Historical Document · 1867
An Elementary Treatise on American Grape Culture and Wine Making
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Historical Document · 1867
JUSTIN WINSOR, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. AN ELEMENTARY TREATISE ON AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE MAKING. BY PETER Rp. Mean. ; —>— Ltlustrated with nearly 200 Engravings drawn from Nature. —~>—. . New-York : Harper & Brothers, Publishers, Franklin Square. 1867, Soe 4722.86 720 “w RARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY GIFT OF JAMES STURGIS PRAY Seplentr 5 1922, EsreRep, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1567, by HARPER & BROTHERS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern + ¥ District of New-York. ve - , , Y VW OTe JOHN A. GRAY & GREEN, . PRINTERS, 16 & !8 Jacob Street, New-York. « PREFACE. — Taz present volume has been prepared in compliance with the urgent request of friends in various parts of the country. _ We conceive that an elementary work on the vine, to possess the highest practical value for the amateur, as well as the gar- dener and vineyardist, should treat of all the facts and principles involved in the subject, laying them clearly in order before the student, and linking them together with just so much of the theory as is necessary to explain lucidly their relation to each other, and unite them in the mind of the student in one harmo- nious and systematic whole. This is what we have aimed to accom- plish in the present work, indulging in no theorizing speculations, and introducing nothing of doubtful verification. We have given a simple record of our own practice and experience, stating no fact that we have nbdt repeatedly verified, and which may not be repeated by others, with like results. We have striven to make it a safe guide to all. Although Grape Culture, and especially Wine-Making, are yet in their infancy in this country, the principles and conditions upon which suocess depends are so well established that, if we walk in the full light of the knowledge we have, we need tread no doubtful path. Though the work is strictly elementary, we have by no means intended to make it in any degree superficial, and have therefore labored to leave no important practical question unsolved ; indeed, some points, that have heretofore been entirely neglected, or very briefly noticed, are here treated with a degree of minute- ness somewhat commensurate with their importance, as will be seen, among others, in the chapters on “ Varieties,” “ Ripening,” and “ Taste.” . The engravings are so true to life, and so admirably executed, that they may be said, in some sense, to present a treatise in them- selves, from which may be obtained a good knowledge of the operations to be performed, as well as the manner of doing them. Our acknowledgments are made elsewhere. February 5, 1867. PETER B. MEAD. CONTENTS. —~>—-. CHAPTER L . Pace Intropucrion, . . 8 oo. . 8 8 5 CHAPTER II. Climate—Location—Exposure—Shelter, . . . . . 11 CHAPTER IIL The Soil and ite Preparation—Minmmresn, 2 6 www CHAPTER IV. Laying out the Vineyard, es!) CHAPTER V. Planting the Vineyard, . . . . «© © «© - 84 CHAPTER VL Training—First and Second Years, rr er 1) CHAPTER VII. Training—Third, Fourth, and Fifth Years, rn {) CHAPTER VIII. , Training—Guyot—Guyot Improved—Upright Stock with alternate Spurs—The Bow System—The Jura, . . oo 89 CHAPTER IX. Training—Thomery, re © 2 CHAPTER X. Training—Various Forma, ree © | CHAPTER XL Description of Varieties, a re C.) 4 CoNTENTS. CHAPTER XII. PAGE Description of Varieties—Continued, . . . . » 171 CHAPTER XIII Taste, as applied to Fruits, . . . . . - 225 CHAPTER XIV. When Grapes are Ripe, . . . : . . . - 286 CHAPTER XV. . Propagation, . . . oe - 6 © «6 6 249 CHAPTER XVL Propagation—Continued, : . . . » 6 277 CHAPTER XVIL Additional Remarks on Planting, . . . . - 295 CHAPTER XVIII Replacing and Renewing Spurs and Arms—Opposite Arms— Length of Arms—Their General Management—Overcropping, 805 CHAPTER XIX. Stakes and Trellises, . . . . . . . . 829 CHAPTER XX. Cultivation—Winter Management—Marketing—Tying—Growing Plants between the Rows—How to keep Grapes in Winter— Shelter for Protection and Ripening—Manures—Non-manuring,. 340 CHAPTER XXL Diseases and Insects, . - oe . . . 6 « 874 Part Second. CHAPTER XXII. Plan of Quesnel—Modes of Bedding Vines—Plan of Charmeux— Ground Training—Training without Stakes—Training on Trees and Trellis combined—Ringing the Vine—A Mildewed Leaf— A Rack for Stakes—“ Heeling in”. . . . «+ « 899 CHAPTER XXII. Wine Making, a er) 420 Conchusion, 2. 2. ee wee 489 AMERICAN. GRAPE CULTURE. