Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1865-12-05

Grape Culture.

Vi dp6 Cu1LuI0,
A writer in the Richmond Enquirer treating of
the natural resources of Virginia calls special at
tention to its capacity for the culture of grapes.
The special adaptation of Augusta for grapes may
well be inferred from the profuse quantities and
varieties Of the wild species that cluster spon-
taneously over all its sunny hillsides The time
will soon conceive trust, when this delicious fruit,
in its best varieties, will glow in purple beauty
all over our fair lands, as it has been made to do
IN the fields Of France, erst upon the slopes of
Engeddi. Says this writer: One hundred and
three of the one hundred and forty-eight coun ties
in Virginia, produced wine in 1860, making the
aggregate Of 40, 808 gallons; eleven counties pro-
ducing 22,415 gallons.
But, in our opinion, portion of Virginia or
Of the United States drained by Atlantic waters,
offers such inducements for remunerative enter
prise in the cultivation Of the vine, under the
most favorable circumstances of climate (both in
regard to temperature and moisture, combined,
with the extreme of healthfulness) proximity to
the Atlantic cities and the national capital, with
great facilities for access to them, in the midst
| OF an old and well established society, unsur-
passed for industry, manly integrity and Chris
tan morality, and yet much Of it uncleared and
in its primeval condition as the "Fruit Belt Of
the Blue RIDGE" embracing not only most Of
what is known the Blue Ridge mountains, but
also the ridges and their valleys that run far
down into the Piedmont or s'Redland' country,
on the east, and the spurs and watersheds that
on the west reach out into the ''great Valley of
Virginia" and form the ''divides" of it's numerous
water courses. This region lies under the iso-
therm of mean tempera ture Of n degrees for
the four summer months of June, July, August
and September, as we have stated, and comes
within the region of from eight to ten inches of
summer rain-in what, from its climate, is called
the ''Catawba section"-the very best for grapes
The Virginia Central Railroad crosses the Val
ley of Virginia at right angles to its course, and
when it reaches the foot of the North Moun tain
on the west side of the Valley it is at an eleva-
ton of 600 feet; three miles further on it is
2,073 feet above tide, higher than the top of the
Blue Ridge, yet the mountain west of it is 1915
feet above it, s. 448 feet above tide and this is
true of the whole chain of the great North or Kit
atnny Mountain for the 800 miles that it stretch
es, in graceful curve, and under various local
names, along the western side of the Great Val
ley parallel to the Blue Ridge and at distance
from it of about 5 miles. 1t is everywhere from
1880 to 1000 feet higher than the top of the Blue
Ridge. And what follows from this The VAL
ley rises from east to west in its width of 25
miles over 500 feet. 1t lies to the sun like hot
bed; any one knows what follows from that. But
further, the North Mountain is to the Blue Ridge
high sheltering wal-it breaks the cold winds
of the northwest, that come sweeping over the
vast plain that stretches from the Arctic ocean
aim ost to the western base of the Alleghanies it.
and the mountains west Of it, condenses the mois-
ture Of these winds and robs them Of their snow
| Man never built such wall to protect O. vine.
yard, 70 throw back upon it the accumulated
warmth of reflector three hundred miles long
and two thousand feet high. We might also show
that the prevailing winds Of this region are high
| ly favora Bile, owing to the direction of these
mountains but We are led too far by this enti-
cling theme of 'location, though Gugot, the great
physical geogra pher of America, says it is every
thing. Having considered the climatalcgy, it re-
mains to consider the soH the main thing after
all, for hopes built on the temperature and the
vaper are but 'air castes,' they must be 'found-
ed on q rock" or, what is the same thing, on
soil formed from ssthe rock' that can temper the
heat and the moisture Alright for the use of the
vine In the fifty different minerals all of which
may be found at the tunnel of the Central Rail-
road that 60 to make up the mass of the gueissic
or feldspathic rocks we find large per centages of
siicu, alumina, mognesa, lime, potash, soda,
oxide Of iron and mongcse, and these are the
elements that go to form 'dry, warm, porous,
calcareous Soils" the ones everywhere deemed
best for VINEYARDS