. The Iona and Israella have fruited but once with me, last +summer, and my experience, therefore, has not been long enough to +warrant a decided opinion. As far as it goes, however, it has been +decidedly unfavorable. My Iona vine set about twenty five bunches, but +mildewed and rotted so badly, that I hardly saved as many berries. It +may improve in time, but I hardly think it will do for our soil; +whatever it may do for others--and I cannot put it down as "promising +well." It is a grape of fine quality, _where it will succeed_. The +Israella stood the climate and bad weather bravely, but ripened at +least five days later than the Hartford Prolific close by, and was not +as good in quality as that grape; in fact, the most insipid and +tasteless grape I ever tried. They may both improve, however, upon +closer acquaintance, or be better in other locations. Here, I do not +feel warranted in praising them, and a description will hardly be +needed, as their originator has taken good care to so fully bring their +merits, real or imaginary, before the grape-growing community, that it +would be superfluous for me to describe them. + +The Adirondac I saw and much admired at the East, in 1863; and if its +originator, Mr. BAILEY, had only been liberal enough to furnish me with +a scion of two eyes, for which I offered to pay him at the rate of a +dollar per eye, I would, perhaps, be able to report about it. Instead +of the scion, he sent me a dried up vine, which had no life in it when +I received it, and in consequence of these disadvantages, I have not +been able to fruit it yet. It seems to be healthy and vigorous, +however; and should the quality of the fruit be the same as at the +East, may be a valuable acquisition. + +On this list I have only mentioned those which have fruited here from +four to five years, with very few exceptions, and which have generally, +during that time, proved successful. To fully warrant the +recommendation of a grape for general cultivation I think, we should +have fruited it at least five or six years; and although there are many +on this list which I should not hesitate to plant largely, yet I have +preferred to be rather a little over cautious than too sanguine. + + +CLASS 3.--_Healthy varieties, but inferior in quality._ + + +MINOR SEEDLING, (VENANGO). + +This grape has attracted some attention lately--some persons claiming +for it superior qualities as a _wine_ grape, even classing it with the +Delaware, a statement which I cannot believe. It is a rank Fox, and I +can therefore hardly think it will make a wine to suit a fastidious +palate. + +Bunch medium, very compact, sometimes shouldered; berry full medium, +pale red, round, sweet, but very pulpy and foxy. Ripens later than +Catawba; is very productive, vigorous and healthy--not subject to rot. + +[Illustration: FIG. 27. +CREVELING.--_Berries 1/2 diameter._] + + +MARY ANN. + +The earliest grape we have--healthy, hardy and productive--but in point +of quality, a rather poor Isabella, which it much resembles. + +Bunch full medium, moderately compact, shouldered; berry medium, oval, +black, pulpy, with a good deal of acidity, and strong flavor. Ripens +about four to five days before the Hartford Prolific, but is much +inferior to that variety in quality. + + +NORTHERN MUSCADINE. + +Very productive and healthy, but too foxy, and liable to drop from the +bunch when ripe. + +Bunch medium, compact, sometimes shouldered; berry round, brown, sweet, +very foxy--pulpy. Ripens about five days later than Hartford Prolific. + + +LOGAN. + +Ripens about same time with Hartford Prolific--but rather inferior in +quality. Bunch long, loose, shouldered; berry medium, oval; resembling +Isabella. + + +BROWN. + +Resembling Isabella, but more free from disease; good grower and +productive; will suit those who like the Isabella. + + +HYDE'S ELIZA, (CANBY'S AUGUST). + +Bunch medium, compact; berry medium, round, black, juicy; rather +pleasant, but unproductive, and of little value, where better varieties +can be had. + + +MARION PORT. + +Resembles the foregoing; may, perhaps, make a better wine, but cannot +be recommended. + + +POESCHEL'S MAMMOTH. + +Grown here, from seed of the Mammoth Catawba, by Mr. MICHAEL POESCHEL. + +Bunch medium, compact, sometimes shouldered; berry very large, round, +pale red, pulpy; rather deficient in flavor, but very large; free from +disease. Ripens a week later than Catawba. + + +CAPE (ALEXANDER, SCHUYLKILL MUSCADELL). + +Bunch rather small, compact; berry medium, black, round, pulpy, rather +sweet, dark juice. Said to make a good red wine, but my experience has +not been favorable. Ripens late--a week after the Catawba. + + +DRACUT AMBER. + +A Fox Grape, pale red, pulpy, inferior in quality and color to Perkins, +which it closely resembles; ripens about same time. + + +ELSINBURGH, (MISSOURI BIRD'S EYE). + +This old variety was largely disseminated under the latter name, by +NICHOLAS LONGWORTH, of Cincinnati. It is a nice little grape; but too +unproductive to be of any value here, although it makes a very superior +wine. Bunch long and loose, shouldered; berry small, round, black, +moderately juicy, with little pulp, sweet and good. Ripens a week +before the Catawba. + + +GARBER'S ALBINO. + +A grape of very fair quality, and rather early, but a shy bearer. Bunch +small, rather loose; berry medium, pale yellow, sweet and good. + + +FRANKLIN. + +A strong grower; said to be very productive; resembling Clinton in +foliage and general habit. Bunch small, compact; berry below medium, +black, juicy, with a marked frost grape flavor, and hardly worthy of +cultivation. + + +LENOIR. + +Of the Herbemont class, but about a week earlier; of good quality, but +too unproductive to be recommended. Bunch medium, compact, shouldered; +berry small, round, black, sweet and good. + + +NORTH AMERICA. + +Early and hardy, but too unproductive, and bunch too small. Bunch +small, shouldered; berry round; of very good quality for its season; +black, juicy. Ripens as early as Hartford Prolific. + + +CLASS 4.--_Varieties of good quality, but subject to disease._ + + +CATAWBA. + +This well known grape was brought into notice by Major ADLUM, of +Georgetown, D.C., who thought he had, by its introduction, conferred a +greater boon upon the American people, than if he had paid the national +debt. For the last ten years, it has been so much subject to disease, +that it cannot be recommended any longer, except for some peculiar +locations. It is said to be healthy in northern Illinois and Iowa, +where it will not stand the winter, however, without protection. + +Bunch large, moderately compact, shouldered; berry medium, red, covered +with lilac bloom; juicy, pulpy, sweet, somewhat astringent, of good +flavor. A fair grape for the table, and makes a good wine, resembling +Hock, but subject to mildew, rot and leaf-blight. + + +DIANA. + +A seedling of the foregoing, raised by Mrs. DIANA CREHORE. Perhaps one +of the most variable of all the grapes, being very fine one season, and +very indifferent the next. Bunch large and long, compact, shouldered; +berry pale red, round, somewhat pulpy; thick skin; juicy and sweet, +with a peculiar flavor, which DR. WARDER very aptly calls "feline;" +others call it "delicate." Very productive, but subject to leaf-blight, +mildew and rot; although perhaps not so much as the Catawba. Ripens +about a week earlier. + + +ISABELLA. + +Unworthy of cultivation here, but said to be better at the North. Bunch +long, loose, shouldered; berry medium, oval, black; tough pulp, with a +good deal of acidity, juicy, and a peculiar flavor. Ripens irregularly. +Subject to rot and leaf-blight. + + +GARRIGUES. + +Closely resembling the Isabella, but ripens more evenly, and is of +somewhat better quality. + + +TOKALON. + +Bunch large, loose, shouldered; berry black, large, sweet and buttery; +of very good quality, but very much subject to disease. Ripens somewhat +later than Catawba. + + +ANNA. + +Bunch large and loose; berry pale amber, covered with white bloom; +sweet, tolerable flavor, but poor bearer, and subject to mildew. Ripens +about same time as Catawba. + + +ALLEN'S HYBRID, (ALLEN'S WHITE HYBRID). + +Bunch large and loose, shouldered; berry medium, nearly round; white, +without pulp, juicy and delicious; quality very good, but variable; +sometimes best. Said to be a hybrid of Vitis Labrusca and a foreign +grape, raised by J. F. ALLEN, Salem, Massachusetts, and is really a +fine grape, although too tender and variable for extensive vineyard +culture. Ripens about two weeks before Catawba. + + +CUYAHOGA (COLEMAN'S WHITE). + +Much recommended in Ohio, where it originated, but unworthy of culture +here, being a poor grower, a shy bearer and very much subject to +leaf-blight. Bunch medium, compact; berry dirty greenish-white; thick +skin; pulpy, and insipid. + + +DEVEREAUX. + +This is, in dry seasons, a really fine grape, but subject to +leaf-blight and mildew in hot seasons. Bunch often a foot long, loose, +shouldered; berry below medium, round, black, juicy; without pulp, +sweet and vinous. Belonging to the Herbemont family; is a strong +grower; very productive, and rather tender. May be valuable in well +drained soils, and southern climate, as it undoubtedly will make a fine +wine. + + +KINGSESSING. + +Bunch long and loose, large, shouldered; berry medium, round, pale red, +with fine lilac bloom; pulpy; of fair quality, but subject to +leaf-blight, and mildew. + + +ROGERS' HYBRID, NO. 15. + +Bunch large, loose, shouldered; berry above medium, red with blue +bloom, roundish-oblong, pulpy, with peculiar flavor, sweet and juicy. A +showy grape, but not very good in quality, and much subject to mildew +and rot. Ripens at the same time with Catawba. + + +CLASS 5.--_Varieties unworthy of cultivation._ + + +OPORTO. + +Of all the humbugs ever perpetrated upon the grape-growing public, this +is one of the most glaring. The vine, although a rank and healthy +grower, is unproductive; seldom setting more than half a dozen berries +on a bunch, and these are so sour, have such a hard pulp, with such a +decided frost-grape taste and flavor, and are so deficient in juice, +that no sensible man should think of making them into wine, much less +call it, as its disseminator did, "the true port wine grape." + + +MASSACHUSETTS WHITE. + +This was sent me some eight years ago, by B. M. WATSON, as "the best +and hardiest white grape in cultivation," and he charged me the +moderate sum of $5 each, for small pot plants, with hardly two eyes of +ripened wood. After careful nursing of three years, I had the pleasure +of seeing my labors rewarded by a moderate crop of the vilest _red_ Fox +Grapes it has ever been my ill luck to try. + +The foregoing have all been tried by me, and have been characterized +and classified as I have found them _here_. The following are varieties +I have not fruited yet, although I have them on trial. + +Varieties highly recommended by good authorities: Telegraph, Black +Hawk, Rogers' Hybrids, Nos. 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 13, 19, 22, 33, Hettie, +Lydia, Charlotte, Mottled, Pauline, Wilmington, Cotaction and Miles. + +There are innumerable other varieties, for which their originators all +claim peculiar merits, and some of whom may prove valuable. But all who +bring new varieties before the public, should consider that we have +already names enough, nay, more than are good for us, and that it is +useless to swell the list still more, unless we can do so with a +variety, superior in some respects to our best varieties. A new grape, +to claim favor at the hands of the public, should be healthy, hardy, a +good grower, and productive; and of superior quality, either for the +table or for wine. + +There are some varieties circulated throughout the country as natives, +which are really nothing but foreign varieties, or, perhaps, raised +from foreign seed. They will not succeed in open air, although now and +then they will ripen a bunch. The Brinkle, Canadian Chief, Child's +Superb, and El Paso belong to this class. + +A really good _table_ grape should have a large amount of sugar, but +tempered and made more agreeable by a due proportion of acid, as, if +the acid is wanting, it will taste insipid; a tender pulp, agreeable +flavor, a large amount of juice, a good sized bunch, large berry, small +seeds, thin skin, and hang well to the bunch. + +A good _wine_ grape should have a large amount of sugar, with the acid +in due proportion, a distinctive flavor or aroma; though not so strong +as to become disagreeable, and for red wines a certain amount of +astringency. It is an old vintner's rule, that the varieties with small +berries will generally make the best wine, as they are generally richer +in sugar, and have more character than varieties with larger berries. + +[Illustration: FIG. 28. +CLARA.