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION. THERE are few material interests that at pres- ent claim a larger share of public attention than the culture of the grape. This is true, whether we regard the grape as something that ministers to our enjoyments, or fills our pockets with gold. We have thought, therefore, that an elementary work on the grape, plain .and practical, would now possess a certain degree of interest, and be of some value to the public. It would not be possible, of course, to exhaust such a subject in an elementary work ; we must necessarily treat it with much brevity, but we shall endeavor to present such a reswmé of the details and prin- ciples of grape culture as will enable any intelli- gent person to grow good grapes, and even make good wine. The subject, indeed, is worthy of profound study for the sake of its own pure 6 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. and simple pleasures. It may at first seem a little dry in its details to the uninformed; but in its fruition it possesses a degree of fascina- tion which can be claimed for no other culture. Besides what may be termed its intellectual pleasures, it has an interest of a more material kind, which will address itself not only to those who wish to grow their own grapes and drink their own wine, but more especially to that large class who look at the subject from the stand-point of profit. We do not propose to indulge in figures, whether of arithmetic or the imagination; but we may say that grape culture is fast working itself up to the first position among the pro- ductive interests of the country. The capital invested in it may already be counted by mil- lions; and a time will come when the pro- ducts of grape culture will be found among the exports of the country. It is not claimed that we'shall make better wines than those of Europe; but we can and shall make them purer than most of those sent to us; and pure wines will always find a good market and high prices wherever wines are used. Besides, our best wines will possess a fruity bouquet natu- ral to but few of the wines of Europe ;. a bou- INTRODUCTION. 7 quet that grows upon the taste, and which will make our wines sought after by all connois- seurs.' It is safe, then, to say that the products of grape culture will at no distant day have an important commercial value, as respects our foreign trade. They already have -a very con- siderable value in our internal trade; for, not to speak of the vast. quantities of grapes that are consumed for the table, it is an indisputable fact that American wines, some of them con- fessedly impure and of inferior quality, are to- day selling in New-York for higher prices than imported wines of better quality. This is an anomaly, however, which must soon necessarily . disappear. The purchasers of these inferior wines are not found among those who know what a really pure and good wine is; and. there are unmistakable indications that the public taste is happily being educated up to that point where pure and excellent wines will be the rule, and impure and faulty ones the exception.. There we may safely leave the subject. Fears are sometimes expressed that. grape culture will soon be carried to excess; that the market will be overstocked,.and prices, conse- quently, cease to be remunerative. More than fifteen years ago we heard the same fears ex- 8 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. pressed in very much the same terms; and to-- day we have a sufficient answer in the fact, that grapes are now'selling for three and four times as much as they did fifteen years ago. This is readily accounted for in the simple. fact, that the demand has kept steadily in advance of the supply, notwithstanding the largely increased area of cultivation. A little reflection will con- vince the most obdurate of doubters that this must continue to be the case for many years to come. Let us for a moment look at some plain facts, within the reach and comprehension of any common-sense man. Taking the last cen- sus tables.as a basis, we may safely assume that our population will increase for the next hun- dred years at the rate of forty per cent per decade. Let us then take into consideration the fact, that the taste for grapes and other good fruits is rapidly spreading among all class- es of the people, so that fruit consumers here- after will form a relatively larger proportion of the community than heretofore. If we put these two facts together, we may even take as a standard the rapid increase in grape culture which has been witnessed during the past five years, and the conclusion will still be unavoid- able, that the demand will be far in advance INTRODUCTION. . 9 of the supply: the mouths will multiply faster than they can be filled. This must be the case, however large the number of propagators may be, or however vast their facilities for multiply- ing the vine. The man has yet to be born who will be able to purchase our best native grapes for less than fifteen cents a pound. We know that grapes can be profitably grown for much less than ten. ® From what has been said, we are justified in concluding that grape culture is rich in the ele- ments of pleasure and profit. There is one other point that may be glanced-at before pro- ceeding to the more immediate object of this work. A good deal has been said, at times, about the morality of the subject; the wicked- ness of growing grapes for the purpose of mak- ing wine. We do not propose to discuss this point. The limits prescribed to this book will not permit it; besides, it is really not necessary in this connection. We may remark, however, that our efforts to benefit mankind will be sue- cessful just in proportion as we deal with them as they are, and not as we would have them. We usually fail because we begin by supposing men to be what we only propose to make them: an inversion which defeats our purpose. 