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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Introduction to wine
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.
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.
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