Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-24
Grapes about ROcI5s--Grape vines
ian Cities

I NFtstpt sADDskA EGOckAs-tsTsspG vines
in Cities.
The american Journal OF HoriiceE-
tire makes the following question:
''The past season was a very peculiar
One-wet and cold; and the grapes in
Z many localities in the East failed to ripen.
While this was generally true, it was
rather refreshing to observe at one of our
/ horticultural exhibitions, splendid spcci-
/ mems of a well-known variety, apparently
! fully ripe, which we found on inquiry had
been grown near a ledge of rocks. Some
/ years ago, we visited a place where we
/ Observes similar results from a similar
! cause. The whole secret of the thing is
| hat the rocks absorb the heat of the sun
| by day, and give it off at night keeping
the roots of the vine warm, and the tenn
| peTatGre about il more fully equaliZed.
'Our attention was once attracted 10
this same subject by observing that the
melon vines in a hill around which some
stones had been placed, were much larger
at the end of a few weeks than those in
the hills that had not been SO treated The
same principle is observed in cities, where
| gTapevines are trained in front Of brick
walls, which absorb the heat by day, and
reflect IL when most needed by the vine.
| We propose TO test more fully the value of
such treatment for the vine, by placing
stones about the roots Of several bearing
vines, in different parts of The vineyard
where they failed this year 90 ripen
single grape. -
Another Of our exchanges contains the
following.
No householder has any good excuse
for not having grape vine OF two on his
premises, however contracted hispremises
| may be. If your ground extends but two
feet from your house, plant a grape vine
and train il up to the side of your house,
and plant good one Many people get
wild vine to shade a door or a piazza
one which never fruits, and il il does, its
fruit is good for nothing, when they
might just as well have ono that would
yield them from one TO two or three or
four bushels of good wholesome grapes
every year.
I'm field culture, il is true, they expect
but q few grapes from a single vine, be
cause they train them low andhayc a great
many of them. But really it is difficult
TO set limits to the capacity of a single
grape vine. A gentleman of Vcracity once
told us he had seen a single vino, a black
Hamburg, in European city, which
yielded two tons Of grapes annually. II
IS no uncommon thing in New York city
for grape vine to be trained 10 the top Of
lOur-stoTy mansion, and TO produce eight
or ten bushels Of grapes We once saw
a Clinton vine growing up close beside
kitchen and spreading over a surface of
near FIVE hundred square feet, and must
have had upon 1t at least ten bushels of
grapes.
''lf you have no room but lie side Of
your house, or the roof Of a kitchen or
shed, get a vine which viii stand the
winter without taking down. The Gin
ton win do it, and probably the Concord,
as the house affords great protection; but
get the best that will stand the winter
and it win afford shade and ornament in
summer, and give a crop of grapes every
year which in one form or another VIII
last you all WiGtcrand add dainty luxury
10 your table The labor of il win be
mere amusement You can put such
vine where You can put nothing else, and
it viii thank you many times and repay
Won well for Your hospitality.