10 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. Men will drink wine of some kind, reason as we may. Accept the fact, and strive to teach them to drink only that which is pure, and thus prepare them for the next higher step in moral progress, the drinking of no wine at all, if that be necessary, which some will doubt. Wine is not the only blessing that is abused; but it can hardly be said that pure wine makes drankards. The wine countries of Europe prove quite the contrary. We have no hesi- tation in recording our conviction, that grape culture may be made the handmaiden of the temperance cause. CHAPTER IL CLIMATE—LOCATION—EXPOSURE—SHELTER, Is our Climate adapted to the Vine?—We do not propose in this little volume to give a botanical description of the grape vine. Those who are in present need of that knowledge may consult Gray’s Botany, or some other with- in their reach. The question, however, natur- ally arises at the start, whether our climate is adapted to the successful growth of the vine. This question, often asked, may be answered by pointing to the many successful vineyards scat- tered over the country. The vine, in fact, is in- digenous to almost every part of the American continent. As it is the improved forms of our native kinds that we depend upon, there ought to be no doubt of the compatibility of our climate with success. Foreign varieties have been tried, and failed. Seedlings of the native vines have been grown with eminent success. 12 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. Their relative merits will be discussed here- after. Location —Having determined upon plant- ing a vineyard, the first point to engage our at- tention will be the selection of a proper loca- tion. We attach more importance to this than some others do. It is said that we need not be particular on this point, since the vine is found growing wild almost every where, even in swamps, This is true; but the fruit produced upon vines growing in wet places is very ill-fla- vored; redolent, indeed, of that peculiar odor popularly called “foxy ;” the skin is thick, tough, and acrid, and the flesh hard and indi- gestible. If the same vine be removed to dry soil, and cultivated, these offensive characteris- tics become in a small degree mitigated ; show- ing conclusively the ameliorating influence of culture and. position. The fruit even of the cultivated vine is more or less affected by what is called a “ wet season :” it is found to lose a portion of its tenderness, and to deteriorate in flavor. These, and other facts, must necessarily lead us to attach much importance to the selec. tion of a location that is naturally dry; and the experience of the great mass of cultivators LocatTIoNn. 13 will be found to agree with this An opposite opinion will*be found to prevail only among those whose experience in the vineyard is of a limited nature. If circumstances should com- pel the selection of a location not naturally dry, then recourse must be had to artificial drainage, and this should be of the most thor- ough kind. We should give a decided prefer- ence to tile drain. . If tile can not be readily procured, {hen we must use stone; and these should be so well laid in the bottom as to pre- vent the possibility of their being disturbed or clogged up by the adjacent soil. The location must not only be dry, but the grade must be such that no surface water can remain on tt at any season of the year. Surface water, espe- cially in the winter, is a prevalent cause of the winter-killing of vines, both old and young, but particularly the latter. In selecting a site for a vineyard, low grounds should, if possible, be avoided. There are many objections to them, chief among which -are these: they are subject to heavy cold fogs and vapors, and strong currents of cold air; they are more or less damp in spring and fall, and liable to early and late frosts; all of which are great impediments to the successful culture of 14 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. the grape. Hillsides have always been favor- ite spots for the grape; cultivators concede their peculiar fitness with great unanimity. Declivities, gentle slopes, in short, almost any elevated spot free from dampness, may be se- lected as a suitable place for a vineyard. But the best of all places is, undoubtedly, some ele- vated spot bordered by a large body of water. Hence the fewer casualties, the greater certain- ty of the crop, and the superior quality of the fruit grown in such localities as the Hudson River and the Lakes. There are several reasons for this, the chief being the ameliorating influ- ence exercised by the water. The temperature of the surrounding air is very even; sudden changes being comparatively rare, or at least shorn of most of their ill effects. Early and late frosts are not of such frequent occurrence, and the growing season is thus prolonged These facts will account for individual cases of failure or success, which seem at first to set at naught all our efforts to refer them to any par- ticular cause; though it can not be denied that hidden causes are often at work, the results of which may be seen, but can not well be over- come. The cause of disease being unknown, the application of remedies becomes altogether Exposure. 