Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-06-13

mont and Concord Grapes.
The grape does not flourish well on wet ground.
child Of sunny lands it prefers dry SOIL as if it
were too delicate and dainty to put forth its roofs
into mud and water IN Italy, favorite home Of
the grape, the localities most noted for delicious
wines are sunny and sandy hilI-sides. Men may
like water with their wine but the vine does not
want too much Of it in the original manufacture Of
the pure juice Still it viii flourish in moist lands;
but if the cunvator is obliged resort to such, he
should adopt a thorough System Of understanding.
The colder the locality the later win the fruit come
to maturity and the greater the dampness, the
greater the liability to mildew.
In manufacturing its juice the grapevine is
somewhat particular III the quality Of the food it
consumes. It is very partial to potash and ammonia
So to make it spread out uxurant leaves to the sun,
and wind its plant branches around the tOpmOst
bars Of the trelis feed it well with bOnedust ashes,
plaster and lime, remembering always that the lime
and phosphatcs entering into the composition of any
vegetable texture, are wonderfully improved for
the consumption of the plant by having first passed
through an animal organization. For drink, give your
vine plentiful weekly contributions of soap-ssds
Thus fairly treated it will give you for bone-dust
and ashes delicious grapes; and the soap-suds viii
return in good wine without any mixture of log
wood
Though the vine shades its clusters well with
leaves, it needs, as we have limited plenty of
light as well as free circulation of air among its
branches So that in situations where it is stinted
for room, and where its branches and leaves grow
in too thick Masses the stock does not bear well,
and the fruit does not mature. Vines trained
against buildings or upon trellises and arbors
should never be planted less than eight feet apart
and greater interval between them will do them
no harm. Around Cincinnati, the vines having
Southern exposure seem to thrive best
The propagation of the grape vine is found to be
best secured by layers that is, by laying branches
under ground without detaching them from the pa
rent stock, when they quickly take root PrOpaga-
ton by cuttings does not succeed so well.
j Vines should be annually pruned in November or
March but if in spring. always before the flow of
sap has commenced. This should be done by taking
off lateral branches to within inch Of the upright
stem, when, upon the full return of spring, new
bearing shoots viii appear.
There seems to be no great concord of opinion
among vine growers as to the extent of pruning
necessary, nor as to the prOpriety Of prun-
ings By the fruit growers of Western New York.
tbs thought that pruning gives larger and
finer grape, and heavier crop. But it must not be
carried too far, it may start the succeeding years
buds prematureIy. SO by excessive summer prun-
ing the time of ripening may be FASTENED.
We find the following excellent suggestions in re-
gard to planting rooted vines, and the of them
after sprouting in a communication to the Prairie
FdTmer:
Commence by digging the hole from two tO three
feet deem and from five diameter. all
the subsOil entirely away, fill the hole half full Of
old bones, old shoes, or shreds of old clothes
fill in well-rotted manure, mixed with little earth
up to the proper depth set the plants tread down
the ground gently, then set the plants being careful
to spread out the roots WELL and fill in with rich
| soil, well pulYeriZed and incorporated among the
small roots, and you have done job that you will
never regret Follow this up with yearly dressings
of manure, applied in the fall, and carefully fOrked
in the spring not to inJure the roots and abun
dart crops of fruit will be the reward. l should
have mentioned that when the plants are SET they
should be cut back to within one or two eyes, and
the next year also cut back severely to enable the
| root to get well established before it commences
bearing fruit. This is all important item, and
must not be overlooked, if you would have healthy,
/ vigorous and productive vines"
We are surprised that the residents of towns and
cities do not cultivate the vine to greater extent
The refuse matter of the fireplace and wash-tub
would furnish proper manure for the plant, and
brick or two lifted from the pavement of back
yard will gave ample space for it to take root And
certainly the side of house covered with climbing
branches and wide spreading leaves from among
which the purple clusters peep, is more attractive
sight than bare wall.
We find that at the annual meeting of the Missouri
Grape Growers Association, Mr.. Geo. HUsMANN an
experienced grape grower spoke very emphatleal-
" in favour of the three grapes named above as
against the old favorites, Catawba and Isabella, and
his opinion seems to be sustained by the voice of
majority of those in attendance. The NoKToN's
Virginia Herbemont and Concord have done WE'LL
he says, being all that is claimed for them. The
Norton for wine the Herbemont for wine and table,
and the Concord a superior table grape. The Cata-
ba and Isabella 1 reject. 1 know that am coming
in contact with the prejudices of and the in
terest of Others when speak against these, but Id
this advisedy after six to eight years trial. every
location, soil, culture, and mode Of pruning"
The vote of the Association on grapes we find as
follows:
For WINE-Norton's Virginia Seeding u; Herbe-
mon s. Catawba. 2; Delaware, Cape, l.
For TABLE-Concord, "A Delaware, 10; Meade's
Seeding 4 Bartlett, 4 Halifax Seeding, Diana,
Catawba, and Isabella, each.
Mr.. HUsMAN gives Mr.. DowNNGs description of
the Norton and his own enumeration of its merits
as follows:
No7ton's VirqiHia NOrtOns Seedlinq.-A native
Seeding, produced by cross between the Bland and
Miller's Burgundy, by DR.. N. Norton, of Richmond,
Virginia. 1t is most productive grape in garden
or vineyard, bearing very large crops Especially
at the South where many kinds rot, in all seasons.
1t has been COMPOUNDED by some with Ohio grape,
from which it is quite dlstinct-mOre pulpy and
less agreeable for the desert. though probably
much better wine grape.
- loOU sometimes piUbt m nine inches
occasionally shOuldered, somewhat compact Ber-
ries small round. Skin thin, dark purple. Flesh
PUPPY, with brisk, rather rough flavor. The foil
age is light cOlOred shaped Ike the Elsinburg.
Shoots strong and hardy"
So far Downing in lS45 and the description still
holds good With that nice, almost instructive per-
ceptOn of the qualities of fruit which he possessed
in such an eminent degree, he, even at that time,
fOreshadOwed its great destiny wine grape.
NOrtOns Virginia has opened a new era IN American
grape culture While in the Catawba we have
boosted of a grape whose juice would equal the far
famed hook wines of the "Fatherland'-In the Nor
h, toms Virginia we have one, whose dark colOred,
high favored juice can boldly compete with the
best Burgundy and Port wines while its qualities
as a sure and abundant bearer will at place it
far above that field fayOrite Of Ohio wine growers,
! the Catawba, which is subject to every change in
the atmosphere
Ist It's as hardy as an oak having even withstood
the terrible winters Of 1853 and 1856 without any
| injury.
ID 1t adapts itself to any SOIL bearing plentiful
crops on the rocky and steep hillside well in
the deep and rich bottoms of rivers and creeks
only varying somewhat in the quality of the wine it
produces in different localities.
Sd. 1t starts late in spring, blOssomng about
week after the Catawba, and ripens its fruit week
sooner than that variety, which is great advantage
in localities subject to late trOsts IN spring, and
early frosts in the fall and will make it valuable at
the North.
4th It is never touched by mildew and rot and
will produce, under fair treatment, average of
| from 800 to 500 gallons per acre.
9Th 1t makes an excellent, very dark cOlOred
wine which. under proper treatment, will compare
| favorably with good Burgundy Port though it
has peculiar. strong flavor of its own, and which
sells very ready at 81 per gallon, Sl2 per dozen
! bottles When the must of the Catawba has from
rs to IS degrees specific gravity the NortOn's Yir
GINA has from 81 to 80 degrees.
9th. 1t will stand more hardItreatment than almost