--_Berries 1/2 diameter._] + + + + +WINE-MAKING. + + +GATHERING THE GRAPES. + +Although I have described the process already, I will here again +reiterate that the grapes should be thoroughly _ripe_. This does not +simply mean that they are well colored. The Concord generally begins to +color here the 5th of August, and we could gather the majority of our +grapes, of that variety, for market, by the 15th or 20th of that month; +but for wine-making we allow them to hang until the 15th or 20th of +September, and sometimes into October. Thus only do we get the full +amount of sugar and delicacy of aroma which that grape is capable of +developing, as the water evaporates, and the sugar remains; it also +loses nearly all the acidity from its pulp; and the latter, which is so +tough and hard immediately after coloring, nearly all dissolves and +becomes tender. The best evidences of a grape being thoroughly ripe +are: 1st. The stem turns brown, and begins to shrivel; 2nd, the berry +begins to shrivel around the stem; 3d, thin and transparent skin; 4th, +the juice becomes very sweet, and sticks to the finger like honey or +molasses, after handling the grapes for some time. + +It is often the case that some bunches ripen much later on the vines. +In such a case, the ripest should be gathered first, and those that are +not fully ripe remain on the vines until mature. They will ripen much +quicker if the ripest bunches have been removed first. + +The first implements needed for the gathering are clean wooden and tin +pails and sharp knives, or better still, the small shears spoken of in +a former part of this work. Each gatherer is provided with a pail, or +two may go together, having a pail each, so that one can empty and the +other keep filling during the time. If there are a good many unripe +berries on the bunches, they may be put into a separate pail, and all +that are soft will give an inferior wine. The bunch is cut with as +short a stem as possible, as the stem contains a great deal of acid and +astringency; every unripe or decayed berry is picked out, so that +nothing but perfectly sound, ripe berries remain. + +[Illustration: FIG. 29.] + +The next implement that we need is a wooden tub or vat, to carry the +grapes to the mill; or the wagon, if the vineyard is any distance from +the cellar. This is made of thin boards, half-inch pine lumber +generally; 3 feet high inside, 10 inches wide at the bottom, 20 inches +wide at the top, being flat on one side, where it is carried on the +back, and bound with thin iron hoops. It is carried by two +leather-straps running over the shoulders, as shown in Fig. 29, and +should contain about eight to ten pails, or a little over two bushels +of grapes. The carrier can pass easily through the rows with it to any +part of the vineyard, and lean it against a post until full. If the +vineyard is close to the cellar or press-house, the grapes can be +carried to it directly; if too far, we must provide a long tub or vat, +to place on the wagon, into which the grapes are emptied. I will here +again repeat that the utmost cleanliness should be observed in _all_ +the apparatus; and no tub or vat should be used that is in the least +degree mouldy. Everything should be perfectly sweet and clean, and a +strict supervision kept up, that the laborers do not drop any crumbs of +bread, &c., among the grapes, as this will immediately cause acetous +fermentation. The weather should be dry and fair, and the grapes dry +when gathered. + + +THE WINE-CELLAR. + +As the wine-cellar and press-house are generally built together, I will +also describe them together. A good cellar should keep about an even +temperature in cold and warm weather, and should, therefore, be built +sufficiently deep, arched over with stone, well ventilated, and kept +dry. Where the ground is hilly, a northern or northwestern slope should +be chosen, as it is a great convenience, if the entrance can be made +even with the ground. Its size depends, of course, upon the quantity of +wine to be stored. I will here give the dimensions of one I am +constructing at present, and which is calculated to store from 15,000 +to 20,000 gallons of wine. The principal cellar will be 100 feet long, +by 18-1/2 feet wide inside, and 12 feet high under the middle of the +arch. This will be divided into two compartments; the back one, at the +farthest end of the cellar, to be 40 feet, which is destined to keep +old wine of former vintages; as it is the deepest below the ground, it +will keep the coolest temperature. It is divided from the front +compartment by a wall and doors, so that it can be shut off should it +become necessary to heat the other, while the must is fermenting. The +other compartment will be 60 feet long, and is intended for the new +wine, as the temperature will be somewhat higher, and, therefore, +better adapted to the fermentation of the must. This will be provided +with a stove, so that the air can be warmed, if necessary, during +fermentation. This will also be closed by folding doors, 5-1/2 feet +wide. There will be about six ventilators, or air-flues, on each side +of these two cellars, built in the wall, constructed somewhat like +chimneys, commencing at the bottom, whose upper terminus is about two +feet above the arch, and closed with a grate and trap-doors, so that +they can be closed and opened at will, to admit air and light. Before +this principal cellar is an arched entrance, twenty feet long inside, +also closed by folding doors, and as wide as the principal cellar. This +will be very convenient to store empty casks, and can also be used as a +fermenting room in Fall, should it be needed. The arch of the principal +cellar will be covered with about six feet of earth; the walls of the +cellar to be two feet thick. The press-house will be built above the +cellar, over its entire length, and will also be divided into two +rooms. The part farthest from the entrance of the cellar, to be 60 feet +by 18, will be the press-house proper, with folding doors on both +sides, about the middle of the building, and even with the surface +ground, so that a wagon can pass in on one side and out on the other. +This will contain the grape-mill, wine-presses, apparatus for stemming, +and fermenting vats for white or light-colored wine. The other part, 40 +feet long, will contain an apparatus for distilling, the casks and vats +to store the husks for distilling, and the vats to ferment very dark +colored wines on the husks, should it be necessary. It will also be +used as a shop, contain a stove, and be floored, so that it will be +convenient, in wet and cold weather, to cut cuttings, &c. A large +cistern, to be built on one side of the building, so that the necessary +water for cleaning casks, &c., will be handy; with a force-pump, will +complete the arrangement. I need hardly add here, that the whole cellar +should be paved with flags or brick, and well drained, so that it will +be perfectly dry. + +This cellar is destined to hold two rows of casks, five feet long, on +each side. For this purpose layers of strong beams are provided, upon +which the casks are laid in such a manner that they are about two feet +from the ground, fronting to the middle, and at least a foot or +eighteen inches of space allowed between them and the wall, so that a +man can conveniently pass and examine them. This will leave five and +a-half to six feet of space between the two rows, to draw off the wine, +move casks, _&c_. + +This cellar will, at the present rates of work, cost about $6,000. Of +course, the cellar, as before remarked, can be built according to the +wants of the grape-grower. For merely keeping wine during the first +winter, a common house cellar will do; but during the hot days of +summer wine will not keep well in it. + + +APPARATUS FOR WINE-MAKING.--THE GRAPE MILL AND PRESS. + +This mill can be made very simple, of two wooden rollers, fastened in a +square frame, running against each other, and turned with a crank and +cog-wheel. The rollers should be about nine inches in diameter, and set +far enough apart to mash the berries, but not the seeds and stems. A +very convenient apparatus, mill and press, is manufactured by Geiss & +Brosius, Belleville, Ill., and where the quantity to be made does not +exceed 2,000 gallons, it will answer every purpose. The mill has stone +rollers, which can be set by screws to the proper distance, with a +cutting apparatus on top, for apples in making cider, which can be +taken off at will. The press is by itself, and consists of an iron +screw, coming up through the platform, with a zinc tube around it to +prevent the must from coming in contact with it. The platform has a +double bottom, the lower one with grooves; the upper consists simply of +boards, with grooves through it to allow the must to run through. These +boards are held in their places by wooden pegs, and can be taken off at +will. A circular hopper, about a foot in diameter, and made of laths +screwed to iron rings, with about a quarter of an inch space between +them, encloses the zinc tube. The outer frame is constructed in the +same way, is about 2-1/2 feet in diameter, and bound with strong wooden +and iron hoops. The mashed grapes are poured into the frame, a +close-fitting cover is put on, which is held down by a strong block, +and the power is applied by an iron nut just on the top of the screw, +with holes in each end to apply strong wooden levers. The apparatus is +strong, simple, and convenient, and presses remarkably fast and clean, +as the must can run off below, on the outside and also on the inside. +The cost of mill and press is about $90, but each can be had separately +for $45. + +If a large amount of grapes are to be pressed, the press should be of +much larger dimensions, but may be constructed on the same principle--a +strong, large platform, with a strong screw coming through the middle, +and a frame made of laths, screwed to a strong wooden frame, through +which the must can run off freely, with another frame around the +outside of the platform. The must runs off through grooves to the lower +side, where it is let off by a spout. It may be large enough to contain +a hundred bushels of grapes at a single pressing, for a great deal +depends upon the ability of the vintner to press a large amount just at +the proper time, when the must has fermented on the husks just as long +as he desires it to do. + + +FERMENTING VATS. + +These should correspond somewhat with the size of the casks we intend +to fill; but they are somewhat unhandy if they hold more than, say four +hundred gallons. They are made of oak or white pine boards, 1-1/2 inch +thick, bound securely by iron hoops, about three feet high, and, say, +five feet wide. The bottom and inside must be worked clean and smooth, +to facilitate washing. When the must is to ferment a longer time on the +husks, as is often the case in red wines, a false bottom should be +provided, for the purpose of holding the husks down below the surface +of the must. It is made to fit the size of the vat, and perforated with +holes, and held in its place by sticks of two inches square, let into +the bottom of the vat, and which go through the false bottom. A hole is +bored through them, and the bottom held down by means of a peg passed +through this hole. The vat is closed by a tight-fitting cover, through +which a hole is bored, large enough to admit a tin tube of about an +inch in diameter, to let off the gas. The vats are set high enough +above the ground to admit drawing off the must through a faucet near +the bottom of the vat. For those grapes which are to be pressed +immediately we need no false bottoms or covers for the vats. As +fermentation generally progresses very rapidly here, and it is not +desirable with most of our wines to ferment them on the husks very +long, as they generally have astringency enough, operations here are +much more simple than in Europe. + +The must is generally allowed to run into a large funnel, filled with +oat straw, and passes through a hose into the casks in the cellar. A +hole can be left through the arch for that purpose, as it is much more +convenient than to carry the must in buckets from the press into the +casks. + +It is sometimes desirable to stem the grapes, although it is seldom +practiced in this country. This can be easily done by passing the +bunches rapidly over a grooved board, made somewhat in the form of a +common washboard, only the grooves should be round at the bottom and +the edges on top. It is seldom desirable here. + + +THE WINE CASKS. + +These should be made of well-seasoned white oak staves, and can, of +course, be of various sizes to meet the wants of the vintner. The best +and most convenient size for cellar use I have found to be about 500 +gallons. These are sufficiently large to develop the wine fully, and +yet can be filled quick enough to not interrupt fermentation. Of +course, the vintner must have some of all sizes, even down to the +five-gallon keg; but for keeping wine, a cask of 500 gallons takes less +room comparatively, and the wine will attain a higher degree of +perfection than in smaller casks. The staves to make such a cask should +be about 5 feet long, and 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick, and be the very best +wood to be had. The cask will, when ready, be about as high as it is +long, should be carefully worked and planed inside, to facilitate +washing and have a so-called door on one end, 12 inches