15 a matter of chance: we are just as apt to kill as cure, In selecting a site for a vineyard, wherein no inconsiderable capital must necessarily be em- ployed, prudence would suggest that we seek the advice of some experienced friend, whose practiced eye would quickly detect most of the conditions which are favorable or unfavorable to the successful growth of the vine. We have received many letters, asking whether some particular spot is adapted to the grape, to which we have but one reply: the con- ditions can only be safely determined on the spot; and it should not be concealed, that in some cases, even where the best judgment has been exercised, hidden local causes will operate to defeat in a measure our purpose. Exposure—Having thus briefly treated -of the location, we pass next to the subject of e- posure, by which is meant the aspect which the vineyard should have in reference to the points of the compass. On this point some diversity of opinion exists among practical men, owing, no doubt, to the fact that good grapes have been grown in various exposures, There is a pretty general agreement, however, that a south- 16 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. ern exposure is best, some claiming a preémi- nence for one facing southeast, and others again, but fewer in number, one looking to the south- west. Our own preference, all things consider- ed, is for one facing the southeast. But, after all, the exposure must, in some: degree, be de- termined by the local surroundings. A vine- yard may be safely planted with an exposure ranging any where from east to south and west ; but we should hesitate to plant one looking due north, if we proposed to make wine. We might, under certain circumstances, plant one thus situated, and expect to get some good grapes for the table, but ripening a few days later than those having a southern exposure. The objects to be attained by exposure con- sist chiefly in the admission to the soil and vines of a due proportion of the sun’s vivifying rays, and shelter from prevailing cold winds; and here, again, we must bring to our aid the exercise of a discerning judgment. Shelter. —This is so intimately connected with location and exposure, that we shall treat of it here, - It is a subject of very great importance in its bearings on the well-being of the vine yard, and one to which, strangely enough, vine- SHELTER. 17 yardists have hitherto given very little attention. We know of vineyards that only require ap- propriate shelter to make them yield highly re. munerative returns. There are probably many such all over the country, the owners of which are mourning over their small success, while their vines are a prey to early and late frosts, mildew, tempests, and other casualties, which could be measurably controlled by proper shel- ter. The object of shelter is to protect the vine- yard from high and cold winds, and incidental- ly to secure freedom from unseasonable frosts, mildew, and analogous casualties. The atmos- phere that surrounds the vineyard should be warm, and not liable to sudden changes. The heat and moisture that exhale from the earth should not be liable to be blown sudden- ly away. The leaves should not be torn and twisted by strong winds. With all these, we should avoid destroying the life of the air: there should be gentle breezes passing around and between the plants, the leaves, and the fruit. Shut out rude Boreas, but let the Zephyrs wanton as they will. These leading objects can be measurably at- tained by affording proper shelter. A board fence will often answer a good purpose, and is 18 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. always.better than no shelter at all; for simple as it may seem, the influence of such a fence is felt for several hundred feet. In some cases sufii- cient shelter may be found in the natural wood surrounding the selected site; but-in others, and - the great majority of cases, it will be necessary to make the shelter by planting trees. Of de- ciduous trees, we should select the birch or the maple. If the ground could be spared, we should plant two rows of trees, though one row will answer the purpose very well. The birch we should plant three feet apart each way; the maple, four feet apart. Of evergreen trees, we should select the Norway spruce, and plant four feet apart. The evergreens will make much the best shelter. The sheltering belt should be so arranged as to afford protection against prev- alent winds, and these, in most cases, proceed from the northeast, north, and northwest ; some- times from some point south. Wherever they come from, let them be shut off by belts or clumps of trees. A caution may be added, not to plant a belt or clump of trees in too close proximity to the vines. The roots of the trees will soon find their way among the vines, and damage them greatly. We have seen instances where at- SHELTER. 