The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-04-24
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch
Specialties I'm OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and
-s VINEYARDS. 80 q

Speciaittes Observation-Disclosures and
Vineyards. el
In on Introductory paper the writer re-
cognized the necessity to the planter of mod
flying his field operations SO as to enable
him to dispense with much Of the negro labor
he has been heretofore dependent on, and
indicated as means the diminution of the
breadth he has usually given to cereals, and
the substitution of o class Of crops which
will yield greater return at g less cost of
tillage.. '-.----z-
He selected by name o few Of this class
whieh are not soon perishable, are easy of
transportation, have q large and certain
value, and find ready sale and on unlim-
tied demand in any market in the United
States He might have embraced many
others in the list, (strawberries and garden
truck, for instance, which pay only in vi
cinities Of populous cities,) but the lack Of
one or other Of these conditions would make
them too hazardous q crop to yieldra sure
return in remote places. si-'i z,i. ..5,..;
sAmong the special crops the vine merits
the FIRST place, because, 1T possesses oil the
conditions named in an eminent degree.
Indeed, there seems to be general awaken
ing throughout the State to the conviction
that while New York, Ohio, Missouri, ILL.,
nois, and California are drawing their an
nual millions from vine culture, both as
wine and as fruit, Virginia, with as good D
soil, - more genial climate, an earlier start,
and later growth, ought not to stand aloof
in this honorable and lucrative competition.
If Virginians will not give this direction to
their enterprise they viii find their lands
bought up for the purpose by strangers;
andaafter afew years will see them teeming
with varieties Of these special products that
will be bringing an untold amount Of wealth
to their new possessors, which would have
been their own If they had moved in time.
AS things now are, D Virginia lady pur-
chases q four-pound box lin which packages
they are usually sent to markeD at o Rich
moi,d store, labelled g CataWba grapes,
grown by John Smith, Ohio or Com
cords, Crown by .Iabez Shoemaker, Illi--
nois,s, for which she pays sixty or seventy
cents q pound, and have been imported
from New York by q Main7street confsc-
TONER She regales her friends with q
luxury at this expense, which her husband
might have raised in his own fields by the
ton with as: little cost and labor as he raises
q bushel of wheat or hand Of tobacco. !.
a large portion Of the profits made from
vineyards, at present, comes from selling the
fruit to dealers in the northern cities hut
by the time arvineyard now planted will
come into full bearing, She markets will be
80 abundantay supplied with the grape, as 8
table fruit, that the price will be reduced to.
little more than it will fetch when converted
into wine. AS table fruit, it averages To-
the gseSer twenty five cents per pound !;
put up IN fancy boxes or baskets,it brings:
twice that price; it's intrinsic value for cons
version into wine is eight to fifteen cents
per pound, according to the kind and quality
Of the grape. The variety Delaware brings
the highest !; the Coneord and other pro-
digious producers bring the lowest. tits
alwRys safest 10 base estimates on mini
mum rethrnS and, maxinnms costs and he
who now plants ayiaeyard should sestimatei
the yalueof its produce at 90 much per GAL,
Lon aas wine, when IL is bssrelled III his:
cellar, and not On the p7escnt price al Qrapes
Perponnd. Immsdia tely a4Ser vintage the
concord Is worth 81. $50 peraSaaon and eyery
yesxaEtHksptadds o. dolaarper ealIor e. I'LL I'LL,
Sasues Wins {sons DeIsWnse ssnd. ~ ,, -,
grspes fetehcs more hut is ia Az w. az.
WsneAdfeG56f IN hiE noyaf;a n - -. .Io
sek t0 the thar time Ess =; u As.
In which there Is no hazsya ~ s1a
Thss4rst year;oss rtnc issn fSs 49, -
1t Is raised by nHrserymen. SEs M,
in forcing; houses, and when just ststtss =
setout ID beds for one resson, grcytlh. ~
theend eHwhich II comes. into the HANDED
the. purchaser fos planting jR vineyasds,
which u done in reWs eight feat apart and
Blk feet distant in the row. H bsaIthy,
IL grows tsn or twelTe feet tho asst SEA-
son 10 the vineyard, and before fhs sap
rises the following spring the plsntar prunss
it down TO the two buds nearest to each
other, shout twelve inches from the ground I;