wide and 18 +inches high, which is fastened by means of an iron bolt and screw, and +a strong bar of wood. This is to facilitate cleaning; when a cask is +empty, the door is taken out, and a man slips into the cask with a +broom and brush, and carefully washes off all remnants of lees, etc., +which, as the lees of the wine are very slimy and tenacious, cannot be +removed by merely pouring in water and shaking it about. It is also +much more convenient to let these large casks remain in their places, +than to move them about. The casks are bound with strong iron hoops. + +To prepare the new casks, and also the vats, etc., for the reception of +the must, they should be either filled with pure water, and allowed to +soak for several days, to draw out the tannin; then emptied, scalded +with hot water, and afterwards steamed with, say two or three gallons +of boiling wine; or they can be made "wine-green," by putting in about +half a bushel of unslaked lime, and pouring in about the same quantity +of hot water. After the lime has fallen apart, add about two quarts of +water to each pound of lime, put in the bung, and turn the cask about; +leaving it lie sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other, so that +the lime will come in contact with every part of the cask. Then pour +out the lime-water; wash once or twice with warm water, and rinse with +a decoction of vine leaves, or with warm wine. Then rinse once more +with cold water, and it will be fully prepared to receive the must. +This is also to be observed with old casks, which have become, by +neglect or otherwise, mouldy, or have a peculiar tang. + + +MAKING THE WINE. + +As we have our apparatus all prepared now, we can commence the +operation itself. This can be done in different ways, according to the +class of wine we are about to make. + +To make white, or light-colored wine, the grapes which were gathered +and mashed during the day, can be pressed and put into the cask the +following night. To mash them, we place the mill above one of the +fermenting vats, mashing them as quick as they are carried or hauled to +the press-house. The vat is simply covered with a cloth during the day. +If the season has been good, the must will make good wine without the +addition of anything else. In poor seasons it will be necessary to add +water and sugar, to improve its quality, but I will speak of this +method in a separate chapter. In the evening, the must which will run +off, is first drawn from the vat, and by some kept separate; but I +think, it makes, upon the whole, a better wine, if the pressing is +added to it. The husks, or mashed grapes, are then poured upon the +press, and pressed until fully dry. To accomplish this the press is +opened several times, and the edges of the cake, or "cheese," as some +call it, are cut off with an axe or cleaver and put on top, after which +they are pressed down again. The casks are then filled with the must; +either completely, if it is intended that the must should ferment +_above_, as it is called, or _under_, when the cask is not completely +filled, so that the husks, which the must will throw up, will remain in +the cask. Both methods have their advantages, but I prefer the former, +with a very simple contrivance, to exclude the air, and also prevent +waste. This is a siphon or tin tube, bent in the form of a double +elbow, of which one end fits tightly in the bung hole, and the other +empties into a dish of water, to be set on one end of the cask, through +which the gas escapes, as shown in Fig. 30. + +We should, however in pressing, be guided somewhat by the weather. In +warm weather fermentation will commence much sooner, and be more +violent, than when the weather is cold. Consequently we should press +much sooner in warm weather, than when the air is cool. Late in the +fall, it is sometimes advisable to leave the must a day longer on the +husks, than indicated below. The cellar should be kept at an even +temperature of about 60° during the first few weeks, and if it does not +naturally attain this temperature, then it should be warmed by a stove, +as much of the quality of the wine depends upon a thorough fermentation +during the first ten days. + +[Illustration: FIG. 30.] + +When violent fermentation has ceased, say after about ten or twelve +days, and the must has become quiet, the cask should be closed with a +tight bung, and the wine is left until it is clear. In about two to +three months it ought to be perfectly clear and fine--is then racked, +_i.e._, drawn from the lees, by means of a faucet, and put into clean, +sweet casks. It is very important that the casks are "wine-seasoned," +that is, have no other tang than of wine. For must, fresh brandy or +whiskey casks may be used, but after the wine has fermented, it will +not do to use such, as the wine will acquire the smell and taste of the +liquor. When a cask has been emptied, it should be carefully cleaned, +as before described, by entering at the door, or with smaller casks, by +taking out the head. After it is thoroughly cleansed, it may be +fumigated slightly, by burning a small piece of sulphured paper, or a +nutmeg in it, and then filled. To keep empty casks in good condition +they should, after cleaning, be allowed to become thoroughly dry, when +they are sulphured, closed tightly, and laid away in the cellar. The +operation of sulphuring should be repeated every six weeks. If wanted +for use, they are simply rinsed with cold water. + +[Illustration: FIG. 31.] + +For racking the wine, we should have: 1st a large brass faucet. 2d. +Pails of a peculiar shape, wider at the top, to prevent wastage. 3d. A +wooden funnel, as shown in Fig. 31, to hold about six gallons. In +racking--first carefully lift the bung of the cask, as the exclusion of +air from above would cause a gurgling motion in the cask, if tapped +below, which would stir up the lees in the bottom. Then, after having +loosened with a hammer the wooden peg, closing the tap hole, let your +assistant hold the pail opposite the hole, hold the faucet in your +right hand, and with the left, withdraw the plug, inserting the faucet +quickly. Drive it in firmly with a hammer, and you are ready for the +work. + +Do not fully open the faucet at first, because the first pailful is +generally not quite clear, and should run slowly. You can keep this by +itself; and this, and the last from the lees, is generally put into a +cask together and allowed to settle again. It will make a good, clear +wine after a few weeks. As soon as the wine runs quite clear and +limpid, it can be put into the cask destined to receive it, and you can +let it run as fast as it can be emptied. When the wine has run off down +to the tap hole, the cask may be carefully raised on the other end, one +inserting a brick or piece of board under it, while the other lifts +gently and slowly. This may be repeated several times, as long as the +wine runs clear; and even the somewhat cloudy wine may be put with the +first pailful into a separate cask. As soon as it comes thick or muddy, +it is time to stop. The lees are emptied out, and will, if distilled, +make a fine flavored and very strong brandy. + +This treatment can be applied to all white and light-colored wines, +when it is not desirable to have a certain astringency in the wine. The +Catawba, Concord, Herbemont, Delaware, Rulander, Cassady, Taylor, +Louisiana, Hartford Prolific, and Cunningham should all be treated in a +similar manner. The Concord, although it will, under this treatment, +make only a light red wine, of which the color can be changed to dark +red by fermenting on the husks, is not desirable if treated in the +latter manner; as the peculiar foxy aroma of the grape will be imparted +to the must to such a degree, as to make the flavor disagreeable, I +shall recur to the subject of flavor in wines in another chapter. + +To make red wine, the must should be fermented on the husks, as +generally the darkest color is desired, and also, a certain +astringency, which the wine will acquire principally from the seeds, +skins, and stems of the grapes, which contain the tannin. The grapes +are mashed, and put into the fermenting vat, of the kind described +before, with false bottoms. After the vat is filled about three-fourths +the false bottom is put on, the husks are pressed down by it, until +they are covered about six inches by the must, and the cover put on. It +is seldom desirable here to ferment longer than three days on the +husks, if the weather is warm--in a temperature of 60°--two days will +often be enough, as the wine will become too rough and astringent by an +excessively long fermentation. Only experience will be the proper guide +here, and also the individual taste. It will be generally time to +press, when the must has changed its sweet taste, and acquired a +somewhat rough and bitter one. Where it is desired to make a very dark +colored wine, without too much astringency, the grapes should be +stemmed, as most of the rough and bitter taste is in the stems; and it +can then be fermented on the husks for six or eight days. In this +manner the celebrated Burgundy wines are made; also most of the red +wines of France and Germany. Many of them are even allowed to go +through the whole process of fermentation, and the husks are filled +into the cask with the must, through a door, made in the upper side of +the cask; and it there remains, until the clear wine is drawn off. This +is seldom desirable here, however, as our red wine grapes have +sufficient astringency and color without this process. The treatment +during fermentation, racking, etc., is precisely the same as with white +wine, with only this difference, that the red wine is generally allowed +to stay longer on the lees; for our object in making this class of wine +is different than in making white, or so-called Schiller or light red +wine. In white and light colored wines we desire smoothness and +delicacy of bouquet and taste; in dark red wines, we desire astringency +and body, as they are to be the so-called stomach or medical wines. It +is therefore generally racked but once, in the latter part of February +or March, and the white and light colored wines are racked in December +or January, as soon as they have become clear--and again in March. We +also use no sulphur in fumigating the casks, as it takes away the color +to a certain extent. We generally do not use anything, but simply clean +the casks well, in racking red wine. + +I will say a few words in regard to _under_ fermentation. If this +method is to be followed, the casks are not filled, but enough space +left to allow the wine to ferment, without throwing out lees and husks +at the bung. The bung is then covered, by laying a sack filled with +sand over it, and when fermentation is over--as well by this as by the +other method--the casks are filled with must or wine, kept in a +separate cask for the purpose. The casks should always be kept well +filled, and must be looked over and filled every two or three weeks, as +the wine will continually lose in quantity, by evaporation through the +wood of the casks. The casks should be varnished or brushed over with +linseed oil, as this will prevent evaporation to some extent. + +In wine making, and giving the wine its character, we can only be +guided by practice and individual taste, as well as the prevailing +taste of the consuming public. If the prevailing taste is for light +colored, smooth and delicate wines, we can make them so, by pressing +immediately, and racking soon, and frequently. If a dark colored, +astringent wine is desired, we can ferment on the husks, and leave it +on the lees a longer period. There is a medium course, in this as in +everything else; and the intelligent vintner will soon find the rules +which should guide him, by practice with different varieties. + +Among the wines to be treated as dark red, I will name Norton's +Virginia, Cynthiana, Arkansas, and Clinton, and, I suppose, Ives' +Seedling. It would be insulting to these noble wines to class with them +the Oporto, which may make a very dark colored liquid, but no _wine_ +worth the name, unless an immense quantity of sugar is added, and +enough of water to dilute the peculiar vile aroma of that grape. + + +AFTER TREATMENT OF THE WINE. + +Even if the wine was perfectly fine and clear, when drawn off, it will +go through a second fermentation as soon as warm weather sets it--say +in May or June. If the wine is clear and fine, however, the +fermentation will be less violent, than if it is not so clear, as the +lees, which the wine has never entirely deposited; act as they ferment. +It is not safe or judicious, therefore, to bottle the wine _before_ +this second fermentation is over. As soon as the wine has become +perfectly clear and fine again--generally in August or September--it +can be bottled. For bottling wine we need: 1st. clean bottles. 2d. good +corks, which must first be scalded with hot water, to soften them, and +draw out all impurities, and then soaked in cold water. 3d. a small +funnel. 4th. a small faucet. 