19 tempts were made to check this evil by opening trenches and cutting off the roots; but the check proved to be only temporary. If large trees surround the vineyard closely, ventilation is materially interfered with. There are other evils which we can not allude to here. The distance at which clumps and sheltering’ belts should be ‘placed may be determined by the kind of trees and the distances at which they are planted apart. The proper distance for belts and clumps is about fifty feet from the vines, A hedge proper of Norway spruce, planted for a height of ten to fifteen feet, may be placed as near as twenty-five feet ; but forty would be better, with the height of the hedge increased to twenty feet. We must not be understood as saying that shelter is indispensable to all localities; we know of vineyards that yearly produce the best results that have no shelter; but, notwithstand: © ing this, there are many places which, owing to their geographical position, are liable to sudden changes and violent winds; and for all such, protection of some kind is a matter of great importance. CHAPTER IIL THE SOIL, AND ITS PREPARATION—MANURES. Soil.—The soil may next occupy our atten- tion. What is the best soil for-the grape? This question has been variously answered. Those who live in a. district where clay abounds say that a clayey soil is best; while those who live where sand prevails will tell you that a sandy soil is best, and soon. The solution of these answers may be found in the fact that good grapes are grown in both kinds of soil. Our own experience, and a pretty extended observation among vineyards, lead us to give preference to sandy or gravelly loams. It has been said that any soil that will grow good corn will grow good grapes. We have no doubt of the truthfulness of the re mark; and we should not hesitate to plant a vineyard upon such a soil, if favorably located. But we may go further, and say that good THe Sor, anp Its PREPARATION. 21 grapes may be grown where good corn can not. Some of the best vineyards about New-York are planted in light sandy soils, to which muck has been added with a more or less liberal hand. There are many localities on Long Island and in New-Jersey, where light sands prevail, that could be converted into pro- ductive vineyards at a comparatively small ex- pense. We have never seen better grapes than have been yrown on similar soils properly treated. The vine has such a wonderful power of adaptability that the soil, whether light or heavy, becomes almost a matter of secondary importance. Preparation—Not s0, however, its prepara- tion for the reception of the plants. This should be most thoroughly done. In planting ‘a vineyard, we are doing a work that is expect- ed to last for generations; hence, every thing connected with it should be done in a manner to insure good and permanent results. Some soils will need more thorough preparation than others; but all will need more or less. It may, or may not be, that some have recom- mended a more thorough and expensive mode of preparation than the case calls for. We 22 _ AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. leave each one at liberty to judge for himself, with the simple remark, that money spent in a judicious preparation of the soil is capital well invested, which is certain to return a good interest. A vineyard well prepared will pay better than one not so prepared: that may be received as an axiom in vineyard culture. There are three principal methods of prepar- ing the soil for a vineyard: trenching, trench plowing, and subsoiling. The first, except for small vineyards, and under peculiar circum- stances, may be too expensive an operation for general adoption: it is chiefly confined to the garden. The second and third are exceedingly useful, and may be adopted wherever a plow can be run. We propose to give a brief de | scription of each of the three methods above named. Trenching is done with the spade. It con- sists in first removing the earth from a trench to the depth that it is proposed to work the soil, the trench to be of any convenient width, (say two.feet wide,) and as long as the plot of ground to be trenched. To be a little precise, we will suppose the soil is to be trenched to the usual depth of two feet: the trench will then Tue Sor, AND Its PREPARATION. 