Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-11-24
The Three Best Wine
Grapes. =

Grapes.
In reply TO a correspondent
WHO asked for the best and most
reliable wine grapes, the heIti-
cultural editor of the Prairie
Farmer gives the following an
-Swer
You omitted totell us about
the character Of the soil on
which You intend to plant.
But the three following varie-
ties do well almost everywhere,
unless it be on fer1'uginous soils,
where the Concord sometimes
rots
Irss Sedling-Colors ten days
earlier than Concord, but be-
comes fully ripe two or three
days earlier. 1t is a very high
colored grape, being nearly
black it is generally pretty well
Icolored by the time the Hart
ford begins to turn. Advan-
tage is sometimes taken of this
by putting them upon the mar
ket as an early grape. 1t sell
dom If ever rots, and will hang
several weeks after it is ripe
without cracking or falling
from the vine its thick skin
makes it practicable to ship it
long distances to MAJ ket. Its
wine is a little better than that
of the Concord. The only OBJ
lection we know of having been
made to this variety, is that
it does not come into full bear
ing until the fourth year. We
have been informed that twelve
pounds of Ives Seeding grapes,
well fermented on the skins be-
fore pressing will yield one gal
lon of pure juice.
The early period at which the
Ives ripen, its exemption from
rot, the thickness Of it's leaves
partially exempting them from
the attack of insects, the persist
ency of its fruit, its productive
ness and the quality Of its wine,
to our mind, these combined
entitle it to rank first on the
list.
The Conoord-Has also sever
al qualities as wine grape
which we will briefly sum up
1st. 1t comes into full bearing
the third year, yielding very
large crops; from which fair
quality is made.
/ I'd. 1t makes a good, red,
sparkling wine.
Sd. Like the Ives, its thick
foliage is a protection against
certain leaf eating insects.
/ 4th. In favorable soil it rots
less than most other grapes.
The objection to this variety,
which its advocates now have
to admit, is that soon after it
Iripens, continuous rains will
cause it to crack. Ta 80.
AT the present time no grape
is so generally grown for wine
as the Concord, and from none
can a gallon Of wine be taken
from fewer pounds. D
Norton s Virgtniia-This is ex-
clusively a wine grape, and one,
too, which we believe is coming
into general favor. Some four
teen pounds OF these will be re-
quired from which to expire one
gallon of juice. We question
whether more that one-half as
much wine can be made from a
given amount Of ground of this
variety, as from either of the
two before named. There is
this manifest advantage, how
ever, in favor of this variety
its wine is worth near double
that Of either the Ives or Con-
cord.
To which the Mobile (Ala)
Register adds
Of'the above-named varieties,
the Concord only has been
thoroughly tested in the South,
All. however, fruited with us
abundantly the pastseason, and,
in their respective characters
tics, conformed with singular
accuracy to the descriptions Civ
en- above. Of Ives Seeding our
crop was perfect and the fruit
exceedingly beautiful. 1t prom
ises to be one Of the very best
for the South, both for the Ia
bic and for wine. With Nor
tons Virginia we have been
most agreeably disappointed.
We have been led to believe,
from the representation of those
who protested to know, that it
was worthless here, but we can
truly say we never saw a finer
crop or more perfect fruit than
was produced on our few vines