5th. a cork-press, of iron or wood. 6th. a +light wooden mallet to drive in the corks. + +After the faucet has been inserted in the cask, fill your bottles so +that there will be about an inch of room between the cork and the wine. +Let them stand about five minutes before you drive in the cork, which +should always be of rather full size, and made to fit by compressing it +with the press at one end. Then drive in the cork with the mallet, and +lay the bottles, either in sand on the cellar floor, or on a rack made +for that purpose. They should be laid so that the wine covers the cork, +to exclude all air. + +The greater bulk of the wine, however, if yet on hand; can be kept in +casks. All the wine to be kept thus, should be racked once in about six +months, and the casks kept well filled. Most of our native wines, +however, are generally sold after the second racking in March, and a +great many even as soon as clear--in January. + + +DISEASES OF THE WINE AND THEIR REMEDIES. + +These will seldom occur, if the wine has been properly treated. Cases +may arise, however, when it will become necessary to rack the wine, or +fine it by artificial means. + + +TREATMENT OF FLAT AND TURBID WINE. + +The cause of this is generally a want of Tannin. If the wine has a +peculiar, flat, soft taste, and looks cloudy, this is generally the +case. Draw the wine into another cask, which has been well sulphured, +and add some pulverized tannin, which can be had in every drug store. +The tannin may be dissolved in water--about an ounce to every two +hundred gallons of wine--and the wine well stirred, by inserting a +stick at the bung. Should it not have become clear after about three +weeks, it should be fined. This can be done, by adding about an ounce +of powdered gum-arabic to each forty gallons, and stirring the wine +well when it has been poured in. Or, take some wine out of the +casks--add to each forty gallons which it contains the whites of ten +eggs, whipped to foam with the wine taken out--pour in the mixture +again--stir up well, and bung up tight. After a week the wine will +generally be clear, and should then be drawn off. + + +USE OF THE HUSKS AND LEES. + +These should be distilled, and will make a very strong, fine flavored +brandy. The husks are put into empty barrels or vats--stamped down +close, and a cover of clay made over them, to exclude the air. They +will thus undergo a fermentation, and be ready for distillation in +about a month. They should be taken fresh from the press, however; for +if they come into contact with the air, they will soon become sour and +mouldy. The lees can be distilled immediately. Good fresh lees, from +rather astringent wines are also an excellent remedy when the wine +becomes flat, as before described. + + +DR. GALL'S AND PETIOL'S METHOD OF WINE MAKING. + +The process of wine making before described, however, can only be +applied in such seasons, and with such varieties of grapes, that +contain all the necessary elements for a good wine in due proportion. +For unfavorable seasons, with such varieties of grapes as are deficient +in some of the principal ingredients, we must take a different +course--follow a different method. To see our way clearly before us in +this, let us first examine which are the constituent parts of must or +grape juice. A chemical analysis of must, shows the following result: + +Grape juice contains sugar, water, free acids, tannin, gummy and mucous +substances, coloring matter, fragrant or flavoring substances, (aroma +bouquet). A good wine should contain all these ingredients in due +proportion. If there is an excess of one, and a want of the other, the +wine will lose in quality. Must, which contains all of these, in due +proportion, we call _normal_ must, and only by determining the amount +of sugar and acids in this so-called normal must, can we gain the +knowledge how to improve such must, which does not contain the +necessary proportion of each. The frequent occurrence of unfavorable +seasons in Europe, when the grapes did not ripen fully, and were sadly +deficient in sugar, set intelligent men to thinking how this defect +could be remedied; and a grape crop, which was almost worthless, from +its want of sugar, and its excess of acids, could be made to yield at +least a fair article, instead of the sour and unsaleable article +generally produced in such seasons. Among the foremost who experimented +with this object in view I will here name CHAPTAL, PETIOL; but +especially DR. LUDWIG GALL, who has at last reduced the whole science +of wine-making to such a mathematical certainty, that we stand amazed +only, that so simple a process should not have been discovered long +ago. It is the old story of the egg of Columbus; but the poor vintners +of Germany, and France, and we here, are none the less deeply indebted +to those intelligent and persevering men for the incalculable benefits +they have conferred upon us. The production of good wine is thus +reduced to a mathematical certainty; although we cannot in a bad +season, produce as high flavored and delicate wines, as in the best +years, we can now always make a fair article, by following the simple +rules laid down by DR. GALL. When this method was first introduced, it +was calumniated and despised--called adulteration of wine, and even +prohibited by the governments of Europe; but, DR. GALL fearlessly +challenged his opponents to have his wines analyzed by the most eminent +chemists; which was repeatedly done, and the results showed that they +contained nothing but such ingredients which pure wine should contain; +and since men like VON BABO, DOBEREINER and others have openly endorsed +and recommended gallizing, prejudice is giving way before the light of +scientific knowledge. + +[Illustration: FIG. 32.] + +But to determine the amount of sugar and acids contained in the must we +need a few necessary implements. These are: + + +THE MUST SCALE OR SACCHAROMETER. + +The most suitable one now in use is the _Oechsle's_ must scale, +constructed on the principle that the instrument sinks the deeper into +any fluid, the thinner it is, or the less sugar it contains. Fig. 32 +shows this instrument, "which is generally made of silver, or German +silver, although they are also made of glass. A, represents a hollow +cylinder--best made of glass, filled with must to the brim, into which +place the must scale B. It is composed of the hollow float _a_, which +keeps it suspended in the fluid; of the weight _c_, for holding in a +perpendicular position; and of the scale _e_ divided by small lines +into from fifty to one hundred degrees. Before the gauge is placed in +the must, draw it several times through the mouth, to moisten it--but +allow no saliva to adhere to it. When the guage ceases to descend, note +the degree to which it has sunk; after which press it down with the +finger a few degrees further, and on its standing still again, the line +to which the must reaches, indicates its so-called weight, expressed by +degrees." The must should be weighed in an entirely fresh state, before +it shows any sign of fermentation, and should be free from husks, and +pure. + +This instrument, which is indispensable to every one who intends to +make wine, can be obtained in nearly every large town, from the +prominent opticians. JACOB BLATTNER, at St. Louis keeps them for sale. + +The saccharometer will indicate the amount of sugar in the must, and +its use is so simple, that every one can soon become familiar with it. +The next step in the improvement of wines was to determine the amount +of acids the must contained, and this problem has also been +successfully solved by the invention of the acidimeter: + + +THE ACIDIMETER AND ITS USE. + +"The first instrument of this kind which came into general use, was one +invented by DR. OTTO, and consists of a glass tube, from ten to twelve +inches in length, half an inch in width, and closed at the lower end. +Fig. 33 shows OTTO'S Acidimeter. + +"The tube is filled to the partition line _a_, with tincture of litmus. +The must to be examined, before it has begun to ferment is then poured +into the tube, until it reaches the line 0. The blue tincture of +litmus, which would still be blue, if water had been added, is turned +into rose-color by the action of the acids contained in the must. + +"If a solution of 1,369 per cent, of caustic ammonia is added to this +red fluid, and the tube is turned around to effect the necessary +mixture, keeping its mouth closed with the thumb, after the addition of +more or less of the ammonical fluid, it will change into violet. This +tinge indicates the saturation of the acids, and the height of the +fluid in the tube now shows the quantity of acid in the must, by whole, +half and fourth parts per cent. The lines marked 1, 2, 3, 4, indicate +whole per cents.; the short intermediate lines, one-fourth per cents." + +[Illustration: FIG. 33.] + +When DR. GALL, shortly before the vintage of 1850, first publicly +recommended the dilution of the acids, he was obliged to refer to this +instrument, as already known, and everywhere at hand, which was at the +same time cheap, and simple in its use. "It is true, however, that if +must is examined by this instrument, the quantity of acids contained in +it, is really somewhat larger than indicated by the instrument; because +the acids contained in the must require for their saturation a weaker +solution of ammonia than acetic acid." As however, OTTO'S acidimeter +shows about one eighth of the acids less than the must actually +contains, and about as much acids combined with earths is removed +during fermentation, DR. GALL recommends that the quantity of acids be +reduced to 6-1/2, or at most 7 thousandths of OTTO'S acidimeter, and +the results have shown that this was about the right proportion; as the +wines in which the acids were thus diluted were in favor with all +consumers. + +"The acidimeter referred to was afterwards improved, by making the tube +longer and more narrow, and dividing it into tenths of per cents, +instead of fourths; thus dividing the whole above 0 into thousandths. +But although by this improved acidimeter the quantity of acids could be +ascertained with more nicety, there remained one defect, that in often +turning the glass tube for mixing the fluids, some of the contents +adhered to the thumb in closing its mouth. This defect was remedied in +a new acidimeter, invented by Mr. GEISLER, who also invented the new +vaporimeter for the determination of the quantity of alcohol contained +in wine. It is based on the same principle as OTTO'S, but differs +altogether in its construction. It is composed of three parts, all made +of glass; the mixing bottle, Fig. 34; the Pipette, Fig. 35; and the +burette, Fig 36. Besides, there should be ready three small +glasses--one filled with tincture of litmus, the second with a solution +of 1,369 per ammonia, and the third with the must or wine to be tested; +also, a taller glass, or vessel, having its bottom covered with cotton, +in which glass the burette, after it has been filled with the solution +of ammonia, is to be placed in an upright position until wanted. + +[Illustration: FIG. 34.] + +[Illustration: FIG. 35.] + +[Illustration: FIG. 36.] + +"To use this instrument the must and the tincture of litmus, having +first received the normal temperature of 14° Reaumer, are brought into +the mixing bottle by means of the pipette, which is a hollow tube of +glass, open on both ends. To fill it, place its lower end into the +tincture or must, apply the mouth to the upper end, and by means of +suction fill it with the tincture of litmus to above the line indicated +at A. The opening of the top is then quickly closed with the thumb; by +alternately raising the thumb, and pressing it down again, so much of +the tincture is then allowed to flow back into the glass so as to lower +the fluid to the line indicated at A. The remainder is then brought +into the bottle, and the last drops forced out by blowing into the +pipette. + +"In filling it with must, raise the fluid in the same way, until it +comes up to the line indicated at B, and then empty into the mixing +bottle. + +"The burette consists of two hollow tubes of glass. In filling it, hold +the smaller tube with the right hand into the glass containing the +solution of ammonia, apply the mouth to the larger one, and by drawing +in the fluid the tube is filled exactly to the line indicated at 0 of +the tube. + +"Holding the mixing bottle by the neck between the thumb and forefinger +of the left hand, place the smaller tube of the burette into the mouth +of the mixing bottle, which must be constantly shaken; let enough of +the solution of ammonia be brought drop by drop, into the mixture in +the bottle, till the red has been changed into the deep reddish blue of +the purple onion. This is the sign of the proper saturation of the +acids. To distinguish still better, turn the mixing bottle upside down, +by closing its mouth with the thumb, and examine the color of the fluid +in the tube-shaped neck of the bottle, and afterwards, should it be +required, add another drop of the ammonia. Repeat this until the proper +tone of color has been reached, neither red nor blue. After thus fixing +the precise point