23. be two feet deep. With a line, mark off a slice two feet wide immediately adjoining the open trench ; throw one foot of the top soil of this slice into the bottom of the open trench, and on the top of this throw the remaining foot of bottom soil. By this operation the trench has been filled, and the order of the soils re- versed; the best, or surface soil, being at the bettem of the trench, and the poorest, or sub- soil, on the top. We have at the same time opened a new trench. This is to be filled -in the same manuer as the first, and the operation repeated until the whole plot has been trenched. The last trench is to be filled with the soil that was removed from the first. If the plot of ground is large, some labor will be saved by making the trenches half the width of the plot, going down on one side and returning on the other. The last trench will then be on line with the first, and there will be but littl carting needed to fill it. This is a brief de scription of trenching, but we hope sufficiently plain to be understood. It will be observed that our operation has buried the good soil, and brought the poor or subsoil to the. surface, which must be enriched with muck, manure, or good surface soil’from some other place, and we 94 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE.’ shall have a soil that will bring any kind of plants to their highest state of excellence, Trench plowing is much less expensive than spade trenching, and but little inferior to it, when well done, putting the ground in fine condition for growing grapes as well as other crops. In trench plowing, oxen are to be pre- ferred to horses, their draught being steadier as well as more powerful. There is no plow in use at present specially adapted to this work, and we must therefore take the best we can get. The cylinder plow, on account of its easy draught, is perhaps one of the best. Two plows and two yokes of oxen are used; the work will be better done, however, if two yokes of oxen are attached to the second or following plow. The first plow opens a furrow as deep as the plow can be driven. The second plow follows immediately in the same furrow, and deepens it to the full capacity of the team. There must be no balks or jumps; the plow must be plunged in to the beam, and kept there. Men with spades should follow the second plow, to remove the stones, and keep the furrow open. The lot may be plowed round, or in lands; but we prefer to return without a furrow, so that THe Soin, AND Its PREPARATION. 25 the furrows may all be laid one way; the work will be more than enough better to pay for the additional labor. The work will be easier at the start, if both plows are run a second time in the first furrow, and the soil thrown out with spades; the plows will move easier in the sub- sequent furrows, as there will be less resistance to overcome. A common mistake in trench plowing, (and in all plowing, in fact,) is cutting the furrow slice too wide. It is true, that by cutting the furrow slice twelve inches wide we ean get over the ground about twice as fast as when it is cut six inches wide; but in the lat- ter case the work is more than twice as well done; anfi since we can not do it but once, let us do it well. Let the furrow slices, therefore, be narrow, and the furrows deep. The work will be all the better if the lot is cross-plowed in the same way. The plowing may be repeat- ed with advantage as many times as can be afforded. This would very well meet our idea of thorough preparation with the plow. The manures used may be spread on the surface, and plowed in. The effect of trench plowing is not only to deepen the soil, but to mix the surface soil and subsoil together pretty thoroughly, and thus afford a deeper bed for 26 . AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. the roots of plants to work in: but among ’ its most important results is the protection it affords against the ill effects of sudden changes of the weather, drought and wetness, heat and cold, ete. Subsoiling will next be described. This, for the vineyard, is the least thorough of the three methods named. It is but little, if any, less costly than trench plowing, and should not, therefore, except for very good reasons, super- sede it. The process of subsoiling is very simi- lar to that of trench plowing. Two plows are used, the common plow and the subsoil plow, which is simply a foot-piece in some wedge-shaped form, attached to a narrow up- right shank. Of subsoil plows, there are only two or three in use, either of which will answer the purpose well enough if the furrow slices are made narrow. Mapes’s has the light- est draught. In subsoiling, the furrow.is open- ed with the common plow; the subsoil plow follows in the same furrow, and should be run up to the beam to make good work. The lot may be plowed round or in lands; sloping ground, however, should be plowed up and down the slope when the soil is at all heavy; MANURES. 27 for the subsoil plow, in such soils, will leave an opening at the bottom of the furrow, which will for a time serve the purpose of a drain. There is this marked difference between sub- soiling and trench plowing: the operation of the first is confined chiefly to loosening the sub- soil, while the latter not only loosens the sub- soil, but mixes it with the upper or surface soil. The value of trenching, trench plowing, and subsoiling, may be taken in the order in which they are named; and it is only the ex- pense of the first which should prevent its gen- eral adoption for fruit culture. Manures.