Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-07-05
farm anu Garnell.
GRAPE CULTURE


it prefers dry soil, as if it were too
pelioate and dainty to put forth its
roots into mud and water. In Italy,,
a favorite home of the grape, the local
tiles most noted for delicious wines are
sunny aud sandy hiil-sides. Men
may like water With their vine, but
ihe vine does net want too much
Of it in the original manufacture Of
the pure juice. Sill it will flourish
jn moist lands; but il the cultivator
is obliged to resort to such, he should
adopt athorough system of under
draining. The colder the locality
the later will the fruit come to matu-
rity: end the greater the dampness,
the greater the liability to mildew.
In manufacturing its juice, the
grapevine is somewhat particular in
The quality Of the food it consumes
it is very partial TO potash and
ammonia. So TO make it spread
out luxuriant leaves to the sun. and
wind its plant branches around the
topmost bars Of the trellis. feed it we'll
with bone dust, ashes, plaster and
lime, remembering always. that the
lime and phosphates entering into
he composition of any vegetable
texture, are wonderfully improved for
the consumption Of the plant, by
having first passed through an an mai
organization For drink, give your
vine plentiful weekly contributions
oil soap suds. Thus fairly treated, it
will give you for toue-dust and ashes,
delicious grapes; and the soap-suds
will return in good wine without any
mixture of logwood.
Though the vine shades its elus-
tiers well with leaves, it needs, as We
have limited, plenty of sunlight, as
we'll as free circulation Of air among
it's branches. So that in situations
where it is s.iute1 for room. and
where its branches and leavs grow in
too thick masses. the stock does
not bear well, and the fruit does not
mature. Vines trained against build.
logs, or upon treliises aud arbor'
should never be planted less thar
eight feet apart, and greater inter
val between them will do them nc
harm. Around Cincinnati, the vines
having Southern exposure, teem Il
thrive best.
The propagation of the grape vine
is found 20 be best secured by layers
that is, by laying the branches under
ground without detaching them from
the parent stock, when they quickly
take root. Propagation by cutting
does not succeed 60 well.
There seems to be no great con
cord Of opinion among vine grower
as to extent Of pruning necessary
nor as to the propriety Of summe
prunings. By the fruit growers O
Western New York, it is though
that summer pruning gives large
and finer grape, and heavier crop
But it must not be carried too fal
as it may start the succeeding year
buds prematurely. So by excsssiv
summer pruning the time Of ripeninI
may be FASTENED.
We find the following excsllen
suggestions 10 regard 10 planting
rooted vines, and the care Of thee
after sprousing, ia a communicate
to the Prairie Farmer:
Commence by digging the hol
from two to three feet deep, an
from four to five in diameter; cast al
the subsoil entirely away, fill tn
hole half full of old bones, oil
shoes, or even shreds Of old clothes
fill in well.rotted manure, mixe'
With little earth, up to the prope
depth to set the plants, tread dow
the ground gently, then set tn
plants, being careful to spread gu
the roots well, and Gll in with ric|
soil, we'll pulverized and Incorporates
among the small roots, and you hav
done a job that you will never re
greet. Follow this up with yearl..
dressings Of manure, applied in tn
fall, and carefully forked in tn
spring so as not 20 ipjure the roots
and abundant crops Of fruit will b
the reward. ! should have men
toned that when the plants are SO
they should be cut back to within
one or two eyes. and the next yea
also cut back severely to enable tht
root to get we'll established before j
commences bearing fruit. This il
an all important item, and must no
be overlooked, if you would have
healthy, vigorous and productive