of the saturation of the acids, the burette is held +upright, and the quantity of the solution of ammonia consumed is +accurately determined,--that is, to what line on the scale the burette +has been emptied. The quantity of the solution so used corresponds with +the quantity of acids contained in the must--the larger division lines +opposite the numbers indicating the thousandths part, and the smaller +lines or dots the ten thousandths part. + +"Until the eye has learned by practice to recognize the points of +saturation by the tone of color, it can be proven by means of litmus +paper. When the mixture in the bottle begins to turn blue, put in the +end of a slip of litmus paper about half an inch deep, and then draw +this end through your fingers, moistened with water. So long as the +ends of the blue litmus paper become more or less reddened, the acids +have not been completely saturated. Only when it remains blue, has the +point of saturation been reached. + +"In examining _red_ must, the method should be modified as +follows:--Instead of first filling the pipette with tincture of litmus, +fill it with water to the line A, and transfer it into the bottle. +After the quantity of must has been added, drop six-thousandths of the +solution of ammonia into the mixture, constantly shaking it while +dropping, then test it, and so on, until, after every further addition +required with litmus paper, it is no longer reddened after having been +wiped off." + +DR. GALL further gives the following directions, as a guide, to +distinguish and determine the proportion of acids which a must should +contain, to be still agreeable to the palate, and good: + +"Chemists distinguish the acid contained in the grape as the vinous, +malic, grape, citric, tannic, gelatinous and para-citric acids. Whether +all these are contained in the must, or which of them, is of small +moment for us to know. For the practical wine-maker, it is sufficient +to know, with full certainty, that, as the grape ripens, while the +proportion of sugar increases, the quantity of acids continually +diminishes; and hence, by leaving the grapes on the vines as long as +possible, we have a double means of improving their products--the must +or wine. + +"All wines, without exception, to be of good and of agreeable taste, +must contain from 4-1/2 to 7 thousandths parts of free acids, and each +must containing more than seven thousandths parts of free acids may be +considered as having too little water and sugar in proportion to its +quantity of acids. + +"In all wine-growing countries of Germany, for a number of years past, +experience has proved that a corresponding addition of sugar and water +is the means of converting the sourest must, not only into a good +drinkable wine, but also into as good a wine as can be produced in +favorable years, _except_ in that peculiar and delicate aroma found +only in the must of well-ripened grapes, and which must and will always +distinguish the wines made in the best seasons from those made in poor +seasons. + +"The saccharometer and acidimeter, properly used, will give us the +exact knowledge of what the must contains, and what it lacks; and we +have the means at hand, by adding water, to reduce the acids to their +proper proportion; and by adding sugar, to increase the amount of sugar +the must should contain; in other words, we can change the poor must of +indifferent seasons into the normal must of the best seasons in +_everything_, _except_ its bouquet or aroma, thereby converting an +unwholesome and disagreeable drink into an agreeable and healthy one." + + +THE CHANGE OF THE MUST, BY FERMENTATION, INTO WINE. + +Let us glance for a few moments at this wonderful, simple, and yet so +complicated process, to give a clearer insight into the functions which +man has to perform to assist Nature, and have her work for him, to +attain the desired end. I cannot put the matter in a better light for +my readers than to quote again from DR. GALL. He says:--"To form a +correct opinion of what may and can be done in the manufacture of wine, +we must be thoroughly convinced that Nature, in her operations, has +other objects in view than merely to serve man as his careful cook and +butler. Had the highest object of the Creator, in the creation of the +grape, been simply to combine in the juice of the fruit nothing but +what is indispensable to the formation of that delicious beverage for +the accommodation of man, it might have been still easier done for him +by at once filling the berries with wine already made. But in the +production of fruits, the first object of all is to provide for the +propagation and preservation of the species. Each fruit contains the +germ of a new plant, and a quantity of nutritious matter surrounding +and developing that germ. The general belief is, that this nutritious +matter, and even the peculiar combination in which it is found in the +fruit, has been made directly for the immediate use of man. This, +however, is a mistake. The nutritious matter of the grape, as in the +apple, pear, or any similar product, is designed by Nature only to +serve as the first nourishment of the future plant, the germ of which +lies in it. There are thousands of fruits of no use whatever, and are +even noxious to man, and there are thousands more which, before they +can be used, must be divested of certain parts, necessary, indeed, to +the nutrition of the future plant, but unfit, in its present state, for +the use or nourishment of man. For instance, barley contains starch, +mucilaginous sugar, gum, adhesive matter, vegetable albumen, phosphate +of lime, oil, fibre and water. All these are necessary to the formation +of roots, stalks, leaves, flowers and the new grain; but for the +manufacture of beer, the brewer needs only the first three substances. +The same rule applies to the grape. + +"In this use of the grape, all depends upon the judgment of man to +select such of its parts as he wishes, and by his skill he adapts and +applies them in the best manner for his purposes. In eating the grapes, +he throws away the skins and seeds; for raisins, he evaporates the +water, retaining only the solid parts, from which, when he uses them, +he rejects their seeds. If he manufactures must, he lets the skins +remain. In making wine, he sets free the carbonic acid contained in the +must, and removes the lees, gum, tartar, and, in short, everything +deposited during, and immediately after fermentation, as well as when +it is put into casks and bottles. He not only removes from the wine its +sediments, but watches the fermentation, and checks it as soon as its +vinous fermentation is over, and the formation of vinegar about to +begin. He refines his wine by an addition of foreign substances if +necessary; he sulphurizes it; and, by one means or another, remedies +its distempers. + +"The manufacture of wine is thus a many-sided art; and he who does not +understand it, or knows not how to guide and direct the powers of +Nature to his own purposes, may as well give up all hopes of success in +it." + +So far DR. GALL; and to the intelligent and unbiased mind, the truth +and force of these remarks will be apparent, without further extending +or explaining them. How absurd, then, the blind ravings of those who +talk about "natural" wines, and would condemn every addition of sugar +and water to the must by man, when Nature has not fully done her part, +as adulteration and fraud. Why, there is no such thing as a "natural +wine;" for wine--good wine--is the product of art, and a manufacture +from beginning to end. Would we not think that parent extremely cruel, +as well as foolish, who would have her child without clothing, simply +because Nature had allowed it to be born without it? Would not the +child suffer and die, because its mother failed to aid Nature in her +work, by clothing and feeding it when it is yet unable to feed and +clothe itself? And yet, would not that wine-maker act equally foolish +who has it within his power to remedy the deficiencies of Nature with +such means as she herself supplies in good season, and which ought and +would be in the must but for unfavorable circumstances, over which we +have no control? Wine thus improved is just as pure as if the sugar and +water had naturally been in the grapes in right proportions; just as +beneficial to health; and only the fanatical "know-nothing" can call it +adulterated. But the prejudices will disappear before the light of +science and truth, however much ignorance may clamor against it. +GALILEO, when forced to abjure publicly his great discovery of the +motion of the earth around the sun as a heresy and lie, murmured +between his teeth the celebrated words, "And yet it moves." It _did_ +move; and the theory is now an acknowledged truth, with which every +schoolboy is familiar. Thus will it be with improved wine-making. It +will yet be followed, generally and universally, as sure as the public +will learn to distinguish between good and poor wine. + +Let us now observe for a moment the change which fermentation makes in +converting the must into wine. The nitrogeneous compounds--vegetable +albumen, gluten--which are contained in the grape, and which are +dissolved in the must as completely as the sugar, under certain +circumstances turn into the fermenting principle, and so change the +must into wine. This change is brought about by the fermenting +substance coming into contact with the air, and receiving oxygen from +it, in consequence of which it coagulates, and shows itself in the +turbid state of must, or young wine. The coagulation of the lees takes +place but gradually, and just in the degree the exhausted lees settle. +The sugar gradually turns into alcohol. The acids partly remain as +tartaric acid, are partly turned into ether, or settle with the lees, +chrystallize, and adhere to the bottom of the casks. The etheric oil, +or aroma, remains, and develops into bouquet; also the tannin, to a +certain degree. The albumen and gluten principally settle, although a +small portion of them remains in the wine. The coloring matter and +extractive principle remain, but change somewhat by fermentation. + +Thus it is the must containing a large amount of sugar needs a longer +time to become clear than that containing but a small portion of it; +therefore, many southern wines retain a certain amount of sugar +undecomposed, and they are called _sweet_, or liqueur wines; whereas, +wines in which the whole of the sugar has been decomposed are called +_sour_ or _dry_ wines. + +I have thought it necessary to be thus explicit to give my readers an +insight into the general principles which should govern us in +wine-making. I have quoted freely from the excellent work of DR. GALL. +We will now see whether and how we can reduce it to practice. I will +try and illustrate this by an example. + + +NORMAL MUST. + +"Experiments continued for a number of years have proved that, in +favorable seasons, grape juice contains, on the average, in 1,000 lbs.: + +Sugar, 240 lbs. +Acids, 6 " +Water, 754 " + ----- + 1,000 " + +This proportion would constitute what I call a normal must. But now we +have an inferior season, and the must contains, instead of the above +proportions, as follows: + +Sugar, 150 lbs. +Acids, 9 " +Water, 841 " + ----- + 1,000 " + +What must we do to bring such must to the condition of a normal must? +This is the question thus arising. To solve it, we calculate thus: If, +in six pounds of acids in a normal wine, 240 pounds of sugar appear, +how much sugar is wanted for nine pounds of acids? Answer, 360 pounds. +Our next question is: If, in six pounds of acids in a normal must, 754 +pounds of water appear, how much water is required for nine pounds of +acids? Answer, 1,131 pounds. As, therefore, the must which we intend to +improve by neutralizing its acids, should contain 360 pounds of sugar, +nine pounds of acids, and 1,131 pounds of water, but contains already +150 pounds of sugar, 9 pounds of acids, and 841 pounds of water, there +remain to be added, 210 pounds of sugar, no acids, and 290 pounds of +water. + +By ameliorating a quantity of 1,000 pounds must by 210 pounds sugar, +and 290 pounds water, we obtain 1,500 pounds of must, consisting of the +same properties as the normal must, which makes a first-class wine." + +This is wine-making, according to GALL'S method, in Europe. Now, let us +see what we can do with it on American soil, and with American grapes. + + +THE MUST OF AMERICAN GRAPES. + +If we examine the must of most of our American wine grapes closely, we +find that they not only contain an excess of acids in inferior seasons, +but also a superabundance of flavor or aroma, and of tannin and +coloring matter. Especially of flavor, there is such an abundance that, +were the quantity doubled by addition of sugar and water, there would +still be an abundance; and with some varieties, such as the Concord, if +fermented on the husks, it is so strong as to be disagreeable. We must, +therefore, not only ameliorate the acid, but also the flavor and the +astringency, of which the tannin is the principal cause. Therefore it +is, that to us the knowledge of how to properly