—A. few brief remarks may here be added on the subject of manures. The vine is said to be a gross feeder. To some extent this is true; yet there can be little doubt that the excessive application of gross manures is injuri- ous to the quality of the fruit, and enfeebling to the vine, unfitting it, indeed, to withstand the changing rigors of our variable climate. All kinds of mazires are said to be good for the vine, nothing coming amiss. If they are thoroughly decomposed, and have lost their grossness and unhealthful qualities, which produce distended rather than solid growth, 98 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. we shall not object. Coarse, unfermented ma- nures should not be applied to the vineyard, except when they can be thoroughly and evenly mixed with and through the soil. On the whole, we know of nothing so good as old, well-decayed barnyard manure, com- posted with muck. This, thoroughly worked in and through the soil at the beginning to the depth of eighteen or twenty inches, will leave little or nothing more to be desired. Ashes, bones, lime, poudrette, etc., have their value, but should generally be applied as a top dressing, though they may all be likewise mixed with the compost last named. In preparing a vine- yard, the object to be aimed at is a thoroughly good, but not excessively rich, soil of consider- able depth. Depth, indeed, is of more import- ance than great richness, though a pretty good degree of fertility may be considered indispens- able for a productive vineyard. Where it can be done, a good plan is to place the materials of the compost heap in layers, and let them remain so for several weeks; then turn and mix them thoroughly, and repeat the operation every week or so till the compost is wanted for use. The oftener it is turned, the better it will be. CHAPTER IV. LAYING OUT THE VINEYARD. Laying out the Vineyard—Something may now be added, as to the best manner of laying out a vineyard. The directions which the rows should take is a matter of some importance, for we have no doubt that the thrift of the vines is sometimes more or less affected by it. Vine- yardists are not quite agreed as.to whether the rows should run east and west, or north and south. Local causes, no doubt, operate in some cases to affect the results ; yet we believe the weight of authority preponderates in favor of running the rows east and west; and this agrees with our own most matured experience. It is not to be denied, however, that good grapes have been grown both ways, which will sufficiently ac- count for any diversity of opinion. It must not be supposed, however, that there is really not, under given circumstances, some one way better 30 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE than another, though we may not be able to state it in general terms. If circumstances per- mitted, we should by all means arrange the rows so that the morning sun should have free access to the vines: the nearer this point can be attained, the better. In the majority of cases, this point can be securéd by running the rows more or leas nearly east and west. On hill sides there is a necessity, arising from the situation, that the rows should run more or less: nearly at right angles with the slope of the hill. “Let every thing be well ordered” will ap- ply to the vineyard, even in matters not affect- ing the health of the vine or the quality of its fruit. A man’s nature and habits may be seen in the smallest matters of every day life; a man of refinement and taste may be as readily recog. nized by the arrangement of his trees and vines as by the neatness of his dress or the orderly disposition of the contents of his library or parlor. It may not enhance the value, but it clearly adds to the beauty of the vineyard, to have the vines planted in an orderly manner. Some find a difficulty in getting their rows at right angles; but there are two or three simple rules for doing this, which can be readily under- stood by any body. There ought to be no diffi- Layine Out THE VINEYARD. 