Polynesian., 1859-01-29
CHE 1)olpnesiau.
Vineyard Planting.

Some year or two ago the Tennessee Farmer and
Mechanic had something about vines and vineyards,
| from which we make few clippings to encourage
those amongst US who are turning their attention
to that species of culture. 1t seems that great
patience is necessary, and that the experience
which is at last to command success is often bought
at the cost of many failures.
| The vineyards in the vicinity Of Cincinnati are
cultivated almost exclusively by Germans They
| labor in them with their wives and children, the
cultivation is light, and after the first preparation
of the ground, all the members OF the family can
assist. Each acre cultivated, will produce, one
year with another, three hundred and fifty gallons
| of wine, at low estimate, worth one dollar per
gallon The average of some vineyards is tar above
! this some below it but this is fair average and
a safe one for our calculations. Suppose 1t to be
only half that one hundred and seventy-hve gal
| Ions Ny head vine dresser, himself a German,
and experienced in the business, tells me that u
man and his family will cultivate three acres with
little difficulty and two and half acres with ease
! Take the lowest estimate, and we have S43I ;
| this on two and half acres, without hired labor
| But this calculation will be considered by those
| more versed in the business, ridlculously low.
put it so to show with what certainty on how small
| a portion of land an industrious family may make
support. Seven hundred dollars would be
/ much more reasonable calculation of the value OF
their produce, leaving out the ordinary produc-
| tiUns of a kitchen garden. &.
Passing bv the amateur (who will cultivate
his vinevard as he does his roses profitable or not
the man Cf capital has every inducement to embark
in this business as source of profit. The annual
! expense per acre of cultlvatlng a vineyard has
been estimated with the utmost accuracy. 1t
amounts to about sixty dollars. Independent Of
| l.. tbo Ia Of foutt paph
! ly paws the expense of cultivation The crop has
been estimated above in rough manner. Three
hundred gallons are very safely calculated on.
Mr. Buchanan one year made eight hundred and
eghty-four. His average for seven years was over
four hundred gallons to the acre. When the wine
is prepared and bottled, it will nett 100 per cent
upon these calculations but every thing Is put at
the lowest as when sold from the press, after Ter
mentation.
Ouite early. however. in the West, intelligent
and far-seeing men had turned their thoughts In
this way, and many experiments were made to IN
troduce the business with but little success. We
had not learned enough, and, more than all, had
not found the right kind of grape. 1t lays at our
feet, and we were striving to accllmate the Euro
pean grapes-they themselves, being strangers In
Europe, old natives of Persia They refused to
cross the ocean after that, died out, and became
barren, and almost ruined all hope of our wine
making at all Daniel Webster declared that we
never could we lacked the volcanic element in
our soil, and would have to give it up. We were
10th to think so. Mr.. Longworth, OF Cincinnati,
especially, hung on to the idea of acclimating the
cranes of Europe 1t is admirable to read of the
pertinacity with which he struggled after this OBJ
feet regardless of expense, and hopefulafer defeat
Hear what he says
There never was year, for twenty years,
that | did not collect foreign grape roots from
some of our Eastern cities. | also imported over
5000 grape roots from Madeira, of all their best
wine grapes; as many from the middle part Of
France and from Germany. All lived and were
cultivated for few years, and finally discarded.
AS a last trial, imported 5000 roots, composed
of "a varieties of grapes, from the mountains of
.Jura, in the north part Of France, where the vine
region suddenly ends. Their vineyards are for
months covered with snow. Ny success was no
better than with vines ION a warmer climate.
In order to embark in the vine culture, less
preliminary knowledge is necessary than would
be at first supposed. To commence Alright Is the
main matter and that is easily learned. As the
vine grows year by year, ample time is given to
any one to make themselves acquainted with the
training, and other subsequent processes OF wine
making A few plain directions to beginners will
close this article already too long perhaps for SER
vice.
The ground should be well prepared in the fall
or early winter receive the benefit of the freezes
Undoubtedly, the best means of preparing the
ground is By ssencbing at least two feet in depth