gallize our wines is +still more important than to the European vintner, and the results +which we can realize are yet more important. By a proper management, we +can change must, which would otherwise make a disagreeable wine, into +one in which everything is in its proper proportion, and which will +delight the consumer, to whose fastidious taste if would otherwise have +been repugnant. True, we have here a more congenial climate, and the +grapes will generally ripen better, so that we can in most seasons +produce a drinkable wine. But if we can increase the quantity, and at +the same time improve the quality, there is certainly an inducement, +which the practical business sense of our people will not fail to +appreciate and make use of. + +There is, however, one difficulty in the way. I do not believe that the +acidimeter can yet be obtained in the country, and we must import them +direct from the manufacturers, DR. L. C. MARQUART, of Bonn, on the +Rhine; or J. DIEHN, Frankfort-on-the-Main. + +However, this difficulty will soon be overcome; and, indeed, although +it is impossible to practice gallizing without a saccharometer, we may +get at the surplus of acids with tolerable certainty by the results +shown by the saccharometer. To illustrate this, I will give an example: + +Last year was one of the most unfavorable seasons for the ripening of +grapes we have ever had here, and especially the Catawba lost almost +nine-tenths of its crop by mildew and rot; it also lost its leaves, and +the result was, that the grapes did not ripen well. When gathering my +grapes, upon weighing the must, I found that it ranged from 52° to 70°; +whereas, in good seasons, Catawba must weighs from 80° to 95°. I now +calculated thus: if normal must of Catawba should weigh at least 80°, +and the must I have to deal with this season will weigh on an average +only 60°, I must add to this must about 1/2 lb. of sugar to bring it up +to 80°. But now I had the surplus acid to neutralize yet. To do this, I +calculated thus: If, even in a normal Catawba must, or a must of the +best seasons, there is yet an excess of acid, I can safely count on +there being at least one-third too much acid in a must that weighs but +60°. I, therefore, added to every 100 gallons of must 40 gallons of +soft water, in which I had first dissolved 80 lbs. of crushed sugar, +which brought the water, when weighed after dissolving the sugar in it, +up to 80°. Now, I had yet to add 50 lbs., or half a pound to each +gallon of the original must, to bring _this_ up to 80°. I thus pressed, +instead of 100 gallons, 150 gallons, from the same quantity of grapes; +and the result was a wine, which every one who has tasted it has +declared to be excellent Catawba. It has a brilliant pale yellow color, +was perfectly clear 1st of January, and sold by me to the first one to +whom I offered it, at a price which I have seldom realized for Catawba +wine made in the best seasons, without addition of sugar or water. +True, it has not as strong an aroma as the Catawba of our best seasons, +nor has it as much astringency; but this latter I consider an +advantage, and it still has abundant aroma to give it character. + +Another experiment I made with the Concord satisfied me, without +question, that the must of this grape will always gain by an addition +of water and sugar. I pressed several casks of the pure juice, which, +as the Concord had held its leaves and ripened its fruit very well, +contained sugar enough to make a fair wine, namely, 75°. This I +generally pressed the day after gathering, and put into separate casks. +I then took some must of the same weight, but to which I had added, to +every 100 gallons, 50 gallons of water, in which I had diluted sugar +until the water weighed 75°, or not quite two pounds of sugar to the +gallon of water, pressed also after the expiration of the same time, +and otherwise treated in the same manner. Both were treated exactly +alike, racked at the same time; and the result is, that every one who +tries the two wines, without knowing how they have been treated, +prefers the gallized wine to the other--the pure juice of the grape. It +is more delicate in flavor, has less acidity, and a more brilliant +color than the first, the ungallized must. They are both excellent, but +there is a difference in favor of the gallized wine. + +DR. GALL recommends grape sugar as the best to be used for the purpose. +This is made from potato starch; but it is hard to obtain here, and I +have found crushed loaf sugar answer every purpose. I think this sugar +has the advantage over grape sugar, that it dissolves more readily, and +can even be dissolved in cold water, thus simplifying the process very +much. It will take about two pounds to the gallon of water to bring +this up to 80°, which will make a wine of sufficient body. The average +price of sugar was about 22 cents per pound, and the cost of thus +producing an additional gallon of wine, counting in labor, interest on +capital, etc., will be about 60 cents. When the wine can be sold at +from $2 to $3 per gallon, the reader will easily perceive of what +immense advantage this method is to the grape-grower, if he can thereby +not only improve the quality, but also increase the quantity of the +yield. + +The efforts made by the Commissioner of Patents, and the contributors +to the annual reports from the Patent Office, to diffuse a general +knowledge of this process, can therefore not be commended too highly. +It will help much to bring into general use, among all classes, good, +pure, native wines; and as soon as ever the poorer classes can obtain +cheap agreeable wines, the use of bad whiskey and brandy will be +abandoned more and more, and this nation will become a more temperate +people. + +But this is only the first step. There is a way to still further +increase the quantity. DR. GALL and others found, by analyzing the +husks of the grape after the juice had been extracted by powerful +presses, that they not only still contained a considerable amount of +juice, but also a great amount of extracts, or wine-making principles, +in many instances sufficient for three times the bulk of the juice +already expressed. This fact suggested the question: As there are so +many of these valuable properties left, and only sugar and water +exhausted, why cannot these be substituted until the others are +completely exhausted? It was found that the husks still contained +sufficient of acids, tannin, aroma, coloring matter, and gluten. All +that remained to be added was water and sugar. It was found that this +could be easily done; and the results showed that wine made in this +manner was equal, if not superior, to some of that made from the +original juice, and was often, by the best judges, preferred to that +made from the original must. + +I have also practiced this method extensively the last season; and the +result is, that I have fully doubled the amount of wine of the Norton's +Virginia and Concord. I have thus made 2,500 gallons of Concord, where +I had but 1,030 gallons of original must; and 2,600 gallons of Norton's +Virginia, where I had but 1,300 gallons of must. The wines thus made +were kept strictly separate from those made from the original juice, +and the result is, that many of them are better, and none inferior, to +the original must; and although I have kept a careful diary of +wine-making, in which I have noted the process how each cask was made, +period of fermentation on the husks, quantity of sugar used, etc., and +have not hesitated to show this to every purchaser after he had tasted +of the wine, they generally, and with very few exceptions, chose those +which had either been gallized in part, or entirely. + +[Illustration: FIG. 37. +UNION VILLAGE.--_Berries 1/3 diameter._] + +My method in making such wines was very simple. I generally took the +same quantity of water, the husks had given original must, or in other +words, when I had pressed 100 gallons of juice, I took about 80 gallons +of water. To make Concord wine, I added 1-3/4 lbs. of sugar to the +gallon, as I calculated upon some sugar remaining in the husks, which +were not pressed entirely dry. This increased the quantity, with the +juice yet contained in the husks to 100 gallons, and brought the water +to 70; calculating that from 5° to 10° still remained in the husks, it +would give us a must of about 80°. The grapes, as before remarked, had +been gathered during the foregoing day, and were generally pressed in +the morning. As soon as possible the husks were turned into the +fermenting vat again, all pulled apart and broken, and the water added +to them. As the fermentation had been very strong before, it +immediately commenced again. I generally allowed them to ferment for +twenty-four hours, and then pressed again, but pressed as dry as +possible this time. The whole treatment of this must was precisely +similar to that of the original. + +In making Norton's Virginia, I would take, instead of 1-3/4 lbs., 2 +lbs. of sugar to the gallon--as it is naturally a wine of greater body +than the Concord--and I aimed to come as near to the natural must as +possible. I generally fermented this somewhat longer, as a darker color +was desired. The time of fermentation must vary, of course, with the +state of the atmosphere; in cooler weather, both pressings should +remain longer on the husks. The results, in both varieties were wines +of excellent flavor, good body, a brilliant color, with enough of +tannin or astringency, and sufficient acid--therefore, in every way +satisfactory. + +The experiments, however, were not confined to these alone, but +extended over a number of varieties, with good results in every case. +Of all varieties tried, however, I found that the Concord would bear +the most of gallizing, without losing its own peculiar flavor; and I +satisfied myself, that the quantity in this grape can safely be +increased _here_, from 100 gallons of must to 250 gallons of wine, and +the quality yet be better, than if the must had been left in its normal +condition. + +And it is here again where only experience can teach us _how far_ we +can go with a certain variety. It must be clear and apparent to any one +who is ever so slightly acquainted with wine-making, how widely +different the varieties are in their characteristics and ingredients. +We may lay it down as a general rule, however, that our native grapes, +with their strong and peculiar flavors, and their superabundance of +tannin and coloring matter, will admit of much more gallizing, than the +more delicately flavored European kinds. + +I have thus tried only to give an outline of the necessary operations, +as well as the principles lying at the foundation of them. I have also +spoken only of facts as I have found them, as I am well aware that this +is a field in which I have much to learn yet, and where it but poorly +becomes me to act the part of teacher. Those desiring more detailed +information, I would refer to the Patent Office Reports of 1859-60, +where they will find valuable extracts from the works of DR. GALL; and +also to the original works. + +If we look at the probable effect these methods of improving wines are +likely to have upon grape-culture, it is but natural that we should ask +the question: Is there anything reprehensible in the practice--any +reason why it should not become general? The answer to this is very +simple. They contain nothing which the fermented grape juice, in its +purest and most perfect state does not also contain. Therefore, they +are as pure as any grape juice can be, with the consideration in their +favor, that everything is in the right proportion. Therefore, if wine +made from pure grape juice can be recommended for general use, surely, +the gallized wines can also be recommended. DR. GALL has repeatedly +offered to pay a fine for the benefit of the poor, if the most critical +chemical analysis could detect anything in them, which was injurious to +health, or which pure wines ought not to contain, and his opponents +have always failed to show anything of the kind. + +I know that some of my wine-making friends will blame me for thus +"letting the cat out of the bag." They seem to think that it would be +better to keep the knowledge we have gained, to ourselves, carefully +even hiding the fact that any of our wines have been gallized. But it +has always been a deep-seated conviction with me, that knowledge and +truth, like God's sun should be the common property of all His +children--and that it is the duty of every one not to "hide his light +under a bushel," but seek to impart it to all, who could, perhaps, be +benefitted by it. And why, in reality, should we seek to keep as a +secret a practice which is perfectly right and justifiable? If there is +a prejudice against it, (and we know there is), this is not the way to +combat it. Only by meeting it openly, and showing the fallacy of it, +can we hope to convince the public, that there is nothing wrong about +it. Truth and justice need never fear the light--they can only gain +additional force from it. I do not even attempt to sell a cask of +gallized wine, before the purchaser