Nebraska advertiser., 1860-07-12

FFHm tne Vountry OentFeman.
Grape Growing In Missouri,

Il
manii. during the last twelve or fifteen
years, The success, although not per-
feet, has been very fauering. The av-
erage net profit per acre, for the series
of years, has exceeded $500 per annum.
The wines produced have compared IA
vorably with those of other wine grow
ing regions. The only serious obstacle
in the way of complete success, has been
"The Rot" which In some seasons has
nearly destroyed the crop of the Cataw-
ba. II is generally believed to be caus-
ed by an excess of moisture about the
roots, and damp, moist weather. Il is
severe in unusually wet seasons and on
low and wet parts Of the vineyards The
same serious drawback has been expert
enced, TO about the same extent, by the
vine growers of Ohio. 400 .a's7 tFst
Within the past few years, since the
prosecution of the Geological survey Of
this State, attention has been called 10 the
superior adaptation of large portions Of
our State to viue-growing, and tbe in
terest and importance of the subject
Meteorological observations have been
taken; the experience of our vine-grow-
ers collected; and the soils carefully OBJ
served and the varieties submitted to a
skillful chemist for full and accurate an.
alysis. "And says the State Geologlst,
so far as we can Judge from the char
acteristics of the soil and climate, and the
indications of the native vines, these S.
100000 acres in the highlands of south
ern Missouri, present rare inducements
to the vine-dresser-such a combination
of favorable circumstances as will not
fail 10 attract the attention of those who
would engage in this most pleasant and
profitable department of husbandry."-
He estimates the annual profit of these
100000 acres cultivated in vineyards,
at $5000000,000; and says, ''what is
still more important, tie pure nohrishing
Juice of the grape would take the place
of the vile, maddening compounds used
in the names of wine and brandy; drum
kenness would give place to sobriety, and
our:people nourished by the grape and its
pure wines, would become as robust and
hardy as they are now daring and indon,-
table," r.e
Most of our oldest vineyards are not
situated upon our most favorable soils,
but are near the large rivers upon soils
700 solid and wet. and underlaid by clay,
and which cannot be as we'll fitted for the
grape, even al great expense, as large
portions of the country are naturally fit
ted. Yet the success of our .vine-grow-
ers has been very encouraging. even with
the Catawba, as has been shown; and
some varieties, NOrton's Virginia, and
Concord, for instance, have not vet been
affected with the rot in these localities.
Capt Massey of ST. Clair, on the south
west branch of the Pacific Railroad, has
vineyard in all Of about ten acres. A
portion newly planted, some coming into
bearing for the first this year, some six
years old, and a few about a dozen
years old. A majority of his vines,
think, are Catawba. The locality is an
duIating and beautiful The captains
vineyard is on post oak soil, comparative
ly poor, clayey loan in character, and full
of what are called Iron shot'-pellets
of iron varying from the size Of buck
shot to No g. The soil is deep, and is
underdrained by a stratum of gravel, a
foot aud upwards in thickness, resting
upon magnesian limestone, the latter
more or less combined at its surface with.
or capped by sand rock. The locality Is
noted for producing large crops of grass.
Capt M. says that clover does not do
well With him, but timothy grows most
luxuriantly. He enriches his land by
plOwing under crops of the latter when
in bloom. which, by its fermentation in
the soil, he says. attracts gasses from The
atmosphere, and greatly improves its
character and fertility He says thai his
grape have never been in the Least afec-
ted by either mildew or rot. and he uni-
formly gets good crops. Having beard
This fact stated by several within the last
six months. and generally attributed to
the mode of cultivation, / determined, a
short time since, to visit the vineyard,
and ascertain what facts could, in re-
gard to il. The result is that am per-
fectly convinced that the chief cause of
success in this case is owing to the char
acter of the soil and subsoil. The SUBJ
stratum of gravel affords perfect and
most desirable undertakings. The
freedom of this vineyard from disease is,
| think, a pertinent fact in suhstantiation
of the conclusion formed and promulgat-
ed by our able State Geologist. Capt.
M. does not offer to assign any cause for
the exemption Of his vines from disease.
His cultivation is not peculiar except per-
haps, peculiarly neglectful. He does not
trench his ground, nor even plOw very
deeply for vine planting, He plants one
or two year old vines, and cullivates the
first year in corn, allowing the vines TO
grow as they please the first ond second
years, believing that they make more
roots by growing unpruned. -
His wine is, in most respects, I Judge.
unequalled. Like his vineyard however.
it shows some lack of attention. / think
10 the making. sufficient attention was
not paid 10 cleansing and fumigaling the
ns. 90 49, zs.lH.f. f.5ra 5lt i.5-