Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-05-31
Cultivation of fhe Grnne.--HYInn MnlIInr.

fehosr IL valuable paper 70 all interested in
the culture Of the grape. DR.. Mosher says:
About thirty-fiye years ago it was ascer-
tanned by Maj. Adlum of Georgetown, in the
District Of Columbia, that wine Of excellent
quality could be made from the Catawba
grape, a native Of North Carolina although
previous to that wine had been made Of the
Schuykill grape, native of Pennsylvania,
which was pronounced by Mr.. Jefferson as
comparing fayorably with the best Burgundy
of France.
1t is, however, but few years since the
business Of wine-farming has attracted much
attention from the public, and was brought
into notice by the active exertions Of few
enterprising individuals who, aided by the
practical knowledge Of our German and
French immigrants, demonstrated that wines
Of fair quality could be produced from our
native American grapes, and with remunera-
tive profits. Since which it would seem as If
the whole people had become so much excited
on the subject as to endanger a multicaulis
mania. The pursuit has taken such strong
hold upon the American mind that it is al
ready running into all sorts Of vagaries on
the subject.
AAAAAAI4a VI aAtAANAo nave 1AuuclAl
up, many Of whom have perhaps seen few
grapes growing in the garden or greenhouse,
but have never cultivated a vineyard or ever
seen one, but who are endeavoring to enlight-
en- the public by the promulgation of null
titude of theories and practices, in regard to
the establishment of vineyards, and the train
ing and management of the vine, as well as
the making and management Of wine.
Such a diversity of methods have been
plausibly recommended by inexperienced
writers, that it has become difficult for be-
ginner to determine as to the best mode of
procedure
Those cultivators who have been longest
engaged in the pursuit in this country, are
yearly arriving at similar conclusions, and
that the best system for preparing the ground
planting, training, pruning the vine, and the
making and management Of wine, is that
which is founded upon the principles and
practices of long experience in the best wine
countries Of Europe, with such notifications
only as may be demanded by the difference
of climate, and the different habits and char
acteristics of our indigenous or native wines,
which comprise six or seven botanical species
all of which will yield wine of various
quality, and require in some respects differ
ent management, more complicated than that
which is practiced in Europe with vines all
derived from one species, and which have
been under training from time immemorial.-
But the general treatment of our wild vines
that has proved most successful is very simil-
ar to that practiced in the best wine countries
of the Eastern continent.
The habits our American vines are of
savage character; they are fond of roaming
among the forests, and mounting the tops of
the highest trees, where they produce little
fruit, and that of inferior quality. The first
and most important desideratum, therefore,
with the American yinegrower is TO domesti-
cate them and bring them under the dominion
of man This to be effected only by pruning,
and with the most vigorous hand, by close
planting, and by good cultivation. Their re-
productive energies must be humbled and
brought near the ground.
Several varieties of the Wits Sabrusca, the
Catawba, Isabella and the SehuylkiIl, or
Cape, as it is often enormously called, have
all been subjected to vineyard culture, and
found to produce wine of good quality in
latitudes suited to their perfect maturity
And it may here be remarked that no pure
wine can be made of best quality unless the
grapes are fully ripe
The CataWba vine when planted closely,
say from three to five feet apart and pruned
and trained low, yields wine of excellent
quality, which viii with age compare favora-
bly, with the most celebrated Hoch wines Of
Germany, to which class of wines it natur-
ally belongs. The Schuylkil grape affords a
red wine much resembling the Burgundy of
France. The Isabella gives light pale red
wine about equal to ordinary Claret.
The older our vineyards become, when the
above system is steadily pursued, and when
the natural rank growth of the vines has
been subdued, the better quality the wine
becomes. In choosing from among the nu-
merous varieties of native grapes for the for
nation of vineyard, it is very important
to study the habitat of the vine, and ascer-
tain if it is adapted to the soil and position
Of the land whereon you wish to plant. The
Catawba, for instance, a native of high,
rocky mountain region of North Carolina,
viii not flourish on the rich alluvial bottoms
of our Eastern rivers, but succeeds well on
the elevated limestone and sandstone hills
and slopes bordering the thoroughfares and
streams.
The Schuylkill and the Isabella on the
contrary, do not flourish in like situations,
but succeed admirably along the dry banks
of rivers and creeks that never overflow, and
viii grow very well on upland of medium
fertility and moderately undulating.
The three varieties above mentioned are
merely given in illustration of principles
that should govern in the establishment of
L., - fb;r oo,r,fvv- from indiuan
vines, as these are the only kinds most ex-
tensiYely tried in the Middle States for wine
making.
The business OF vine growing in this coun-
try, which has been prosecuted with partial
success only, must be considered merely as
| an experiment, and we have yet much to learn.
The kinds of grape we have cultivated most
extensively thus far, have been subject to
many casualties, dependent either upon the
variable character of our climate, or the want
of adoption to the soil, or to the best mode OF
cultivation.
The Catawba, for example, which, in a
favorable season is a most prolific bearer, and
Yields wine of excellent quality-is often
greatly diminished or entirely cut off by mil
| dew OF rot, or untimely frosts. 1t has fire.
| Queuuy huCu tAO AaOpC VI lAiO AuS
bandman has been raised to the highest pitch
by the prospect of an abundant crop, that
hope has been blighted in a single night by
| the fatal mildeW or the more prevalent rot.
These are diseouraging circumstances that
have heretofore and will continue to retard
the planting of vineyards in this country, un-
til some new grape is introduced, better adapt
ed to the purpose than either Of the three va
rieties above named. Several new varieties
that seem less subject to disease have already
been partially tried, and found to yield wines
superior in quality to the Catawba, Cape, OF
Isabella. The Delaware is the best-the
Venango, the Herbment the Diana, and the
Norton's Virginia for red wine, all of very
superior quality; and it would seem matter
Of wisdom in the planting of new vineyards
to introduce several varieties, in about equal
proportions, instead of planting exclusively
the Catawba, as we have been too much IN
the habit of doing. Iu this way there would
be chance of securing cropof one or more
| kinds in seasons when others fail.