is made fully acquainted with the +fact, that it has been gallized. + +It is a matter of course, that many, who go to work carelessly and +slovenly, will fail to make good wine, in this or any other way. To +make a good article, the nature of each variety and its peculiarities +must be closely studied--we must have as ripe grapes as we can get, +carefully gathered; and we need not think that water and sugar will +accomplish _everything_. There is a limit to everything, and to +gallizing as well as to anything else. As soon as we pass beyond that +limit, an inferior product will be the result. + +But let us glance a moment at the probable influence this discovery +will have on American grape culture. It cannot be otherwise than in the +highest degree beneficial; for when we simply look at grape-culture as +it was ten years ago, with the simple product of the Catawba as its +basis; a variety which would only yield an average of, say 200 gallons +to the acre--often very inferior wine--and look at it to-day, with such +varieties as the Concord, yielding an average of from 1,000 to 1,500 +gallons to the acre, which we can yet easily double by gallizing, thus +in reality yielding an average of 2,500 gallons to the acre of +uniformly good wine; can we be surprised if everybody talks and thinks +of raising grapes? Truly, the time is not far distant--of which we +hardly dared to dream ten years ago--and which we _then_ thought we +would never live to see; when _every_ American citizen can indulge in a +daily glass of that glorious gift of God to man, pure, light wine; and +the American nation shall become a really _temperate_ people. + +And there is room for all. Let every one further the cause of +grape-culture. The laborer by producing the grapes and wine; the +mechanic by inventions; the law-giver by making laws furthering its +culture, and the consumption of it; and _all_ by drinking wine, in wise +moderation of course. + + +WINE MAKING MADE EASY. + +Some of my readers may think I did not look much to this, which I told +them was one of the objects of this little work. To vindicate it and +myself I will here state, that our object should always be to attain +the highest perfection in everything. But, while I am aware that I have +generally given the outline of operations on a large scale, I have +never for a moment lost sight of the interests of those, who, like +myself, are compelled, by bitter necessity, to commence at the lowest +round of the ladder. And how could I forget the bitter experience of my +first years, when hindered by want of means; but also the feelings of +sincere joy, of glad triumph, when I had surmounted one more obstacle, +and saw the path open wider before me at every step; and I can, +therefore, fully sympathize with the poor laborer, who has nothing but +his industrious hands and honest will to commence with. + +While, therefore, it is most advantageous to follow grape-growing and +wine-making with all the conveniences of well prepared soil, +substantial trellis, a commodious wine cellar and all its +appurtenances; yet, it is also possible to do without most of these +conveniencies in the beginning, and yet succeed. If the grape-grower +has not capital to spare to buy wire, he can, if he has timber on his +land, split laths and nail them to the posts instead of wire. He can +layer his plants even the first summer, and thus raise a stock for +further planting; or dispose of them, as already mentioned in the +beginning of this work. Or he can lease a piece of land from some one +who wishes to have a vineyard planted on it, and who will furnish the +plants to him, besides the necessary capital for the first year or so. +I have contracted with several men without means in this manner, +furnished them a small house, the necessary plants, and paid them $150 +the first two years, they giving me half the returns of the vineyards, +in plants and grapes; and they have become wealthy by such means. One +of my tenants has realized over $8,000 for his share the last season, +and will very likely realize the same amount next season. + +And if he cannot afford to build a large cellar in the beginning, he +can also do with a small one, even the most common house cellar will do +through the winter, if it is only kept free from frost. One of our most +successful wine-growers here, commenced his operations with a simple +hole in the ground, dug under his house, and his first wine press was +merely a large beam, let into a tree, which acted as a lever upon the +grapes, with a press-bed, also of his own making. A few weeks ago the +same man sold his last year's crop of wine for over $9,000 in cash, and +has raised some $2,000 worth more in vines, cuttings, etc. Of course, +it is not advisable to keep the wine over summer in an indifferent +cellar, but during fermentation and the greater part of winter, it will +answer very well, and he can easily dispose of his wine, if good, as +soon as clear. Or he can dispose of his grapes at a fair price, to one +of his neighbors, or take them to market. + +But there is another consideration, which I cannot urge too strongly +upon my readers, and which will do much to make grape-growing and +wine-making easy. It is the forming of grape colonies, of +grape-growers' villages. The advantages of such a colony will be easily +seen. If each one has a small piece of suitable land, (and he does not +need a large one to follow grape-growing), the neighbors can easily +assist each other in ploughing and sub-soiling; they will be able to do +with fewer work animals, as they can hitch together, and first prepare +the soil for one and then for the other; the ravages of birds and +insects will hardly be felt; they can join together, and build a large +cellar in common, where each one can deliver and store his wine, and of +which one perhaps better acquainted with the management of wine than +the others, and whom all are willing to trust, can have the management. +If there should be no such man among them, an experienced cooper can be +hired by all, who can also manufacture the necessary casks. An +association of that kind has also, generally, the preference in the +market over a single individual, and they are able to obtain a higher +price for their products, if they are of good quality. + +There are thousands upon thousands of acres of the best grape lands yet +to be had in the West, especially in Missouri, at a merely nominal +price, which would be well adapted for settlements of that kind; where +the virgin soil yet waits only the bidding of intelligent labor--of +enterprising and industrious men--to bring forth the richest fruits. +There is room for all--may it soon be filled with willing hearts to +undertake the task. + +And how much easier for you to-day, men with the active hand and +intelligent brain, to commence--with the certainty of success before +you--with varieties which will yield a large and sure return _every_ +year; with the market open before you, and the experience of those who +have commenced, to guide you; with the reputation of American wines +established; with double the price per gallon--and ten times the +yield--compared with the beginner of only ten years ago, with nothing +but uncertainty; uncertainty of yield, uncertainty of quality, of +price, and of effecting a sale. + +It took a brave heart _then_, and an iron will; the determination to +succeed,--succeed against _all_ obstacles. And yet, hundreds have +commenced thus, and have succeeded. Can _you_ hesitate, when the future +is all bright before you, and the thousand and one obstacles have been +overcome? If you do, you are not fit to be a grape-grower. Go toil and +drudge for so many cents per day, in some factory, and end life as you +have begun it. God's free air, the cultivation of one of His noblest +gifts, destined to "make glad the heart in this rugged world of ours," +is not for you. I may pity you, but I cannot sympathize with nor assist +you, except by raising a cheap glass of wine to gladden even _your_ +cheerless lot. + +[Illustration: FIG. 38. +MAXATAWNY.--_Berries 1/2 diameter._] + + + + + +STATISTICS. + + +COST OF ESTABLISHING A VINEYARD. + +In this, of course, allowances must be made for soil, locality, cost of +plants, cost of timber, etc., which will vary with the locality. The +estimation given here is about what it would cost _here_, with the +leading varieties. + + +COST OF AN ACRE OF CONCORD. + +Preparing ground by ploughing, laying off, etc., $ 50 00 +700 first-class yearling plants, to be planted 6×10, + $12 per hundred, 84 00 +450 posts, 15 feet apart, 10 cents each, 45 00 +450 intermediate stakes, 3 " 13 50 +600 lbs. No. 12 wire, 16 cents per lb., 96 00 +Cost of erecting trellis, 50 00 +Attendance, labor, etc., during first year, 50 00 +Interest on capital, 20 00 + ------ + $408 50 + +The following year the vineyard can be made to pay all expenses, by +layering, etc. + + +COST OF AN ACRE OF HERBEMONT. + +Preparing ground, 50 00 +700 first class plants, 6×10, $25 per hundred, 175 00 +450 posts, 10 cents each, 45 00 +450 stakes, 3 " 13 50 +600 lbs. wire, 16 cents per lb., 96 00 +Cost of erecting trellis, 50 00 +Attendance, labor, during first two years, 125 00 +Interest on capital during first two years, 66 00 + ------ + $620 50 + + +COST OF AN ACRE OF NORTON'S VIRGINIA. + +Preparation of soil, etc., 50 00 +850 plants, first class, to be planted 6×8, $25 per hundred, 212 50 +450 posts, 10 cents each, 45 00 +450 stakes, 3 " 13 50 +600 lbs. No. 12 wire, 16 cents per lb., 96 00 +Cost of erecting trellis, 50 00 +Attendance, labor, etc., during first two years, 125 00 +Interest on capital during first two years, at + 6 per cent. per annum, 70 00 ------ + $662 00 + + +COST OF AN ACRE OF DELAWARE. + +Cost of preparing ground, 50 00 +1,200 first-class plants, planted 6×6, 400 00 +450 posts, 10 cents each, 45 00 +450 stakes, 3 " 13 50 +600 lbs. No. 12 wire, 16 cents per lb. 96 00 +Cost of erecting trellis, 50 00 +Cost of cultivation two first years, 125 00 +Interest on capital two years, 92 00 + ------ + $871 50 + + +COST OF AN ACRE OF CATAWBA. + +Preparing ground, 50 00 +Cost of 1,200 plants, 6×6, 45 00 +450 posts, 10 cents each, 45 00 +450 stakes, 3 " 13 50 +600 lbs. wire, 16 cents per lb., 96 00 +Cost of erecting trellis, 50 00 +Attendance during two years, 125 00 +Interest on capital two years, 39 00 + ------ + $463 50 + + +PRODUCT. + +The following has been the produce of a vineyard of Catawba, now under +my management, since 1849: + + Bearing Vines Gallons of Yield per + season. bearing. Wine. Price. acre. + +1849, 1st year, 1,500 750 $1.25 $600 00 +1850, 2d " 2,000 150 1.25 95 00 +1851, 3d " 2,000 500 1.25 300 00 +1852, 4th " 1,800 210 1.25 120 00 +1853. 5th " 1,500 580 1.25 500 00 +1854, 6th " 2,500 750 1.50 600 00 +1855, 7th " 3,000 230 2.00 150 00 +1856 8th " 4,000 150 2.00 75 00 +1857 9th " 4,000 2,000 1.20 600 00 +1858, 10th " 4,000 210 1.20 60 00 +1859, 11th " 4,200 1,200 1.20 360 00 +1860, 12th " 4,200 1,300 1.25 405 00 +1861, 13th " 4,200 150 1.00 37 50 +1862, 14th " 4,200 20 2.00 10 00 +1863, 15th " 4,200 150 2.00 75 00 +1864, 16th " 4,200 150 2.00 75 00 +1865, 17th " 4,200 500 2.00 250 00 + +Which will show the average yield per acre, + to have been somewhat over 250 00 +Deduct from this cost of labor per year, + per acre, 50 00 +Interest on capital, 40 00-90 00 +Would leave a clear profit, per acre, of 160 00 + +The poor returns were nearly all occasioned by mildew and rot, with the +exception of 1862, when a very destructive hail-storm swept away almost +the entire crop; and in 1864, when the vines were all killed down to +the snow line by frost the preceding winter. + +The following is the cost of a vineyard planted by me in May, 1861, +containing about 3,000 vines, on 2-1/2 acres of ground. The ground +could not be made ready until late in the season, consequently many of +the vines failed to grow, and had to be replanted the second season: + +1700 Norton's Virginia, $20.00 per hundred, 340 00 + 400 Concord (small), 25 " 100 00 + 350 Delaware, 50 " 175 00 + 150 Herbemont, 25 " 37 50 + 50 Cunningham, 50 " 25 00 +Other varieties assorted, 100 00 +Cost of clearing, ploughing, and planting, $50 per acre, 125 00 +Putting up trellis, $150 per acre, 375 00 +Interest on capital, 100 00 + -------- + $1,377 50 + + +PRODUCT. + +For layers and cuttings made 1st year, 339 00 + " " 2d " 1200 00 + " " 3d " 2500 00 +Concord grapes sold, 2,000 lbs., net 16 cents, 320 00 +Plants and cuttings fourth year, 4000 00 +2,040 lbs. of grapes (Concord), marketed at + 24 cents per lb., net 489 60 + -------- + $8,848 60 + + +PRODUCE FIFTH YEAR. + +1,030 gallons Concord at $2.50 $2,575 00 +1,300 " Norton's Virginia 4.00 5,200 00 + 125 " Herbemont 3.00 375 00 + 30 " Cunningham 4.00 120 00 + 40 " Delaware 6.00 240 00 + 10 " Clinton 3.00 30 00 + 50 " Other Varieties 3.00 150 00 + 336 " Hartford Prolific Grapes 20 cts. per lb. 67 20 +57,000 Plants from cuttings and layers, average + price $100 per thousand 5,700 00 + --------- + $14,457 20 + +Leaving the product of the first five years $23,305 80 + +From which deduct expenses for plants, + trellis, etc., 1,277 +Interest on capital at 5 per cent. 500 +Cost of labor 1st. year, 150 + 2d. " 300 + 3d. " 400 + 4th. " 500 + 5th. " 500 + ----- +Total Cost $3,627 + --------- +Leaves clear profit for first five years of $19,679 80 + +The fourth year, nearly all the fruit buds of the vines had been killed +above the snow line, but I made, besides the grapes sold, about $1,500 +worth of wine, which was emptied by the rebels in their raid that fall, +and consequently lost. The vines were not all in bearing this last +season, for reasons already given; and the whole amount of vines +bearing, was not more than 2,200--hardly two acres. If my readers will +contrast this with the yield of the Catawba vineyard, they will see the +difference in yield between varieties suited to the climate and soil, +and those unused to it. + +The last season--although unfavorable to the Catawba--produced an +enormous yield of Concord and Norton's Virginia, and cannot be taken as +an average crop. I think about 700 gallons of Norton's Virginia, and +1,200 gallons of Concord would be a fair average estimate per +year--which the vines can easily produce, and remain healthy and +vigorous. + + +YIELD OF MR. MICHAEL POESCHEL's VINEYARD.