The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1869-12-24
lIrom the Rochester Weekly tints
Can grape growing be made Pro-
fitable?

fitable?
The question we have chosen for III
subject Ola few thoughts. is one OF pr-a
iaroriance. There are 10 longer Hn0
exaggerated ideas about the eXtraoroina
~ profit OF grape culture. The cypec
tation Of gathering five hundred 10 ;
thousand dollars worth of fruit per acr,
each year, has been generally dispeiled
and under the depressing influence O
two or three partial failures, and The
present extremely unfavorable seasons
the tendency is against The further plant
ing of grape vines by farmers. except 10
supply their own wants. still We think
that where the best carly ripening varie-
ties are grown. the farmer viii find tliat
all his surplus. after supplying his own
liable. may be sold nj reasonably good
profits. Mr.. Pixley. near this city, has
for wears sold an average crop OF 1913
from q acres of Isabella grapes and yet
for two wears his crop has been almost
an entire failure. on account Of The cold
AID late season. MIR. PiNley's expenses
have been only about enc hundred dol
lars per yea!.. leaving ~ average profit
o. a little more than olNO per acre from
lii. grapes. This we should scgari as a
very Satisfactory result, and ihe isabella
is by no nleansa grape which we would
recommend for general cultivation. =
Some seasons it fails 10 ripen. ~ it did
entirely this year aud particularly last.
When il does ripcn II is so late thar il
comes after the market il giulied with
the early grapes and only brings the
lowest price. Notwithstanding MIR. Pix
lev has done SO we'll with his lsabcIas
the price has only averaged At cents per
pound. The profits have been made
IRON the enormously large crops grown.
one year amounting 10 twenly-s ven
Thousand pounds. or thirteen and one
halt tons on less than three acres. This
crop was certainly larger than should
ever be grown. and would probably ill.,
lure the vines for future bearing. We
only mention it TO show what can be
done.
Few people know the productive ca
pacities OF an acre OF vineyard when
we'll cared for. Ii the vines are kept
low and well pruned they can be planted
six feet 10 seven feet. This would make
a very few more than one thousand vine,
per acre. Five pounds OF grapes per
vine is low estimate. On we'd trained
vines seven or eight can easily be grown
At five pounds per vine and five cents
per pound, the crop.will amount to lit 4
lie more than two hundred and fifty \
dollars per acre. But where early va
ricties cail be grown or where the high
est favored OF the late varieties thor
pughly rpon much higher prices are OBJ
tanned. Tie earliest Detawares in Ro-
chester market brought twenty-five 10
thirty cents per pound. Hartford Pro-
iiics. though an inferior grape sold sew
srll days at fifteen 10 twenty cents per
pound Bye and bye. when half ripen-
a I,abcllas came in TO market, tie price
Al down so that the fruit was mol
vorth marketing though well ripened :
.rapes OF the early varieties continued
0 sell we'll.
The Concord grapes will produce lar
or crops than tie Isabella and will GER :
ainly ripen every year. Mr.. pixley
,ould have done better by his VINEYARD
hc had the Concord. But the Con- :
ord is not our best early grape. and Tor
ar.iness alone is surpassed by the Hart
ord Prolific " aich is about as good iii
uality. When farmers can get grape
,hich will the earliness, hardness and
veness OF the Hartford Prolific
nd Concord will combine tie richnessI
nd favor OF the Iona and the Delaware
hey may be reasonably certain OF 'front.'
ell to fifteen cents per pound for ali the
grapes they can grow and they can GER
ainly grow two and half TO four tons
ser acre. Farmers can figure for them
selves whether such crop would pay
better than ordinary farming.
l. there such grape? We find the
crevcling excellent in'iiayor. but its sclt-
crng buncn Is against it. ana it is not
lui.c early enough for the fancy price,
though sure TO ripen every year. Rog-
erS' No. seems nearer the true grape.
but tl,at too il only about as early as
Concord and Crcveiing. Rogers ID rip
encd well this year on Young vine. AMI
that is early enough. but IL has not a
bunch. and can never become
a popular market variety. For garden
culture for the family there ia no varie-
ty we would prefer before it, Salem
promises well. bat we have not yet test
ed it fully. The Walter promises to be |
an early grape o. good quality. That is
all we know about it.
Wo are strongly inclined to think
that The Eumean is the coming grape
which has been so long looked for. It'll
rlpens carly a. the Hartford Prolific !
OK aran earlier, hangs well TO the bunch |
and the flavor is superior 10 auv,nin %