The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-01
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Pronrs of Grnne Grn,,.inn.


F. r. Elliott says that thousands of
pounds of Concords were sold this wear
IN New York city at two and two and n
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 tiattering. Mr. Elliott
adds that there is no demand for native
wines, and . the trade is a dead lettar y
Shall we stop raising grapes? Is there
no light IN the horizonl
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
regardedaas 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 1000 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 a 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. If good grapes were regularl
offered to all-farmers, mechanics and
shopmen-at two cents per pound,
would not trade and new consump-
tlCn he opened up, and every large
isolated vineyartlist 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
cheap and satisfactory way to assist in
feeding a family 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 In
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 last
twenty years, but still we cannot vel
expect the great majority to give the
Aeeded and proper attention to vine
yards
The large vineyardist, therefore, who
well understands his business, may for g
time raise and keep into winter an album
dant crop, if he can only content him
self with low-practiced home market
which shall pay him reasonably we'll
There IS no doubt that if he could be
provided .Eith good, spacious, dry
cool fruit apartment t. keep them in, ht
could sell freely good fresh grapes by
Christmas and New Years, and later, fol
a much higher price than Mr.. Elliot
has mentioned. It may be well. there
fore for vineyardists to look toward:
the proposed market, or inquire as tt
its probable chance.-IHe C,tLt6Uato1
and Country Gentleman.
Mauurin0 Fruit Trees