--CATAWBA. + +Year after planting. Acres in Vines. Yield. Price. + +1847, 2d 5-6 24 gallons 2.00 +1848, 3d 3-6 1,000 " 2.00 +1849, 4th 2 600 " 1.50 +1850, 5th 2 350 " 1.25 +1851, 6th 2-1/2 450 " 1.75 +1852, 7th 2-1/2 500 " 1.50 +1853, 8th 2-1/2 350 " 2.00 +1854, 9th 3-1/2 800 " 2.00 +1855, 10th 3-1/2 50 " 1.50 +1856, 11th 3-1/2 1,000 " 1.25 +1857, 12th 6 4,500 " 1.50 +1858, 13th 6 1,100 " 1.75 +1859, 14th 6 1,500 " 1.50 +1860, 15th 6 2,000 " 1.25 +1861, 16th 6 250 " 1.00 +1862, 17th 6 300 " 1.50 +1863, 18th 8 2,000 " 1.15 + + +NEW VINEYARD OF MR. MICHAEL POESCHEL, PLANTED IN 1861, +1863--FIRST PARTIAL CROP. + +500 Gallons Norton's Virginia--2 acres, at $3 per gallon $1,500 00 +Grapes sold from 1/2 acre of Concords 400 00 +Plants from cuttings and layers sold 2,000 00 + -------- + $3,900 00 + +1864.--SECOND CROP.--VINES BADLY FROSTED IN WINTER. + +2 Acres of Norton's Virginia produced 600 gallons, + at $4 50 $2,700 00 +2-1/2 Acres of Catawba, produced 400 gallons, at $2 15 850 00 +Grapes sold from 1/2 acre of Concord 400 00 +Plants sold 1,500 00 + -------- + $5,450 00 + +1865--THIRD CROP. + +2-3/4 Acres of Norton's Virginia, produced + 2,000 gallons at $4 8,000 00 +2-1/2 Acres Catawba, produced 450 gallons at $1 75 787 50 +1-1/4 Acres Concord, produced 1,000 gallons, at $250 2,500 00 + 1/2 acre Herbemont produced 400 gallons, + at $3 per gallon, 1,200 00 + 1/2 acre Rulander produced 50 gallons, at $5 250 00 +Plants sold, 1,500 00 + --------- + $14,237 50 + +This vineyard was trenched at an average cost of $120 dollars to the +acre, and most of the vines are planted 5×5, evidently too close. They +are trained to wire trellis, as described in a former part of this +work, and receive close attention, and the very best cultivation. + + +YIELD OF VINEYARD OF MR. WILLIAM POESCHEL--1857. + +1-1/2 acres of Catawba produced 1,050 gallons of wine; + sold at 1,402 50 + +1858. + +1-3/4 acres of Catawba produced 250 gallons; + sold at $1.10 per gallon, 275 00 + +1859. + +1-3/4 acres Catawba produced 300 gallons; + sold at $1.25 per gallon, 375 00 + +1860. + +2 acres of Catawba produced 8,843 lbs. of grapes; + sold at 10c. per lb., 884 30 +120 gallons of wine, at $1.20 per gallon, 144 00 +230 " 0.95 " 218 50 +Plants sold, 600 00 + -------- + $1,846 80 + +1861. + +2 acres of Catawba produced 270 gallons, + at $1.05 per gallon, 283 50 +Plants sold, 500 00 + ------ + $783 50 + +1862. + +2 acres Catawba produced 6,718 lbs. of grapes; + sold at 9 cents per lb., 604 62 +225 gallons of wine, sold at $1.25 per gallon, 281 25 + 75 " of Norton's Virginia, from about + 1-10th of an acre, at $2.75 per gallon, 206 25 +Plants sold, 650 00 + -------- + $1,742 12 + +1863--2-1/4 ACRES IN ALL. + +720 gallons of Catawba, at $1.85 per gallon, 1,332 00 + 60 " Concord, at $2.00 " 120 00 + 70 " Herbemont, at $2 " 140 00 + 40 " Norton's Virginia, $3 " 120 00 +Plants sold, 800 00 + -------- + $2,512 00 + +1864--2-1/4 ACRES IN BEARING; VINES BADLY FROSTED. + +45 gallons Catawba, $2.00 per gallon, 90 00 +42 " Concord, 2.50 " 105 00 +20 " Norton's Virginia and Delaware mixed, + at $5.25 per gallon, 105 00 +10 " Norton's Virginia, second class, at $3 30 00 +Plants sold, 300 00 + ------ + $630 00 + +1865--5 ACRES IN BEARING. + +2-1/2 acre Catawba produced 900 galls., at $1.75, 1,575 00 + 1/2 " Concord " 700 " 2.50, 1,750 00 +1 " Norton's Vir. " 600 " 4.00, 2,400 00 + 1/3 " Delaware " 120 " 5.00, 600 00 + 1/2 " Herbemont " 350 " 2.50, 875 00 +Balance in other varieties, 150 00 +Plants sold, 940 00 + -------- + $8,290 00 + +This vineyard has one of the best locations for Catawba and Delaware in +the neighborhood, and its proprietor one of the most intelligent and +industrious cultivators and wine-manufacturers in the vicinity. + +The following are copied from the report of a special committee +appointed by the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, to inquire into the +condition of vineyards, and report whether or not grape-growing was +still profitable. I regret to say that our Cincinnati friends have not, +generally speaking, paid as much attention to the introduction and +testing of better varieties--and there are but few vineyards in that +neighborhood--where any other variety than the Catawba has been planted +to any extent. It is to be hoped that the signal failure of that variety +last season will do much to open their eyes to the full importance of +the subject, and to abandon the Catawba, which evidently will not pay +any longer. + +But, as we have already said, there are other varieties of grapes being +successfully grown in this vicinity, and we have extended our researches +to some of those vineyards, and give the results as follows:-- + +Ives' Seedling is a grape of much promise, not addicted to mildew and +rot. Col. WAHRING, of Indian Hill, in this county, has a small vineyard, +only two acres in bearing, which made, the past season, 650 gallons of +wine. The season previous, only one acre in bearing, yielded 560 +gallons. The Colonel makes his account for the past season's business +stand as follows:-- + +650 gallons of wine, sold at $4.10 per gallon, $2,665 00 +Sale of cuttings, 1,500 00 + -------- + $4,165 00 +Deduct cost of taking care of vineyard, 100 00 + -------- +Leaving net product of vineyard, $4,065 00 + Or over $2,000 per acre. + +Norton's Virginia is another promising grape that is being grown +considerably hereabouts. + +The Messrs. BOGEN have given us their figures for the product of this +grape, as follows: + +1863--From 1-1/2 acres, first year in bearing, + they made 500 gallons, sold at $3 per gallon, $1,500 00 +Sale of cuttings, 400 00 +Sale of roots from layers, 800 00 + -------- + $2,700 00 +Deduct from this, for cost of culture, 100 00 + -------- +Leaves net, $2,600 00 + Or $1,733 per acre. + +1864--Yield of same in wine and cuttings, 2,300 00 + Or about $1,500 per acre. + +Delaware is another grape of very great promise and profit, now being +extensively grown throughout the country. The Messrs. BOGEN, from +one-third of an acre, first bearing year, give us the following figures +for the past season: + +87 gallons of wine, sold at $6 per gallon, 522 00 +Sold cuttings, 450 00 +Sold roots from layers, 2,050 00 + -------- + $3,022 00 +Deduct cost of culture, 22 00 + -------- + $3,000 00 + Or $9,000 per acre. + +Mr. J. E. MOTTIER gives us, as the result of his Delaware vineyard for +the past two years, as follows: + +1863--FROM 1-1/2 ACRES. + +165 gallons of wine, sold at $5 per gallon, $825 00 +Sale of cuttings, 1,630 00 + -------- + 2,455 00 +Deduct expenses, 200 00 + -------- +Leaving net, $2,255 00 + Or $1,504 per acre. + +1864--FROM SAME VINEYARD. + +200 gallons of wine, at $6 per gallon, $1,200 00 +Sold roots from layers, 1,835 00 +Sales of cuttings, 2,360 00 + --------- + 5,395 00 +Deduct expenses, 200 00 + -------- +Leaves net, $5,195 00 + Or $3,562 per acre + +Mr. MOTTIER says he might have obtained a larger yield of wine, but +his vineyard being young, he would not allow it to overbear. + +Your committee, therefore, take pleasure in submitting the foregoing +facts, in refutation, in part, of the loose and reckless statements of +Mr. YEATMAN, and take this method of entering their protest against the +same. + +(Signed), E. A. THOMPSON. + JOHN E. MOTTIER. + +The foregoing contains some valuable facts, but it would seem to me +that our Cincinnati friends have hardly estimated labor and expenses +high enough. We cannot begin to cultivate our vineyards at as low an +estimate. + +The following is a rough estimate of the last season's crop around +Hermann. It may be rather inaccurate, but it is about as near as I +could come to the result. There are now, I suppose, something like +1,000 acres planted in grapes, of which about 400 may be in bearing. +Unfortunately, nearly all the old vineyards are planted with the +Catawba, which was almost an entire failure this season, the average +crop being only about 75 gallons to the acre. Most of the later +planting has been done with the Concord and Norton's Virginia, but +these vineyards are not bearing yet. Of the Norton's Virginia, the +average crop the last season may have been about 600 gallons to the +acre; of the Concord, 1,000 gallons per acre. The Herbemont may have +yielded about 800 gallons to the acre. + +Grapes marketed, mostly Concord, 20,000 lbs. + average price, 15c. per lb., $3,000 00 +Catawba wine made, about 25,000 gallons; + average value, $1.50 per gallon, 37,500 00 +Norton's Virginia wine made, about 10,000 gallons; + average value, $4 per gallon, 40,000 00 +Concord wine made, about 5,000 gallons; + average value, $2.50 per gallon, 12,500 00 +Herbemont wine made, about 1,500 gallons; + average value, $3 per gallon, 4,500 00 +Other varieties made, about 1,000 gallons; + average value, $3 per gallons, 3,000 00 +Grape roots, cuttings, etc., grown and sold, 50,000 00 + ---------- + $150,500 00 + +I think the above is rather below the real amount; and the value of the +crop may come up even as high as $200,000. + +Although grape culture is followed to a larger extent around Hermann +than anywhere in the State, yet there are also a great many grapes +grown and wine made around Boonville, in Cooper County; and Augusta, +St. Charles County; also, Hannibal, on the Mississippi river; and St. +Joseph, on the Missouri; and there is hardly a county in the State now +but has some flourishing vineyards. + +The above facts may serve to give my readers a clearer insight into the +cost and profits of grape-growing, and also the comparative varieties. +In every case, the figures given can be relied on as actual facts. + +In our neighboring States, Illinois and Iowa, grape-growing is +progressing rapidly. There are already a number of vineyards established +in the neighborhood of Alton, Belleville, Mascoutah, Warsaw, and Nauvoo, +in Illinois; and in the neighborhood of Burlington and Davenport, in +Iowa. I am told that in the neighborhood of Makanda alone, in Jackson +County, Illinois, at least 70,000 vines of the Concord will be planted +the coming spring. + +Our sister State, Kansas, is also progressing bravely in the good work; +and I do not think that, although our propagators throughout the +country have done their best, there will be half the number of vines +for sale that are wanted to meet the demand. + +But, while I am fully aware of the importance of grape-culture +_everywhere_, I cannot help but believe that the southwest will +take the preference in grape-growing over the eastern and northern +States. We have the advantages of longer seasons and a warmer climate, +generally of richer soil, of cheaper lands; we can cultivate varieties +which cannot be grown by our eastern brethren, and therefore all the +chances are on our side. The mountainous regions of Tennessee, Georgia, +Arkansas, Texas, and Alabama may, perhaps, rival and even surpass us in +the future, but their inhabitants at present are not of the clay from +which grape-growers are formed. They still cling to the demon of +slavery, and their hatred of northern industrious _freemen_ seems +to be stronger than their love of prosperity. Let us hope that a better +spirit may prevail, that they will in time begin to see their own +interest, and welcome with open arms every one who can assist them in +developing the natural advantages of their lands. The grape can only +flourish on _free_ soil, and by _free_ intelligent labor. + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Cultivation of The Native Grape, +and Manufacture of American Wines, by George Husmann + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CULTIVATION OF THE NATIVE GRAPE *** + +***** This file should be named 20917-8.txt or 20917-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/0/9/1/20917/ + +Produced by Steven Giacomelli and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images produced by Core Historical Literature +in Agriculture (CHLA), Cornell University) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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