The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1855-01-31
For the Sumter Banner.
The Culture of the Crane Vino

For the Sumter Banner.
Thc Culture of the Grape Vine.
I" The President and Members Of the
Sumfer Agricultural! Association.
Gentlemen: 1t is certain that large por-
tion of this State is we'll, if not admirably
adapted to the culture Of The Grape. Our
own observation enables us to speak with
confidence of its successful culture in the
vicinity of Sumtervllc; especially in re-
ference to the Madeira Grape, though two
or three other varieties which we have cul
tivatcd have succeeded nearly us we'll
For the last twenty years we have culti-
Vatcd dozen Or more vines, and during
that time by regular pruning every win
ter and an occasional manuring, We have
Invariably had a fine crop OF Grapes, with
! the exception of one year, when our clean
and sullcn clusters mourned the rare of
Eurus,' and our vines produced only the
halt OF an average crop. Both the lunches
and berries Of the first crop after manur.
| ing have been Of unusual size.
10 ensure good crop, the vines must
be pruned every winter. The proper time
Tor this work is during any of the three
winter months, and there is no plant cul-
tiva'ed for its fruit which rconirns sn
much prun'is,-bur witt, ono or two good
pruning knives, which may be hal at
Gravcly's, Charleston, the operation is not
an Irksomc one. The eyes upon all tho
old wood. that is. all the wood cxccp, that
OF the previous summers growth, should
be pruned of, as such eyes are very un-
productive, and the nnlrimcnt whcI, shoo,s
from them would require, would be better
bestowed upon more productive portions
OF the vine. All Inc branches which have
persisted should be pruncd away close from
the portion OF the vine from which they
proceed, so rs to leave not remnant pro-
Jectlng from it, and where sound shoots arc
too much crowded together, one or more
Choosing the most in(crior) should he
prnned away in like manner. The ewes
on The shoots Of the previous summers
growth are the proper fruit. bearing ewes,
aud such shoots, which usually grow to 4
length of from SIX to twenty or more feet,
should be shortened so rs not TO leave
more than three or four eyes, or from six
to eight or ten inches ofihc shoot, lcavinu
the vigorous Shoots a little lower than the
more feeble ones. One or two of these
shoots or branches, however, may be left
much longer. when it is desired to extend
the vine to greater length The shoots
produced by these eyes will each (with
lew exceptions il the vine has been sul1i.
clently pruncd) produce as many as three
lunches of Grapes few producing four,
and about as many only producing two
bunchcs, so that the production of the vine
may be estimated by counting the eyes,
The suckers which make their appearance
US soon as the yinc begins to put forth its
shoots, should De removed by first rcmov
ing the earth from the roots, and taking of
Tho suckers close TO the root from hicl,
they proceed, 'hough The whole sucker
VIII olten come up by pulling. All of
them should be removed, except when it
Is desired to save one Or more for new
vines, which should be done every five or
SIX years. and when old enough to proIuc G
good crop the old vines should be cut off.
By this means succession of young and
prolific vines may he provided from the old
roots with but little pains, We doubt
whether the quantity or quality of the fruit
's III degree affected by the age of the
roots, and are well assured that root.
twenty years old arc as productive as
those five years old but it is important
that young vines shonId be re ,rct from
these older roots. About the same time
tia the suckers are removed. should an,
eyes put forth from the other portion o
the vine, they OF rather the young shoots
which proceed from them should DC rub'd
off.
We have adopted, successsivcly, two
modes of manureing our vines, which ap
pear to be equally cfficacious. The tirsl
is that Of removing the earth to distance
of about four feet from the vine all around
and to depth Of six or eight inches, 80