American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-01-09
GLE farnl 4 g5Moen.
The Souppernong Grape = Its
Productiveness.

: markable Southern grape Is trul.
fabulous as compared with any othe
cultivated on this continent; hence
it's increasing popularity and the
probability of its becoming one o
the great staples of the South
North Carolina alone is estimated tc
have produced 100000 gallons OF
wine in 1867, probably doubling the
amount in 1868. This yield at only
90 per gallon would amount to a
very handsome sum. Mississippi
ought to produce 100000 gallons
annually for the next 100 years, and
in all probability will, when its
energetic citizens become more in
timately acquainted with its immense
productions of never failing crops OF
delicious grapes SO readily convert
ed into wine for expectation. The
day will come when expectations OF
wine will be more profitable in the
aggregate than those of King Cotton
in the palmiest days of the South.
The cultivation of the SCuppernong
is more simple than that Of cotton,
and is not subject to attacks Of III
sects, never rots on the vine, never
killed by frost, never devastated by
army worm, cotton worm, or blighted
by drouth, or destroyed by excessive
rains, but is invariably under all
circumstances wholly exempt from
insects of any name or species,
never failing to bear more prOliticly
than any other grape known. y
gentleman three miles south of
where | write has vine of the black
variety, grown from a seed of the
white or genuine original Scupper-
nong sent him from North Carolina,
(where this grape was first known
to the European race about twelve
years ago; which vine though
neglected for six years, during the
war aud only elevated to Scattold
the second year had grapes enough
on it to have made barrel of wine
last September when | visited it.
The vine covers a space of over
1000 square feet and had Il heavy
crop of magnificent berries, corymbs
or clusters, hanging pendant from
hundreds Of branches from three to
twelve in a corymb. Mr.. Stubs,
of this or adjoining county, owns a
vine of the white Scuppornong
planted out some % years ago by
his father which covers a space of
half acre or more, and yielded last
year, as supposed by men who saw
the grapes on it, over 100 bushels
or enough to have made eight bar
feis Of wine worth from $500 to
$4,000, depending upon how old and
In what manner offered in market |
A sum greater perhaps than Mr..
Stubs or any other farmer netted |
on his entire crop in either county. |
Colonel Dockery, Of this State,
wrote me that lie had a vine that |
bore him 80 bushels of grapes last
year, He says, "if he was a young
man he would plant one acre i'll the
Scuppernong if he had to pay s.
per vine, that acre in ,telc gears
1c0uld be a support, five would be
little fortune" There is a very
large vine near Memphis about the
size of a mans body near the
ground, that invariably produces
grapes enough to make several bar
relS of wine annually. There is
another near Somerville, Tenn, sad
to have furnished grapes for the use
ft>e family and visitors, and make
Glow tdlrels of wine. Carver Malts,
eighty bushels from one vine and
sold to one man. Mr.. Thomas
3 NTH certifying that he believed
the family and friends had consumed
at least twenty more, grown on the
same vine. The editor Of the Ban
ner says this is the largest yield of
one vine that he knows Of, but does
not indicate the quantity that could
be grown. He is correct, for it is a
well authenticated fact that single
vines have been known to produce
more than twice as much. j. Van /
Buren,, of Georgia, who has done {
much good for the South b. his able ,
pen on horticulture and kindred
subjects, refers to one in Southern
Alabama as having borne 2J0 bush
els of grapes in a single season, or ,
enough to have made twenty barrels {
If wine. Two thousand dollars for
he product of one vine in one ,,
Tear. Better than growing 100 acres
If cotton.
In North Carolina, some Yeas
lgO, Sydney Weller, Of Brinclile- I
vile, now deceased, wrote that
here was a near neighbor and =
friend of his, widow lady, who
made ten barrels of wine at his |
presses from less than half an acre t
II Scuppernongs seven years old. q
vet out from his nHrsery; and also )
mother who made two barrels of
vine from two vines set ont By him q
md permitted by her to run over 2
he trees i'll her yard. Mr.. De Bruel,
# the same State, owned a vine
hat bore q few years ago 40 bush. !
lis of grapes. Mr.. Robinson wrote
o me on the 9th of September last. n
hat "ten year old vines yield 1000 Il
0 1900 gallons per acre, say 30 vines: Il
lngle vines often yield 30 to 80 h
'ushels-greatest yield 100 bushels
o the vine. Almost all the growers :
ave the amber colored and purple. "
lave known vines 80 years old" Fl
1T. l.: }. Berckmans, of Georgia, 81
and September 18th, 1861, Etbe /.
.oncord has been pronounced at the "
iOrth and West the grape for the ?