Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-04-19

Hints About the Rot in Grapes.

Most persons engaged in vineyard
culture have adopted the dictum OF
Father Rentz: "The more | know
about the grape rot the more I don't
know" The writer Of this, after TWEEN
ty years experience, has come to the
| conclusion that there is a remedy for
this disease. Root-pruning has been
recommended by some; manuring by
others. The former, properly done, is
entirely too costly; while the latter, in
the usual mode Of applying it, does not
give satisfactory results Manuring,
broadcast, and blowing II, results in an
increased crop of weeds without a cor
responding yield of grapes, and this
simply because it is mere chance work
that the manure reaches any Of the
roots. A new vineyard has little or no
rot the first year, but year after year
the rot increases, till finally the owner
becomes more or less disheartened, and
disgust, neglect, and the grubbing- hoe
close the scene.
Except In cases of late frosts, there
are few years that an acre of vineyard
does not, on the first of July, show the
promise of from 400 to 500 gallons of
wine. The. critical time now sets in; a
few hot days, and the thing is done.
Instead of full ripe punches, you go
painfully to work. about the first of Dc
tober, picking few good berries out of
each withered bunch, to make an infe-
rior wine. The natural conclusion of
m ost persons would be that the grapes,
having reached their full growth, sud
denly experienced the want which the
roots have failed to supply They are
unable to withstand the great heat usu-
al to the first ten days of July, and wilt
and wither before it.
The grubbing out of some old vines
and the appearance of the roots led the
writer to try an experiment that proved
very satisfactory. The grape root is a
feeder and traveller. It thrust out it's
leading shoot often thirty feet, while its
laterals slough off till finally the root
resembles a long whip lash more than
anything else.
Thus. what is extracted from the soil
goes N ostly to supply its own growth,
and the vine receives only the most di-
luted portion it celebrates. In conse-
quence the berries, so to speak, become
O1ODSICd1. LII OCCuIIGu 10 Tie writer
that if new roots could be started they
would produce good results. Early in
November the ground around the collar
Of the vines was removed, leaving dish
of about a foot in diameter and six
inches deep, and a pitchfork Of good
rich manure applied. This was done
to some ], 800 vines, Or three-fourths of
an acre. The manure then gave out.
The next season the rot was very great,
but the vines so treated escaped it al
most entirely, making some two hun
dred gallons Of wine, while the 5000
vines remaining yielded but fifty gal
Ions all told. On opening the manure
it was found to be pierced with roots a
foot long. A deep furrow was then
ploWed between the rows and partly
filled with manure and covered
These vines have averaged their two
hundred gallons for four years in sue
cession.
To ascertain the best time to apply
the manure experiments were tried each
month till the first of June. All the
vines SO tested after the beginning of
March showed no benefit whatever,
while those done the fall before gave the
best results.
To start new roots into an exhausted
soil would show but transient improve
ment. This many have tried, But
followed up by a covered deposit of
manure the result will be more lasting.