31 culty in getting one straight line to begin with. This ascertained, stretch a string along this line, and let it project about eight feet beyond the point or corner where it is proposed to form the right angle. See #%g.1. Drive a stake at this corner, @, and eight feet from it, on both sides, drive two other stakes, c,d. With these two stakes as centers, take a string ten or more feet long, and describe an arc of a circle; a line drawn through the point, d, where the two arcs meet, will be a right-an- gled line. Tie a loop at the end of a string, place / nN it over the middle stake, a, and stretch the string « so that it passes directly Pig. 1. over the point, 4, where the two arcs meet, and you will have the desired line. By meas- uring off the distances on these two lines, the rows and the vines will be equally distant from each other. We have named eight and ten feet, but any distances will do, so that the last be greater than the first. Another simple method is by the use of a ten foot pole. Ascertain one line as before,, and drive a stake where it is proposed to have the corner... From this stake measure‘ off eight 82 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. feet on the line, and put a pin in it, Witha loop attach another string to the stake, and measure off six feet on it, marking the point with a pin. Place one end of the pole on the first string at the point marked by the pin, and move the other string till the pin in it touches the other end of the pole, and a right angle will be formed. Both these methods are sim- ple and of easy application. Distances at which to Plant.—Something may also be said here in regard to the distances at which the vines should be planted, which vary, among different persons, from two to twelve or more feet. The discrepancies which exist among cultivators on this point may be re- ferred chiefly to the different systems of train- ing that have been adopted, and will disappear as uniformity becomes more general, which un- doubtedly will be the case to a much greater extent than obtains at present. Vines of dif- ferent kinds possess various degrees of vigor, and the inference is natural that some -kinds should be planted closer together than othera. ‘The question to be decided is, not how far apart, but how close together vines may be planted consistently with the objects we have LayiInc Out THE VINEYARD. 33 in view in growing them. We shall answer the question by saying, for general purposes, place the rows six feet apart, and the vines four feet apart in the rows, if two tiers of arms are con- templated. If only one tier, then the distance between the rows may vary from three and a half to five feet, and the plants may be five or six feet apart. For rank-growing kinds, a foot more may be added in each case. If the vines are to be trained on stakes, six by four is a good distange. The nature of the soil and the mode of training must have something to do with the decision of this question. The vines should be planted close enough to check re- dundancy of growth, but not so close as to im- pair their vitality. 3 CHAPTER V. PLANTING THE VINEYARD. Plants and Planting—This part of the sub- ject would seem to come in naturally at this point. We shall include under this head, the Best Kind of Plants to Purchase, How to Plant, Best Time to Plant, and Time to Buy. In regard to the first, vines are divided into, 1st, Plants from Single Eyes, of which Fig. 2 is avery fine specimen, and /%g. 3, on an enlarged scale, an extra fine one, as good, indeed, as it is possible to make; 2d, Plants from Cuttings, of which Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are good specimens of their kinds from two, three, and four eyes; 3d, Plants from Layers, of which Fig. 7 is one of the best examples; 4th, Plants from Green Wood. We present these engravings, in order that the reader may have the means of distinguishing vines of the best quality from those that are not. Further on we shall show how all these PLANTING THE VINEYARD. 85 are made;'at present we simply wish to indi- cate which are best to purchase. For general Fig. 2, planting we recommend plants one year old from single eyes; next, plants from cuttings, and preferably those from two eyes, or at most three; for special purposes, the best form of layers; and last of all, but especially to be avoided for the vineyard, plants one year old from green wood. . a . J a! aa a) a | i - a «e PLANTING THE VINEYARD. 87 A few remarks may here be offered in regard to the-relative value of vines one year or more old. There seems to be a prevalent opinion, at least among beginners, that, for planting, the vine increases in value with its age; whereas Pig. 4 Fig. 5. Fig. 6. the very opposite of this is true. We lay down the general rule, that a well-grown vine is in its best condition for planting when one year old.’ There are but few exceptions to this rule, and some of these are only seeming exceptions. The real exceptions are vines that have been 88 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. grown in large pots or tubs, and even these lose their value beyond the third year. The seem- ing exceptions consist of plants that have been root-pruned and transplanted when one year old; but these are substantially one year old plants, better if the work has been well done; but if not well done, they are not so good. Skillful nurserymen can, if they will; make strong ‘plants out of weak ones by root-pruning and transplanting; they can even make good plants exceedingly good in this way, at an in- creased cost; but they are still substantially one year old plants. F%g. 8 is an example of a root-pruned vine grown a second year in a large USE : ly 40 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. pot, and rec