Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-28
GRAPE cULTURE IN MONTGOMERY.

We are in receipt of letter from n.
Hood, of Montgomery county, in which b
states that bis vineyard is ina highly -four
ishng condition, and the average per VIM
will be twenty pounds. Dir. Hood hai
considerable experience in the culture o
the grape aud believes that Montgomery
county is as wen adapted TO its growth a:
any county in the State. In his commune
saIien he declares that his present. crop is
as fine rs any ever produced in this or any
other country. This is gratifying intelli-
geEce and will do much 10 stimulate our
rural population to increased exartioH. The
soil Of Montgomery is for the most part a
hlackish loan, with a substratum Of fiinty,
gravel, which supplies a natural drainage
SO necessary TO the cultivation of the grape.
We know vines in that county only three
years old that will average from ten to if
teen pounds Of grapes. These vines are
planted upon aslightly southern exposure in
soil originally black, but which has be-
come little reddish by the admixture of
the rcd subsOl, This subson rests upon a
cherry mass some two feet beneath the sur
face. The soil being fertile feeds the vine.
The subsoil being of clay retains a proper
moisture, and the cherry mass lets of any
excess of moisture. All the conditions ne
cesssrY to make grape culture a success
may be found in Montgomery, and it graft
fes US exceedingly to find realization of
our previous predictions in Mr.. Hoods sue
cess. We hope to see many Of the old
fields that are now given up to broom sedge
and gullies and which publish the wasteful-
ness of many of her farmers, made profit
able to their owners by being planted in
vines. 1t is al nonsense to suppose any
more labor is required to attend to vine
yard than to tobacco field. Indeed, our
experience, limited it is true in grape cul-
ture, goes to prove that the same amount
of labor bestowed upon a vineyard that is
bestowed upon a tobacco field, will
not only keep the vineyard
in the very best condition,
but viii give much larger profit to the culti-
yator. The truth is, when our people plant
tobacco, or corn, they expect to work and
pay special attention to them, but when
they plant an orchard or a vineyard they ex-
pect them TO take care of themselves. Now
this is all wrong. Why should not time be
given to the suck,dng Of grape vines as
well as to the suckering of tobacco, and
why not ferret out the curcuHos from fruit
trees as well as hunt tedioUsly and pain
fully through the hot summer days for horn
worms.
As to the profit Of grape culture there
can be no question. Mr.. Cox, Of Giles, the
largest grape culturist in the State, testlfes
TO The fact that his vineyard yielded him
from $50 TO 500 gallons of racked wine to
the acre. This wine is worth from one dol
lar TO one dollar and fifty cents per gallon.
Put it at the lowest price and at the lowest
yield and the gross amount realized from an
acre is $3.50. a laborer can cultivate and
take care of eight acres Of grapes with a
little assistance at gathering time. He can
cultivate AID take c.sge Of three acres Of to-
bacco. The gross amount derived from to-
bacco per acre viii not average one year
with another above so. The gross amount
from the work Of stout man in tobacco
would be S210. The gross amount from
eight acres of grapes, the work Of one man,
would be So 900, making difference in the
lhar6et value of the two products, the re-
srlt of one mans work, 50, $3.50. This looks
large, but from the best information We can
get it is correct.
Another thing should be considered
While tobacco requires the very best soil,
the grape may be prOftably and successfully
raisad where even corn viii not grow; and
if manure is required it takes only a very
small per cent. of what would be demanded
for tobacco. Let the farmers of old Mont
gomery investigate this question and act in
such way as to realize the largest possible
amounts from their farms. That would be
true wisdom.