Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-04-30

elevation above the general level is Sc
lected. In the billy OF broken regions,
the hill tops are now preferred 10 the hill
sides that were formerly chosen, the object
being 10 secure a good open exposition,
rather than a sheltered one, but especially
a nearly level surface instead Of the,rapid
descent. This last consideration n one Of
great economic value, since horse power
may be substituted for human labor in
the cultivation Of the vineyard, and this
is matter that every farmer will appre.
ciate. -
= It is a common saying that any good up.
land, such as will produce ffty bushels or
less Of corn, is good enough for grapes
whether this be stiff limestone, clay loan,
or sandy loan appears TO make little diff.
ference. Pure sands do not promise so
well, and yet we find good results obtained
on sandy soil, in New Jersey. On the
shores OF Lake Erie, the stiff, whitish
clays resting upon the shales are highly
vaunted so poor and cold as 10 be unpro-
ductive Of corn and other farm crope
Close by these, the warm, sandy ridges
produce fine crops The shelly limestone
ridge of Collamer, beyond Cleveland, Is
claimed as still better grape-land, and the
richest, sweetest grape juice Is said to be
there obtained. In Western New York,
the stony hill.sides of Crooked lake, with
warm exposures,sre thought to be the best
situations, and they have produced very
flne crops. Near Pittsburgh, Pennsylva.
MIA, and Wheeling, along the Ohio river,
the soil is derived from the rocks of the
coal measures, mingled more or less with
drift. In Missouri we find the favorite DO.
sitions for vineyards are either upon the
loose formation resting ON the mountain
limestone, or. as at Hermann end Bluffton'
up the Missouri river, upon a mingled soil
of sandy clsys, derived from the sand
stones that cap the limestones of that re-
gion.
In the prairies of Illinois, even in the
black, mucky Garth, grapes have been
planted, and they do well. But here we
find substratum of diluvium, that has
been referred by geologists to the glacial
period, and which is supposed to have had
a northern origin. This contains an ed-
mixture of various materials that account
for the noted fertility of the prairie soils.
Besides this the superficial deposits often
show that they have in some instances,
received important additions from the dis
integration OF the subjacent rocks of the
coal measure that undeTlie large part of
| the State. Mr.. Freeman, in his excellent
lecture on the soils Of Illinois, which was
so well received at Champaign, showed
US how this had happened as a result of
the wearing down of the upturned edges
of the rocks, which took place during the
glacial period.
Now, after this rapid survey of the sub.
ject, who can say of any soil within our
boarders, that it will, or that it will not,
grow good grapes, until after fairly testing
the matter by experiments
And yet, we are not totally at sea, nor
wholly ignorant. 1t may safely be assert
ed that neither cold, wet lands, on the one
hand, nor very deep, rich mucky soils on
the other extreme, are well fitted for
planting vineyards, at least with the varie.
ties of grapes that are usually cultivated
in this country and we find that the ex-
perience of Europe, also, is adverse to the
use of lands that are excessively rich, or
unduly retentiye of moisture.-Prdirie
Farmer.