Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-03-17

IL gives me pleasure 10 senQ, LII accOru'
snce with your request, my ten years. ex-
perience in the culture of the Scupper-
nong grape. 1 will first give the several
points, from one to six, and then present
a general view of the subject.
l. The vines should be planted 40 feet
apart, or 81 vines to the acre.
2. The vines should be planted in De.
cember or January.
8. We have the white and black Soup
pernong, and the Flower, the Mish, and
the Bullace.
4. One hand is required for each 10
acres under cultivation, and in the gath
ering season one hand to the acre.
5. The yield this year has been equal,
in quantity and quality to the crops Of
the preceding ten years. This variety
is the only grape entirely free from dis
ease, and the vines are not troubled by
insects. They sprout very late in the
spring, and are, therefore, never injured
by frost, and their hardy wood, and the
thick, leathery skin of the grape exempt
them from injury from hail-storms, etc.,
rendering the Scuppernong the surest
crop of grapes have ever found or heard
of in any wine-growing country. At my
old home on the Rhine, we had in each
five years, two entire failures, two sea.
sons of inferior wine, and only one per.
feet crop; aud l found nearly the same
results in Austria, Hungary, France and
Italy, and in the northern or western part
of the United States. Indeed, we have
not in this country a single variety, ex,
cept the Scuppernong, which is not liable
to injury from frost, or in danger of moi
ripening through unfayorable seasons
or the various grape diseases. With thi:
variety, however, we may calculate with
certainty each year, in both quantity and
quality, and with the fifth part of the
labor and expense attending the cultiva-
ton of other varieties, the average yield
for three year old vine is one peck; five
years old, two bushels; full grown, ten
year vine, twenty-five bushels.
6. Expenses per acre the first year are
as follows: 81 plants, of good size ant
well rooted, So; planting and stalking
SO. Third year, 81 arbor posts, and q
dozen fence rails, SIG. Fifth year, 9St
posts and l, 900 rails, $50. Tenth year,
800 posts and 1900 rails, about 800
From the fifth year it takes one hand fol
cultivation and the extension of arbors
and from the first to the fifth year about
two years labor of one hand is requisite
After the tenth year it costs very little to
manure the vines every two years, an6
gathering expenses and repairs of arborE
may reach SO per year. When Is years
old, and kept in the highest cul.
tivation, the vine will yield 95 to 40 bush.
els of grapes. We have a good many
single vines that bear so to rs bushels.
A full ripe bushel of Scuppernong grapes
weighs go pounds, and will yield to A
gallons of juice, after which the pom.
mace will make five gallons of vinegar.
To the four gallons of juice add foul
pounds of crushed sugar, and at the end
of six months you will have 81 gallons OF
good marketable wine, worth on an aver.
age S.. so per gallon. The five gallons Of
vinegar will yield at the end of three
months At gallons of first quality vinegar
worth 30 cents per gallon, thus realizing
from one bushel of grapes $11; from
one vine in full bearing $275; and from
one acre of q vines, S., TO. The ex
penses attending the production of thi:
wine foot up nearly $500, and for the
vinegar 1925, leaving a profit of about
81, $50 on the product of the acre of vine
yard.
The Scuppernong is the most profitable
grape in the world, but is known only il
the South, especially in the Csrolinss, q!
the summer seasons of the North are moi
long enough for its successful cultivation
In the Carolinas it grows on the poores
sand hills, on the lowest swamp lands
and on stiff, clay, gravel land, the las
named being the best for it. This grape
has grown wild, without care or effort t
improve it, but last year gave this sub
ject special attention, and found the vinel
highly susceptible to improved cultivation
The vine must be planted well rooted.
Dig hole four feet square and two fee
deep. Throw the first foot of earth OF
one side, and the second foot on the othel
side. Throw the first foot of earth bacl
into the hole, then fill up to within si1
inches of the top with good compost, anC
then spread the roots of the vine out care
fully, and fill the hole with the compost,
about three inches above the surface
trampling it level with the surface will
the feet. Fasten the vine to {
pole about three inches thick, and eigh
feet above ground, put in when the vine
is planted. During the first and SECOND
years, when the vine is sprouting, all side
limbs should be pinched off smooth, tn
main stem only being allowed to grow up
Keep the main stem well fastened ant
straight, and raise it about q foot highe
than the pole, and then allow the sprout
to spread out in all directions on twelve
feet square arbor. l used last year, in
stead of Stats or rails on the arbours, tele
graph wire, spread over like sitter
about two feet square, with surprising re
suits. The vines grew twice as much 8
those of the same age on wooden arbors
and the grapes ripened more equally, ant
one-third more in quantity. The wir
arbor costs little more and will stanC
thirty years when galvanized. The SUI
and air strikes better through the wire
and the vine will grow much faster thai
when on the Stats or rails, the little ring
lets which sprout out from the vine
winding around a small thing NOR
readily, and thus keep the vine stead,
and assist growth.
The third year the vines must be ma
nured and every three years thereafter
For this purpose dig ditch around tn
vine $50 far as the little roots reach) on
foot wide and one foot deep. Fill tn
ditch half full of compost and then fill u
with top. soil. The manuring should b
done in December or January, as summe
manuring makes the vine rusty, an
causes the fruit to drop off before ripen
ing. Raw stable manure should not b
used, but should first be composted
mixed with any soil. The cheapest AM
best is swamp muck, and if you wish t
make it as rich as guano, mix with i
bone dust, ashes, and lime, and about i
per cent. of stiff soil.
Unlike all other grape vines the Soup
pernong does not need to be pruned bsck
After the grapes are gathered, take OF
all dead limbs, and cut off all ringlets
for they are destructive enemies of til
vine when wound around the limbs, pre-
venting full growth, and sometimes xii
ing the limbs. The outside end limbs, c
last years growth, should be straightene
and spread out on the arbour in all diret
! tons and fastered. This is an importaI
work, as without it the vine will gro