The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-07-03

loot of earth on one side, and the sec
ond foot on the other side. Throw
the first foot of earth back into the
hole. then fill up within six inches of
the top with good compost, and then
spread the roots of the vine out care
fully, and fill the hole with the same
compost, about three inches above
the surface. trampling it level with
the surface with the feet. Fasten the
vine to a pole about three inches
thick, and eight feet above the ground,
put in when the vine is planted
During the first and second years,
when the vine is sprouting, all side
limbs should be pinched off smooth,
the main stem being allowed to grow
up. Keep the main stem well fasten-
ed and straight, and raise it about a
foot higher than the pole, and then
allow the sprouts to spread out in all
directions on twelve feet square ar
Dor. used last year, instead of Stats
or rails on the arbors, telegraph wire,
spread over like a sitter, about two
feet square, with surprising results
The vines grew twice as much as
those of the same age on wooded ar
bors, ane the grapes ripened more
equally and one-third more in quaint
ty' The wire arbors cost but little
more and will stand thirty years when
galvanized. The sun and air strikes
better through the wire, and the vine
will grow much faster than when on
stats or rails, the little ringlets which
sprout ont from the vines winding
around small thing more readily,
and thus keep the vine steady and as
sists growth.
The third year the vines must be
MANFRED and every three years there
after For this purpose dig ditch
around the vine $50 far as the little
roots reach) one foot wide and one
foot deep. The manuring should be
done in December or January, as
summer manuring makes the vine
rusty, and causes the fruit to drop off
before ripening. Raw stable manure
should not be used, but should first
be composted; mix with any SOIL
The cheapest and best is swamp muck,
and if you wish to make it as rich as
guano, mix with it bone dust, ashes
and lime, and about ten per cent. of
stiff soil.
Unlike all other grape vines, the
scuppernong does not need to be
pruned back. After the grapes are
gathered, take out the dead limbs and
cut off all ringlets, for they are de-.
structive enemies of the vine when
wound around the limbs, preventing
full growth and sometimes killing the
limbs. The outside end limbs, of last
years growth, should be Strengthened
and spread out on the arbor in all di
rections and fastened. This is an i'm
portant work, as without it the vine
will grow wild and tangled, and the
limbs be prevented from spreading,
in consequence of which some of the
fruit will never be reached by the sun
or air, the sugar in the grape will not
get chance to concentrate, and the
grapes will fall off before maturing.
Grapes should be gathered at three
different times by the following plan:
Make a wooden frame about ten feet
square, placed on two axles with four
small wheels; cover the frame with a
strong cloth made little deeperin the
middle; roll this frame under the
vine you wish to shake; then shake
the vine gently with smooth iron
hook fastened on the end of stick,
when only the perfectly ripe grapes
will tall. The unripe grapes must be
picked out tor vinegar, and the leaves
and trash should also be taken out. In
this way two hands may pick 100
bushels day. From the first gath
ering you will get about one-third of
the crop. The second gathering
comes fourteen days later and the
third fourteen days after the second.
The above treatment of the soup
pernong insures the following i'm
proved results on the old treatment
The first year you get three times as
many grapes, which will, without the
addition of sugar, produce splendid |
wine similar to Rhine wine. BY adding |
one-half to one pound Of sugar to the
gallon, we get heavy wines, similar to I
Malaga, Madeira and port.
Scuppenong rooted plants can be
raised only by layers cuttings do
not take root, but bleed to death
The seed of the white scuppernong
produces the black scuppernong.-
The white grape is a grade richer in
sugar and finer in flavor than the
black, flower and mish grapes
Louis Fr0e1ich, IN Rural Carolinion.