The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-10-04
How to Make a Vineyard.

A correspondent of the Agricultural
Department gives the following account
of his success in ape-growing. He
lives on the Potomac, few miles from
Washington, and commenced with 900
vines, half of which We're Concord, in
the Spring of 1866:
81 procured first-class vines, and
planted them with great care, as follows:
Selected ground sloping to the south
east and east; ploughed it from eight to
ten inches deep, narrowed it fine, and
planted in rows eight feet apart both
WAYS; set in cight-foot stake at each
plant, and mixed with the soil, about the
roots, one quart of ground bone and a
shovel-ful Of old, well decomposed stable
manure; pruncd the roots, also cut the
top or vine back to three or four buds;
and when the buds had grown from one
to two inches, rubbed off all but one,
the strongest: trained that to the stake
bv tying, and pinched off at second leaf
all lateral shoots, thus concentrating
the growth in the one cane; gave them
| clean cultivation.
The next February, when there was
no frost in the wood, cut it back to
| three or four buds Of that years growth,
and let only two buds grow; trained
| and managed these two canes the same
as the one the year before. During the
following February l cut the two canes
! back to three and one-half feet long, re-
moved the stakes, and built 4 trellis
over each row in the following manner:
| | set eight-foot cedar posts half way
| between each vine, commencing with
! one set four feet from each end of the
rows, and nailed to these posts white
pine strips full one inch thick by four
inches wide, the first one foot above the
ground, and the second four feet above
that from lower edge to upper edge;
then nailed to these strips good white
pine laths, nine inches apart | then
tied the canes, on the two arm system,
to the lower bar; trained and tied the
| shoots from these canes to the treIiis.
Each shoot lore this year from three
to four lunches Of grapes; pinched each
shoot off at from three to four leaves
Eabove the last bunch of grape, and as
t grew again pinched it oil at second
leaf and so on to top Of tre.is. When
the clusters ripcned, | was well repaid
by the beautiful sight they presented.
| Both lunches and grapes were very
large and perfectly formed. | readily
sold the entire crop at fifteen cents per
pound on the vine. Some of the vines
Welded fifteen pounds each, and rs
beautiful as those grown under glass.
| Nv success attracted attention. Many
enterprising farmers and citizens of
Washington came to see my vineyard,
and pronounced il tie finest rs 10
Growth of wood foliage AID grapes,
and as to train IL, trclIis, &c, they had
ever SEGA The Concerts surpassed ali
p;hcr varieties in ail he desirable qua
:t:rs. Having occasion, srv' raj week,
after my grapes had Lccn disposed of,
to visit Central New York, | fonli
many Concords grown there just in the
7 market, but they were much inferior in
/ point of perfect maturity, flavor, and
sweetness.
The crop Of last season was the Eth
( have grown, and WAS the largest; and
/ although the average price realized WAS
/ but about hall that received for the first
i crop. it amounted to over SS00pcr acre,
Tor al out SEQ net. | am annually en-
lar9in~ M vineyard, which now COM
! priscs about six acres: expect To enlarge
I + g., tcu ,,t,t Eaa1l