The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1871-09-02
Crane Culture.

The cultivation of the grape is something
that is altogether practical in our climate.
Among the islands of Lake Erie we observed
nothing that gave their soil a peculiar adapta-
ton to the cultivation of grapes that is not to
be found in our State. The land on many OF
these islands a few years ago sold for thirty or
forty dollars per acre, and much OF it was
bought up at lower rates. Since they have been
planted in grapes and their cultivation has
proved successful their value has greatly in
creased.
The lands that found dull sale at thirty
and forty dollars per acre before grapes were
introduced are now marketable at four hun
dred dollars per acre. All that is needed is a
small capital to begin with, if one is not well
supplied with means. The grape vines will
require three or four years growth before they
will yield remunerative crop. By that time
enc can accumulate enough capital to furnish
himself with the necessary machinery for
manufacturing, and the casks for containing,
the wine. There are a number of reasons why
we should be gratifed to see the culture of the
grape and the manufacture of the wine intro
duced in eur midst.
The staple crops in our section of country
are to greater or a lesser degree running out,
becoming Improbable crops to our farmers
Something should be taken up by our farmers
to take their places. When an agriculturist
discovers that the culture of given crop is
becoming improbable to him, he should have
orioinol thOuohf aYd aporc,v apouob tn omit If
and take up something else in its stead. We
regret that many of our farmers have confined
themselves solely to the cultivation of some
three or four crops, paying little or no atten-
ton to the cultivation of anything else. The
result is that when the land begins to tire of
these the farmer has no acquaintance with the
cultivation of other things.
We are satisfied that there are hundreds of
idle acres in Baltimore county that could be
proftably planted in grapes, and which in a
few years would produce large quantities of
delicious fruit from which numberless gal
Ions of pure wine could be manufactured. 1t
need interfere very little with the cultivation
of other crops. The man who has ten acres in
grapes could also have his twenty acres in corn,
his fifteen or twenty acres in wheat, his two or
three acres in potatoes and his ten or twelve
acres in rye. Of course it would require a
laborer or two more to keep the vineyard in
proper trim than it would do to run the farm
without the vineyard, but then the brain and
the energy that oversee and look after the
one could readily keep supervision over both.
We are thoroughly satisfied that the intro
duction of the grape and the wine made from
it, among our people would have a salutary in
fuence upon the question of temperance. Let
the native, pure, unadulterated wine be intro
duced as q drink, the use of whisky and other
intoxicating posons that are dispensed by the
wholesale and retail throughout the country
would almost disappear. We should consider
it reform whose value could not be easily
overrated. There is land enough in Maryland
awaiting cultivation in something. Why not
plantit in grapes?
There is energy enough to cultivate it when
once planted. Why should we wait longer for
its introduction
There certainly is money enough in our
midst to defray all necessary expenses. Then
why should there be any more delay in the
matter?
We trust ere long our barren hills will be clad
in luxuriant vines and our land flowing it'll
delicious wines fresh and pure from our own
native vineyards.