Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-01-19
AsACSt4All4C.
Grape Culture in Tennessee.
BY JOHN R. EAkrs, wARrRAcE, TENN.


ties Of cur soil and local influences. there ms
still be found places where it will succeed. NJ
Camus, Frenchman, having a small vineva1
on the Nolensyille road about ten miles fro,
Nashville, has three varieties of French grape
or supposed to be, which are bearing abundan
", and as vet give no signs Of decay. He h.
made small quantity of wine from mike
grapes, but owing, no doubt, to imperfect al
piianceS it IS Of too acid a character to suit Il
general taste. His vines are beautifully luxI
rant, and may turn out hereafter to be highl
valuable. Il Will require some years vet
test their health and durability, after so man
failures, but Mr.. Camus himself is very conf
dent Of them under his mode Of culture.
In our native grapes now lie the deep hopes
The Isabella and Catawba stand yet at Il
head Of the best for wine, more especially ii
latter. It IS a native Of North Carolina, nee
about our own latitude, and from a cOuntr
very similar. 1t was first introduced to publ
notice by Major Odlum who considered +
had rendered thereby greater service to IL
country than if he had paid the National deb
Nine tenths Of the wines about Cincinnati al
the product Of this grape. As yet it is pre-em
inent but not perfect. 1t is very liable to dis
ease, and often disappoints the hopes of tn
vintner. We may have in our forests some
(
are observed to be of remarkable excellence i
a wild state, should be noticed by amateur
and cultivated.
The Catawba should be adopted by all abou
commencing the business, and the others mad
subjects of experiment. The wine is pleasant
Of delicate straw color mild, and keeps with
out any foreign mixture. 1t needs neithe
sugar nor alcohol. Several excellent speci-
mems have been made in our vicinity Mr.
Vaulx succeeded in making a small quantity
from his vineyard near Nashville, equal to any
| have ever seen. He did not test its keepin,
qualities but there is no reason to believe
deficient in that respect. Others at diferen
points have commenced in earnest and Their
seems to be a growing confidence in the success
Of the business. The experience Of the write
so far, has been most encouraging. My win
tage this year, although necessarily small, from
vines only four years old, was at the rates {
400 gallons to the acre. The wine is Of excel
lent quality, with the proper amount Of sacha
rine strength to ensure its keeping.
In order to embark in the vine culture, les
preliminary knowledge IS necessary than woul
be at first supposed. To commence Alright
the main matter, and that is easily learned
As the vine grows year by year, ample time
given to any one to make themselves acquaint
ed with the training, and other subsequcr
processes of wine making. A few plain direc
tons to beginners will close this article, ALREADY
too long perhaps for service.
The ground should be well prepared in tn
fall or early winter to receive the benefit of tn
freezes Undoubtedly, the best means of pre-
pairing the ground is by trenching at least tw
feet in depth BY trenching is meant simply
what its etymolOgy would import, cutting
and loOSening the rcbOle Of the ground NJ
opening bitches like military detences Tn
entire surface of the earth is to be lOoSened Il
if possible, and that Is best performed in tn
following manner: Begin at one side Of tn
ground to be prepared, and lay off a land tn
whole length about three feet wide. Dig an
throw the dirt ont carefully from the side ,
the proposed vineyard, until you have a cloa
ditch, at least Is or 20 inches deep, and if tw
feet the better. Lay off then another land b.
the side of the first, and Of the same width
Dig it out, throwing all the dirt in the fir
ditch, until your second one is completed
the same depth. Ditch No l, will then con
tain the soil taken from ditch No. ,, in an in
verted form and viii be slightly raised La
off another land in the same way dig and throw
the soil into ditch No. , and so on until yor
90 over the whole ground. Your last ditc'
| Will Oh COulSC nc open, WHICH NOu may lct\
so or fill as You please The dirt from You
beginning ditch can be scattered over the bed
That is trenching, and decidedly the most per
feet mode Of preparing either vineyard or gar
den. No one should be satisfied with any les
efIectual mode, if this be at all possible. ]
seems slow, and is more expensive, but in tn
end it pays better. One hand beginning nov
will trench one acre before spring, which acr
will he increased thereby threelold in value.
omitted saying that hillside should he selecte
if you have it, and iriable calcareous soil,
mixed with gravel the better.
For those who cannot trench, large plough
followed by subsoil plough well used, is tn
next best. 1t may do, but not so certainly
and the vineyard viii not be so good unles
in very favorable soils. 1t fails to throw tn
rich surface soil to the bottom, very import
ant part, as it is not favorable for the roots
run near the surface. They should be temple
down.
Where time ard opportunity fails to ALLOW
the use Of the subsoil plough, it may still b
worth while to begin with the use of the com
mon plough alone run Us deep as possible ]
is not a very hopeful plan, but by subSequeI
trenching between the rows, it NAV do par
TALLY, and in favorable localities, yield a remu
nerating crop. For those anxious to begin,
is better than nothing, and may afford a stan
to be improved upon afterwards
During the winter the slips or one year oil
roots may be obtained, and they should be sc
out not more than 6 feet by apart, leayin
the top eve just level with the surface of tn
ground, and slightly covered with light cart,
to prevent being killed by the sun. Two slip
should he set in each hole to allow for one fail
ing. If both grow one may be removed mex
spring for rcplanting missing spots. If root
are used the top should be trimmed away
one or two good eyes. The proper time 70
planting is after the spring has fairly opened
say from the middle Of April to the middle
May. The first years cultivation Is only
keep them free Of weeds. No trimming
training, or stalking will be needed and it viii
be hard if the beginner does not learn in tn
next twelve months how to proceed
The preparation Of the ground let me repeat
is Of the highest Importance. You cannot hav
a vineyard without it. any more than YOU car.
have a house without a foundation. If yor
wish 10 throw away your vines, and what lttl
trouble you do take, let your ground alone unit
spring-suatch a little time from your farm
garden-dig n hole in the hard ground where
You want your vine to be, just bg enough to
get it in, and let it rip After a few years
folks viii hear you talking that vines do no
good IN this country.
After ALL the best and most compendiou
piece Of advice to a beginner is to lag out
dollar or less in the purchase of Mr. K. Buchan
mans treatise on the vine culture 1t is an
eminenJly practical hook by practical man,
adapted precisely to the wants Of those who
wish minute aud detailed instructions.
To those who would ike 10 enquire further
concerning this subject, the writer cheerfully
protiers If addressed, to give them the benefit
Of all he knows Satisfied of the Importance of