The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-02-22
FARMERS COLUMN.
PLANTING GRAPE VINES.
From the journal of Chemist

From the journal of Chemistry.
It is surprising that so many families in
Che country are willing to live year after
year without cultiva:ing single grape
vine about their dwellings, They are
compelled to purchase the delicious fruit
for the table, or not taste it during the
season. There is common impression
that to cultivate grapes perfectly vast
amount of knowledge and tact IS required
To many, the simple trimming of vine Is
a mystery, more difficult to comprehend
than the hardest problem of Euclid This
is an erroneous view, and ought not to
prevail. Any person of common intelli
gence can learn in one hour now to trim
and nourish vines, and if instruction can
not be obtained of some experienced cul
tivatnr. there are books filled with cuts
and illustrations which make everything
plain. Three vines of as many different
varieties, planted in some sandy nook, or
bv the side of buildings, so as to obtain
shelter, will, Improperly cared for, furnish
many bushel of delicious grapes every
year. Select Concord, a Delaware, and
an Adirondack, make the ground mellow
and rich by the use of the spade, and by
employing old manure, finely ground
ZONES, anu dSu6S3 anu SCI OuG In6 plduGS
In three years the rich clusters will APP
pear, and in four years the product viii
be abundant. 1t is well to have vines
planted SO that the waste liquids from
the dwelling can be used in fertilization.
IF there is any food the vine specially
loves, it is the soapy liquids which accu
mulate on waahing days in families Vines
drenched every week with these liqaid>
will flourish astonishingly, and extern
themselves SO as to cover large buildings,
every branch bearing fruit. We say to
our readers everywhere, plant vines.
CULTIVATION, ETC.
For the first two or three years after
setting the trees should be we'll cultivated
After they commence bearing they ought
TO be MANFRED more or less every year,
according to the strength of the soil, and
plowed once or twice for each crop of
fruit they bear. This should be done
early in the season, and when the fruit il
on the trees. To avoid injury to the fruit
by the curculio, or fruit worm, it is ALSO
lutely necessary to pasture the orchard
with hogs sufficient to eat up all the fallen
fruit, or else to gather up all such fruit
by hand, and in some way destroy the
worms in it.
Some persons grow peaches for one pur
pose and some for another | grow them
principally for market. | find it pays
best to have first class fruit. I am also
well satisfied, both from observation and
investigation, that if peach crop in this
country was divided into three classes to
wit, first, second and third rate fruit, the
comparative value per bushal il the mar
ket would be about So for the first class
81 for the second, and 80 cents for the
third. But for the purposes of stilllng,or
feeding hogs, the difference would not be
SO great. Large fruit If we'll matured, is
the best class for the market. If the fruit
on peach tree is not too thinly set, il
can be made to yield about as many bush
els of large peaches as of smaller ones. A
peach tree standing on thin soil and thick
~ set with fruit, and which, without ma
nure, culture, or thinning of the fruit,
will yield three bushels of third-rate fruit,
worth IN all 81 !; with manure and cultiva
tiOn IL will yield three bushels of second
rate fruit, worth in all So and the ad
ditional labor of properly thinning the
fruit, when the size of quail's eggs, il
will yield three Bushels of first-class fruit,
worth in all So. It costs as much to-
gather and sell bushel ofsecond or third
rate fruit as it does first class. The dir
ference between the prices of the second
and third-rate fruit will pay largely for
the manure and cultivation. AS one good
hand can thin the fruit on dozen trees
in a day, and, as the difference between
the prices of the first and second.ra5e fruit
is So per bushel, or Sc on the product of
one tree, or S72 on the product of twelve
trees, it shows the enormous profit of $72
for one days work thinning fruit. Yet
but few of our peach growers thin their
fruit. This estimate is merely to show
the great necessity for thinning fruit
Although nine out of every ten persons
who may try it, may fall short of the
profits shown by the calculation, yet they
will be we'll rewarded for their labor ii
they realize 81 per day for thinning their
fruit, which is less than one-tenth of the
amount estimated.