Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-12-09
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Profits Of Grape Growing.

F. r. Elliott says that thousands of
pounds of Concords were sold this year
in New York city at two and two and a
half cents per pound, and Delawares at
four to seven cents. Now when the
cost of culture is taken into account,
and picking, selecting, boxing, cost of
boxes, carriage and railway freights the
picture is not fattering. Mr.. Elliott
adds that there is no demand for native
wines, and " the trade is a dead letter.
Shall we stop raising grapes? Is there
no light In the horizon!
Let us compare this crop with ap-
pies, which can be grown much cheap
er than any other fruit. Apple orchards
do we'll when they yield a hundred bar
rels per acre; the average in all years
is not half this amount. They require
little care, and taking good sorts the
country through will average not far
from $50 per acre, and orchards are
regarded as remunerative at that sum.
Good, well-managed vineyards, on the
other hand, should never be allowed to
bear more than four tons yearly per
acre; the average is greatly Influenced
by climate and locality, but we may call
it two tons, or q, 600 pounds At two
cents per pound the product would be
eighty dollars, or thirty dollars more
per acre than apple orchards, which
would repay the additional labor and
culture required. Good managers, in
favorable places, will do much better
than this.
If, therefore, the owners of vineyards
could obtain an average of two cents
per pound, they would receive fair re-
turn-or sixteen hundred dollars on a
twenty acre vineyard. The trouble now
is, they incur too much expense in pack
ing and shipping to distant city mar
kets. Ii good grapes were regularl
offered to all-farmers, mechanics and
shopmen-at two cents per pound,
would not trade and new consump-
ton be opened up, and every large
isolated vineyardist be able to sell all he
raises to residents within five miles It
might require years, and some labor, to
establish his trade; but would
not many heads of families who
now pay hundred dollars a
year for butchers meat, prefer
to spend one-fourth, Or twenty-five dol
lars, for twelve hundred pounds of
grapes, to keep their table supplied
with five or SIX pounds daily of this
wholesome luxury during autumn and
all through winter? Would it not be a
cheap and satisfactory way to assist in
feeding family9 Or, if this would be
too large supply, they might buy five
hundred pounds for ten dollars, and
still have over three pounds to consume
daily from the first of October to the
first of March. There is no question
that the wholesome food would save
more than the cost to the majority Of
families In doctors and nurses bills.
For the present we can hardly expect
farmers generally to raise their own
grapes to the extent here pointed out
The vines require more frequent plant
ing than apple trees, and more care ir
pruning and expense in cultivating
Farmers, while they give assiduous at
tention to corn and potatoes, are reluc
tant to give half as much care to Or
chards or raising fruit of any kind. A
great improvement, it is true, has beer
made in this respect within the las
twenty years, but still we cannot ye
expect the great majority to give the
needed and proper attention to vine
yards.
The large vineyardist, therefore, wht
well understands his business, may for {
time raise and keep into winter an abun
dant crop, 1t he can only content him
self with a low-practiced home market
which shall pay him reasonably we'll
There is no doubt that if he could be
provided with good, spacious, dry
cool fruit apartment to keep them in, hi
could sell freely good fresh grapes by
Christmas and New Years, and later, fol-
much higher price than Mr. Elliot
has mentioned. It may be well, there
fore, Tor vlneyardists to look towards
the proposed market, or inquire as tx
its probable chance.-Me Cultio,oto,
and Country Gentleman.
Manuring Fruit Trees.
While orchard trees are vouno am
crops cultivated between them tbev oa