Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-07-16
a0R IHs AsRzvrLL4 rsgsa
:, Grape Culture ti

'S tp'Np* I"eNS years 70 EtheS good
I'D days when @a enjoyed many Bless
ings which we do not now possess.
Most of these have been torn from us
by tho mailed hand of tho powers
that be-; some have disappeared from
other causes; much is left to us for
which every true heart will be crate
ful-though not to the said powers.
But come, let us forget tho sable
powers of darkness, who now rule
elsewhere than in their proper rcalms,
and let us reason together and devise
means, if possible, to regain if but one
OF our past enjoyments.
GRAPES,
ripe, mellow, JUICY grapes. Don't
your mouth water? Mine does, lust
to. write the word, and let my mcm-
ory run back to the days of Togno,
and rest upon the clusters that used
to pluck i'll abundance, just where
still live and don't pluck them. How
many in Abbeville can put their names
to that? Many, very many, who,
perhaps, arc still nursing and presorv-
ing tho old vines in hope. of seeing
them again bending beneath their
precious burdens, and many moro who,
like the writer, have put tho mattock
to root. and planted cotton where one
hundred dollars had been expended
to the acre for growing grapes.
Now is there no remedy? I verify
believe there is ); and that all over
this Southern land we can grow
grapes in abundance, aye, and year
after year with no failure of the crop,
except from extraordinary causes,
such as frost after blooming, and ex-
cessivc rain about the time Of ripcn.
ing.
Who has done this, you ask, No
one. Yet VIC must find a plan of our
own to rear the grape i'll the South OF
not cat them. We have trio d in vain
the modes adapted to other regions
and failed, though initiated by pro.
fesscd masters. remember Topno
and Axt from Georgia with tho Ca.
tawba--the one German, tho other
an Italian or Frenchman. Now il
you wish before you publish this, sec
every man for whom either of them
planted vineyard, and ask him, Did
you uot get two good crops of grapes
tho third and fourth years after your
vines were planted? My word for it
their experience will accord will,
mino and all others to whom I have
put the Same question, they will
answer yes, Have your vines eve,
produced any thing worth the trouble
since? 1 think the answcr will be
No. l havo tried tho Catawba, Con
cord, Isabella, Diana, Hastford Pro
lihc, Lcnoir, Warren and many others
whose names I do not now remember
and With tho exception Of the Soup,
pcrnong, havo fuiled with all. I have
turned them loose on wire trcllis ]
have pruped bnck to new canes every
year; oil have failed. / havo a few
vines In my garden from cuttings
stuck in the ground two years age
that remind me of tho old times
They are loaded with the first crop ot
full sound grapes.
Now to all who love good grapes ]
otfer prescription for all tho diseases
lncNiopt to the vine-a panaeea, ]
trust-and as you did not call ME in
butthe prescription la offered volunta
|rily-thore will be no harm done in
refusing to take the medicine: Pre-
pare this fall a piece of high, light
sandy or gravely land let it be rich
l never yet met the plant that would
grow better on poor than rich
land. Plow it as deep as you possibly
can; lay off your rows ten feet apart
plant cuttings Of your favorite grape
five feet apart along your rows, two
in place, one to be taken up if both
live. L would never buy a rooted
Vinej would rather have a cutting at
the same price; raise what you please
IN the space between the rows that
will not grow higher than two OF
three feet, Two years after, plant
another row of grape cuttings in the
middle of this ten feet space. Your
first rows will now come into BEARING.
let them bear two crops or until your
second rows come in; then spare not
take up by the roots ;hese first rows
and throw them over the fsnce plow
the rows up deep and reset with cut
!tings, and do tho same with the sec
opd row two years after. A.
la7l"'@ --7-s'''r---" t'.g r',t
WAsH1sa7oN, July 1o.-Ths Oh.
bans have theifollowing: Isetters's re.
caivoA f,n,,o ,o,oxS a at =,