Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-08-27
LOCAL NEWS.
TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST q. I
GRAPE CULrTuRE Although but few years
;,.s4bo aftention Of American

GRAPE CULTURE. although but few years
have passed since the attention OF American
oor;c,nnturists has been directed to the culture
rs the grape, it is already assuming an import
ance and interest of the highest character
California wines are being yearly produced by
the million gallons, and the name Of Longworth,
IF Ohio, is already widely known as most
successful grower of grapes, and manufacturer
If excellent wines. And in truth there is no
reason why this land should not become a land
If grapes to as great an extent as France, or
that American wines should-not stock the mar
let The success Of Longworth is beyond
onestiop, the immense fortune amassed by him
fnllv proving the highly remunerative charac-
tar Of the occupation of the vineyard grower
and wine seller His vineyards, under judi
o;ons management, have proven as productive
nrobsbly as the majority Of those in foreign
countries of the same latitude, and the wines
ore Of unquestionably fine quality. An inter
cot is springing up over all the land On this
subject, and enquiries as to the probable SUE
,sss Of grape culture are much more numerous
than is generally supposed Happily all doubts
as to this success are set at rest, to great ex-
tent at least, by late experiments instituted on
liberal scale in many of the Middle and
Western States. As previously mentioned,
California and Ohio are leading the way, and
IN both these States thousands of acres are un-
der successful cultivation. In Pennsylvania
and illinois, also, grape culture is being most
necessarily carried on on large scale. Many
n Virginia, too, since the close OF the late
war, and the destruction of the system OF labor
formerly iu practice here, are turning their at
teotion to this subject, and with the advantages
Of climate, soil and temperature possessed by
our State there can be no doubt that the en-
terprise of such will prove eminently success
full. will take time and patience, and though
many failures may attend the incipient stages
Of the work, Virginia may, if her people labor
ptelligenty, become, in time, as famous Tor
her Wines "a in former days and at present she
is Justly famous for her tobacco. Experiments
must be patiently made and persevered in as to
what varieties succeed best, for it il we'll known
that sorts which thrive in certain localities
prove comparatively unproductiVe when plant
= ed in another latitude or soil Methods of cul-
tvation also must be studied, the arts of prun-
log and developing all the bearing qualities OF
the vines learned Mr.. F. M. Mills, late of
Illinois, has recently purchased a small farm
near this city, which he proposes to devote to
the culture OF the grape on larger scale than
has been seen here hitherto. He brings with
him information of much practical value on
the subject, and the facts and figures given by
him are full Of instruction to all who feel inter-
ested in this most interesting question. An
acre of land, according to the statement OF Mr.
NJ, will easily accommodate 200 vines These
vines will be in full bearing order in three
years Each vine will yield ten pounds OF
grapes One bushel (40 lbs.) of grapes will
yield three gallons Of wine, which in its crude
state is worth So per gallon. The above figures
are put down at half the actual yield of vine
yards now growing in the West At this min
ilnum statement it will be seen that the profits
are exceedingly large. Suppo ing that vine
yard in Virginia would yield only as above
stated, there would be an actual profit of over
$500 after allowing a liberal deduction for ex
penses of cultivation. $500 from an acre OF
land Who is it that after toiling over fifty
acres of corn gets that much profit from the
soil? And yet the corn must be planted year
after year, and the soil impoverished with the
same routine of planting, cultivation and reap
ing: while the vineyard oace ia bearing condi-
ton is good for years, requiring scarcely the cul-a
tvatiOn or care that the same amount OF corn
would need. IF any one is inclined to try his
fortune in this field, and hesitates for fear that
Everybody will go at it, and ruin the bust
uess.' he need only look over the statistics of
the customs, and note the Importation OF tor
eipn wine, amounting to millions Of gallons an
nually; he need only count if he can the thou
sands on thousands of bushels OF grain used IN
the distillation OF alcoholic drinks. For We
should consider that the wine producer Is
/ real friend of humanity in 40 far as he supplies
I those who will drink with a comparatively
harmless article of liquor, comparative Stats
tics going FAR to show that wine-drinking ma
4 lions are much less prone to drunkenness than
3 those who imbibe ''villainous whiskey' herea-
bouts, in much OF which strichnine is said to be
3 the active principle. 1t was not intended to
make this temperance article, and the pen
3 has strayed from the original idea, which was
8 to represent briefly the prompt and handsome
B remuneration with which the vine grower is
& rewarded for his toll TO be successful in this
& lne however, the novice should gather all
8 practical information possible from books and
8 from observation for intelligence in agrlcul-
ture is as essential as 10 the arts, to high de-
q gree Of success. 1t is hoped that others will
follow Mr.. Mills, in this peculiar field Of labor,
3 and that the grape producing qualities OF This