Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-09-23
GRAPE GROWING AND WINE MAKING MADE EASY,

ED1rons SOUTHERN CULT1rAr Agreeably
to your request I now hand you few remarks
about our method of planting out and taking
! careof q Vineyard. say, our method" for
claim it as peculiar to Dr. Mcdonald, and my
self and we. have adopted it, not through igno-
( rance of more complicated and more costly
methods, but irst,= on account of its sianptacsty
4 and cheapncss, and then, having well succeeded
i why should weoalter; our course? i do not pre-
tend to say it is the best, nor do wish to deter
any osdisposedf to go to the expenseaof trench
ing their lands three feet in depth but there
are very many farmers whoihaye not the means
to incur such expenses, Yho wish 1tot tp,aIt out
S aa aetc OF two Of Vines, but nre litesaliy lrii:
tened ont Of 1T, not only By the mystery and
difficulties which haye,heretofore, been connect
ed with the business, but, also, by fear OF the
moneyswhich is to, come out of their pockets
: before they receive any returns. First, so many
hundred. dollars for treuehing, and gfubblnS,
: and msnuring; then so many more for vines !
then SO many more to learn how to stick the
cuttings into the ground; and then SO many
mdre4to learn. how to prune; then to learn how
to make the wine, how to keep 1t, etc; and, to
crown it>all, so many thousands for a cellar.
And if it SO happens, he is able and willing to
stand all this; "a hundred to one, he IS frightened
half out of his senses, and gives up in despair
Of ever being able to unrayel the mystery, and
master the awful science of Wine making. espc-
ciallyif he happens to hear of granite labora-
tories being built for the express purpose OF
imparting instruction for O remuneration!
8 PREPARATION OF TUE LAND.
preferinew land such as would bring from
four to six bushels OF corn to the acre: select, Ii
possible, piece on easterly, southeasterly cz.
posure, and or q hi! side, if YOU have such; if
you have not, level land will do, provided it be
not too retentive of moisture. Sunday sol! Is
Che best, although dry clay hill sides will answer
very we'll. Clear the land and break 1t up with
plows, as for corn; but all trees must, Of course,
be cut down and removed. Now get parcel OF
small stakes, trom thrsc to four feet long. and
proceed to mark out the rows il the land be
level let the rows be straight; bat il or 4 hill
side, lay them of horizontally, Or level without
regard to straightncss this. is in oreer to pre-
vent the washing away of tie soil, see one of
the late numbers Of the CuAicator for simple
lerrling instru,ncnt) I make my rows eight Or
niue feet apart. prefer that distance on AZ
codnt.of driving carts between to haul stakes
o, manure, when it becomes necessary, or Ia
vintage time. Having ssaked off the rows to
your satisfaction, proceed 10 open the trenches
or bitches: let them be about TWO feet wide, and
from fourteen inches deep, large plows followed
by. long shoycls, will very quickly do the work
in. sandy soil. The next,thiug is to plant; this
can be done, in our Southern climate, from the
Eiddieof November to the end of March. /
prefer rooted plants; Others give the preference
to cuttings; the. hrst will save you QUO year,
and you can plant them deeper, which'is . great
object. Make yourself o wooden com pass flwith
an opeaip:, oi fourfeet six inches at the points,
and mark out the distaucc for youG viucs in tie
bottom Of the trenches; drop t!:e vines in their
places, and proceed to plant: them. Two mci,
with shorthandlcd hoes, will plant great many
in o day one Gcepens the hole to let the roots
80 some inches deeper than the bottom of the
ditch; the other places the vine upright and
holds it until the first has put earth around it.
IF you have other hands let them follow with
hoes and refill the trench, so that the top eye Of
the vine will be about on level with the sur
& face. Put short stake to each vine, to mark
Its; place. There is nothing more to do until
the spring grass will call your p!ows and hoes
into use then work them as you would cprn or
cotton. s.. You may plant two rows Of corn or
peas between the rows, and they will not inter
Sfere with the vines in the least.
~ 81 FIRST PRUNING.
In eiwinter, at any time between the LIST OF,
December and the 18th of March; take a 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
pioW as for corn, passing the nearest firrow
'abou. twelve inches from the vines. Give them
, stake about four feet long I; they will, in the
Spring, shoot out many suckers, and put out eyes
where they have no business J. cut out the suck
er5 Nith.a long handled chisscl, and rub eff all
the eyes. excepting the two or three you left IN
pruning q these, as they grow up, should be fas-
tened to With bits Of soft string. bark,
or:any thing else you may' have at hand Keep
the land cultivated plow and hoe, and plant
peas between. IS IS
ST s5 q SECOND PRUNING.
The second winters pruning is arepetition Of