Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-10-29
farmer s department.
From the Southern Cultivator.
GRAPE GROWING.

The attention OF all our readers, who de:
sire to participate in the pleasures and pro-
fits Of Vineyard culture in the South, is called
to the excellent treaties of A. DeCaradeuc,
Esq. ... -s.~ .--
Treperation Of the Land.-1 prefer new
land,-such as would bring from four to six
bushels of corn to the acre; select, if pos
sible, piece on easterly, south-easterly ex-
posure, and on a hill side, ifyou have such;
if you have not, level land will do, provided
it be not too retentive of moisture. Sandy
soil is the best, although dry clay hill sides
will answer very well. Clear the land and
break it up with plows, as for corn; but all
trees must, of course be cut down and re-
moved Now get parcel of small stakes,
from three to four feet long, aud proceed to
mark out the rows; if the land be level let
the rows be straight; butif on hill side, lay
them off horizontally, or level without re-
gard to straightness this is in order to pre-
vent the washing away of the soil. / make
my rows eight or nine feet apart, l prefer
that distance on account Of driving carts be-
tween to haul stakes, or manure, or in vim
tage time. Having staked off the rows to
your satisfaction; proceed to open the trench
es or bitches; let them be about two
feet wide, and some fourteen inches deep.
The next thing sto plant; this can be done,
in our Southern climate, from the middle
of November to the end Of March. | pre-
fer rooted plants others give the preference
to cuttings; the first will save you one year,
and you can plant them deeper, which is
great object Deepen the hole to let the
roots 60 some inches deeper than the bottom
of the ditch let the eye of the vine be about
on level with the surface. Put short
stake to each vine, to mark its place. There
is nothing more to do until the spring grass
will call your plows and hoes into use; then
work them as you would corn or cotton. e
First Pruning.-In the winter, at any
time between the 1st of December and the
18th of March, take sharp knife, remove
every branch except one, and cut that down
above the second or third eye of the last
growth break the land with halfshovel
plow as for corn, passing the nearest furrow
about twelve inches from the vines. Give
them stake about four feet long; they will,
in the spring, shoot out many suckers, and
put out eyes where they have no business; ;
cut out the suckers with a long handled
chissel, and rub off all the eyes excepting
the two or three you left in pruning; these,
as they grow up, should be fastened to the
stakes, with bits of soft string, bark, or any
thing else you may have at hand. Keep the
land cultivated with plow and hoe, and plant
peas between. .- -..
Second Pruning.-The second winters
Pruning is repetition of the first, but you
must replace the small stakes by good last
ing wood, from six to eight feet long There
will be some fruit. The summers works. the
same as above. s
Third Pruniny.-The third win n.er's pru
ming is different; remove all branches, or
canes, save the two strongest; of these, cut
the highest about eighteen inches long, and
the other about three inches-the longest is
intended for fruit; the latter, which is called
"spur," is to make wood for next year
Towards spring, bend this long branch hori-
sontaly; and fasten the end of it strongly to
a short stake, placed at a sufficient distance.
In the West this cane is made to form
complete circle by fastening the end of it to
the foot of the vine this is called "arching" "
The object of arching is to moderate and re-
gulate the flow of the sap, in order that it
may ill all the eyes on the cane, for if the
cane were left perpendicular, the sap would
pass the lowest eyes, and rush upwards into
the top. But my opinion, is that when the
cane is laid horizontally, they all get their
share more equally divided. The vine should
be fastened to large stake.
During this summer, the vines will throw
out strong branches, which must be fastened
to the stakes as they grow, until they reach
the top, when they may be.left to hang over
Plow and hoe as usual plow deep in winter,
and in summer make use of a scraper. Af-
ter this, the winter pruning is always, more
or less, repetition of this last; one spur,
and one or two bearing canes, according to
the strength of the vine. In pruning, let
the cut be clean and close, leaving no small
ends of dead wood, which will surely injure
the old stem. Among old vines, small
toothed butchers saw will greatly assist the
operation.
I do not approve of summer pruning;
vines and fruit require all the shelter they
can muster to preserve them from our burn
ing sun. Persons engaged in the grape cul-
ture should not lose sight of pruning it is
to moderate and equalize the production of
fruit, thereby improving its quality, and
sparing the health and life of the vine. We
are often told that this or that person has
vine, which is never pruned, climbs to the
summit Of high trees, bears abundantly, is
very old, etc. A single vine is very differ
ent from twelve hundred to the acre.
never wish to see my vines average more
than from twelve to fifteen punches each
quality is better than quantity.
The Catawba seemed to have usurped the
most prominent place among the natives. At
the West it is by far the greatest favorite,
perhaps, there are others do not succeed as
we'll. At the South, most persons are follow
ing in the wake of our Western brethren,
and have taken it for granted that none 9TH
ers are worth cultivating, and condemn with
out trial, or even without knowing them.