Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-08-01
Where Grows the Vine.

A correspondent at Santa Rosa, Sono-
ma county, Cal, writes to an eastern
exchanges: TO the easterner California
vineyard presents a novel sight, accus-
toned as he is to the climbing and trel-
Used plants of his own section. 1t would
bother the smallest Of us to verify scrip
ture and sit under his own vine," for
they are the merest stumps, although
huge, trunk-like stems as they grow
older, and look like trees that were 'sat
down" on when they were little fellows,
and discouraged from further growing
Each has a gorgeous top-knot of green,
| like an Indian warrior in full feather;
and there IS no prettier sight than q
hillside covered with their rich foliage
Later, when the fruit changes to yellow,
green, pink, and purple-black, the
aesthetic beauty is still the same, while
to the practical mind they have an adj
ded charm Of ripeness and fitness for
the palate. The grape country Of So
noma county extends from the bay Of
San Pablo on the south to Mendocino
county, It's northern boundary, and from
Napa to within very few miles Of the
ocean on the west. In fact, her hills and
her valleys, her highways and by-ways
seem to have been selected by nature
for the special home of this most luscious
Of all her fruits Every year, too i'm
proves their culture. both as to quality
and quantity, as experience teaches new
and better ways Of managing them. AT
present the principal varieties raised are
Black Hamburg, Black Malvoisie, Mus
cat, Zinfindel, Resisting, Chastelas, Berger,
White Malaga, Flamme de Tolay and
| the common Mission grape, which last
will grow anywhere when the soil is not
too rich. The Muscat is the prime ia
vorite for eating, although it divides the
honors with the Tokay, and can be
bought here in the season for two and
three cents a pound, while many per-
sons are SO overburdened with them that
they feed them to the chickens to get
rid Of them. Think of it, you who are
paying seventy-fve cents, or as they say
III California, six bits pound for the
precious fruit.
Some statistics as TO the cost of grape
culture may not be uninteresting. [ can
vouch foY their absolute correctness in
every particular. First, as to price of
land. From S. to $50 an acre is the av-
erage COST from three to- seven miles out
of town, ard a vineyard to- make good
profit, should contain at least forty acres.
Thent with two men, two horses and
plowsy YOU have sufficient labor to cult
vate 1t with ease The necessary fenc-
ing VIII cost $3.50 mile> blowing, to
prepare the ground, s. an acne, on steep
hillsides possibly s., and fronN $10 to 80
to grub and gather stones preparatory to
blowing Narrowing will cost 81. So lay
ing off 49, and digging holes for vines
So an acre and planting from % to s.,
Guttings cam be had for nothing Guilt
vatiOn costs. according to a careful esti-
raate as follows The first year, for
sackering, blowing, and narrowing, from
s. to 81 an acre; second year. pruning
taking away brush, and suckering. $1O5
third year, when the crop will average
1 500, or a half tom to the acre, for suck
ering, pruning, ansl blowing, $16s. In
the. fourth wear the vines will pay
handsome profit if they have been
properly managed ene and a half tons
to the acre being, a faE yield. Packing,
and hauling to- the market must be cd
ded to the table of expenses after the
vines begin to yield, In the fifth year
they should givesat Least three tons, and
afte,rward from four to- five, these selling
at the wine cellaaH for from $40 to $500 a.
ton. If, as some do, farmers desire to
maka,wipe themselves shey must calonl-
late en an extra outlay of at least $3, GEO
for 81, yard of thirty acres, for cellar,
press-house, vatss- erusber, hose, pumps,
casks, and all the ct eeteYus of the busE
ness. The whole; expense, however, of
simply cultivating, picking, and market
ing an acre Of six-YeaI-ead vines is abouS,
$25, the crop from WHICH will sell for
from $50 to $780, leaving profit of frorn
Ss,45 to$75, less the, interest on cost and
taxes: $50 is about the average cost of
planting and rearing aas acre for three
yearsa~
The actual brandy product of this.
county for the present wear will proba--
bly, exceed 10O 600 gallons, the number
Of vines in Santa. Rosa township aloha.
being, in exact figures, 751 $50, all, with
slight exceptions. going to the distillen-
les. These 1OOa0 represent just five.
timas as many of wine used in theiE
production, and each gallon of wine IL
the expressed Juice Of fourteen pounds
of the fruit. The largest vine-grcwer lin,
the. country is William Hood, who re-
turns a list of 100000 vines. Our repre-
sentative, J. K LlttrelE, "a most genial
gentleman, by sl1e way as Anna Dick
inson would say, if he is democrat"
oNzns q neat little patch Of q, 200 plants,
while others range from 5000 to q, OaD
With a small capital, it may be sesn~
amd the requisite amount of information
Oh this subject ONE MAY not ONLY mske
La fair living at grape-raising, but may
count on good profits to lay by for the
/ rainy season. that may come at amy
time to the most provident.
THE WISCONSIN ELECTION.