Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-10-03
The Grape for Virginia..

The Grape for Virginia.
From the Richmond State Journal
We are frequently asked, both by letter and
privately, what is the best grape for Virginia.
We can perhaps best answer this question by
giving an account of our own experience dur
ing the past four years. We have grown on
trial about one hundred and twenty varieties,
placing each kind on various soils slopes and
situations, in order to make the experiment
more thorough. We have planted from one
dozen to one hundred vines of each kind, tax
lug care to secure good vines, true to name.
They have been we'll set on ground in fair con-
dition, and in some cases on land sub-soiled,
undcr-dralned, and thoroughly enriched.
The vines have been well trimmed and
thoroughly cultivated till they indicated their
probable value. We have not accepted or con-
demncd any kind upon the result of single
crop But now, at the close of the fourth
year. We are disposed to accept some results as
fua especially where they coincide with those
Of experimenters elsewhere. We can set out
a vineyard now which will yield paying returns,
either for market or for wine; varieties also,
immensely superior to those ordinarily known
in this State We also think we know where
to set it. 1t has been made quite clear that
grapes in our sunny climate. These locations
are too hot aud dry. A vineyard should
be planted on the hill top. The high
plateau is best of all. Gentle slopes are
not Objectionable Coarse varieties like
the Concord will do in the valleys. We
must not try to initiate the hillside
vineyards of the old country, adapted to
their climate. If we have to use hill, north
and west slopes are best.
In all cases deep ploughing or trenching is
indispensable to get paylng results, and as
thorough after culture as the best farmer gives
his corn. Our vines are grown on the high
banks of the Potomac on clay soil. or on
sandy loan, and on coarse gravel mixed with
Ives Seeding, Hartford Prolific, Salem, Nor
tons Virginia, Her6mont, Delaware, Clinton,
and Devcreaux We have had, also, large
crops of many Of the new varieties which we
consider too poor to encourage planting.
The above named varieties have held their
foliage and ripened large crops in spite Of the
excessively dry weather, and We thiuk may be
relied upon in that part of Virginia adapted to
grape culture, unless in very uutavorabie sea-
sons. Of these the Ives Seeding, Hartford
Prolific and Delaware are the earliest. The
Herbmont is the latest, and is not fully ripe
before October. The Delaware and Salem are
the best table grapes for most tastes, though
we prefer little more acid. The Herbmont,
Devereaux, Norton's Virginia, and several of
that class, come from the family Of Chicken
grapes, and are very juicy, aud sprlghtly In
flavor. They make good wine and are exceed
ingly wholesome and grateful to the taste, es-
pccialy Of persons recovering from tevers
These grapes should be grown aud eaten
abundantly in this climate They form ma
tural corrective to the bilious tendency Of the
autumn mouths. Light wines can be made
from them, or the juice Can be expressed,
scaldcd aud kept sweet in tight bottles, fur
nishing healthtul beverage at all seasons.
For family use we have found out large
number OF very fine grapes which are not sui
fcicntly coplous bearers to set 10 the vineyard.
The Isabella and Catawba should not be omit
ted, but few vines set where they can run on
the out-budings or on trees They will rot
otherwise most seasons The present season
they are ripenipg good crop with us even IN
the vineyard. A few vines Of each Of these
varieties will give supply covering the whole
grape season. Some of them ripen as early as
August, others not till the middle Of October
and may be kept till New Years.
A VIRGINIA FRUIT GROWER. "A prominent
Mr.. Chalkley Gillingham, Accotink, Fairfax
county, embracing one hundred acres OF peach
es, one hundred acres of apples, and ten acres
of pears The planting of these trees dates
from lS49, continued by annual additions up to
the present time. Ofapples, summer and au
tumn varieties form each one fourth OF the
planting, and winter varieties one-half The
best early market apples are the Edwards
Early, Early Hagloe, Astrachan, Early Ripe,
&C.: of fall apples the Fall Pippin, Craven
stein, Maden's Blush; of winter apples, the
Abram, Albemarlc Bowling's Sweet, Ridge
Pippin, &c.
From 500 peach trees in bearing, 800 bushels
of fruit were sold last season, at an average OF
81 per bushel, The pear trees are mostly
Young. Those in bearing last year trulted hne-
", the fruit bringing 81 per bushel. Insects
have injured apples and peaches, both fruit
and tree. Some unknown insect has stung and
killed the ends of some apple limbs, especially
of the Early Hagloe, leaving other varieties
alongside entirely untouched. d.-dgracultafas
Report.
How TO LIVE CHEAPLY.-Dr DO Lewis
relates how he lived for a week on 1000 tha5
cost fifty four and quarter cents. lie WORKED
hard meantime, and gained halt pouno. ne
took two meals day. The following are spe'
cimen ones Sunday breakfast, hulled south
ern corn. with little milk dinner, the same;
total cost, six cents. Tuesday breakfast, two
ccnts's worth of beans, with half cent S worth
of vinegar. Wednesday dinner, two cents
worth Of beefstew, quarter OF a cent "ol.n
Of pcpper and cents worth OF hoIilny puu'
ding. Saturday dinner. lobster, three cents;
bread. one cent hominy salad, one e, ce5t
cracked wheat and milk, two cents This day
he had spree cost, seven cents.
TIE Corn CROP IN THE WEsT.-from 90
scrvaton made during recent trip through
portions of this State, Indiana and Ohlo' we
are inclined to the opinion that the present
maturing crop will be the largest ever raised
iu the western country. Farmers IN Indiana
appear to have apportioned more than the
usual amount Of land to this cereal, anu the
railroads appear to pass through one contlnu, t
Gus corn. field. The greater portion OF the crop
Is entirely out of danger from frost, and prom