The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-10-09

III SrhpcS NcCcSSury W lue ITouuClioi
of Wine-The Cost and Profit of Vine
Growing.
By DR.. G. B. Lartigue, BlackriHe, S. c.
Grape culture and wine-making, from
the earliest periods in our history, hav,
received great attention. The Spaniard
called the country Florida; the French
named in New France, impressed witt
its great resemblance to their nativ'
wine.growing countries.
In 1867, in the charter from Charles l.
to the Lords Proprietors, wine, silk
raisins, currants, oil, olives and amonds
produced here and exported 10 England
were free from customs dues. Free pas
sage was granted at the same time tt
Frenchmen skilled in making wine, with
their families and goods. BY 1852 five
kinds of native vines had been described
good wines had been made, and man,
vineyards planted with imported vines
In "Oldmixon's Carolina" London
17OS,) he conveyed the idea that wine
making was not profitable. In 1868
MADEIRA wine and punch were the com
mon drinks of the inhabitats;" yet few
gentlemen were without their French
Spanish and Portuguese wines. In the
exports of 1747 and 174S there were nc
native wines, while large quantities OF
foreign wines were sent to England.
From Ponce de Icons discovery of this
coast in 1912, to the middle of the Eigh.
teenth Century, numerous we'll directed
efforts failed to make this wine-produc.
ing country. In the succeeding hundred
years the results were not encouraging
In letter recently received from Mr.. A.
De Caradeuc, now Of Charleston, he
says: "For making wine the grape cul.
ture was commenced in 1S4243 by DR.
Mcdonald and myself near Aiken; 9TH
ers followed. On account of the dificul.
ty in procuring cuttings, and of the scaut
means at our disposal, it was several
years before we made wine, and even
then under immense disadvantages. The
vines we cultivated were of American
species; although, at the time, several
were known under foreign names, but
with better knowledge of them, soon
traced their origin to be American.
eve also imported some forty or fifty
European varieties, French, Spanish,
Italian, German, all of which invariably
died out after two or three years; oneior
two sheltered from our too heavy dews,
under q piazza, continued to bear fruit
for four or five years. Some valuable hy-
brids have no doubt been obtained at the
present day, but know little of them.
"Until 1861 the culture of the grape
was eminently successful and promising
in our State, the fruit matured to perfec-
tion without rot or defects, the juice Of
all, with the exception Of the Scupper.
nong, containing all ingredients necessa-
ry for first quality wine. l nev-
er added sugar or spirits to my best wine
it kept we'll and improved with age
The largest and best crop, was in 1861
the yeild was abundant, the fruit superb
the wine delicious. After that
year the grapes commenced to rot, and
continued to do so. Il II This rot
seems to have been general throughout
the country-North, South, East and
West. I considered the cause as climatic
and not in the soil, as fruit sheltered
from dews never rotted. At first it was
thought California was exempt from it.
Could remedy be found for it, no crop
would pay better, and none would be
more pleasant to make"
Gen. Nagliee, of San Jose, California
and experienced vine culturist, stated in
1872 that in two years out of five the
grape crop in his State was failure. A
writer in the Plantation, an agricultural
journal recently publish in Georgia, after
forty years experience, say "Grape cul:
ture in all the Southern States is q dead
failure" and almost every one of the
many who has written on the subject
during the last fifteen years virtually &C.
knowledges this, in stating that the vines
are short-lived, that the grapes rot, thai
they have too much acid in them and
too little sugar. Many Of the writers
have had contradictory results, as their
experience, in the different processes Of
planting, cultivating, pruning, manur.
ing and training, and as to the variety
best suited to each locality.
To discuss these matters, to attempt to
reconcile differences, and to deduce
correct conclusions as to the most
proper course, would be an onerous un.
dertakipg. Yet with these facts before
us, we would be recreant to our trust
were we, without grave consideration, to
endorse by action, or encourage by words
grape culture as one of the approved in.
dustries of the country. Changes in the
industrial pursuit of any country must be
gradual, and to introduce a new agricul.
tural industry it must be adapted to the
soil, the climate, and the genius of the
people.
First, we assume it as an established
fact that wine in the Southern States is
not yet one of the staple productions
Now we would inquire if it is possible
to make it so, and then would it be prof:
table?
Of the various fluids called wines, that
which is the simple fermented juice Of
the grape, to which nothing has been ad.
ded, and from which nothing has been
taken by other than natural processes
may be called Natural wine" on chem.
ical analysis yielding water, alcohol,
tannin, cream of tartar or bitartrate ol
potash, tartaric acid, grape sugar and
enanthic either. This natural wine
may be considered the type of all true
wines, although its various specimens
are very dissimilar. OF this we must be-
lieve the Lord partook at the "Last sup.
per-" and of such, we presume, would all
Christians partake in the celebration oil
that holy sacrament.
Wines of this kind were at one time
the common productions of all grape
growing countries. AT present it is q
difficult matter to procure specimen oi
it.
In 1861, Mr.. A. Haraozthy, authorized
by the State of California, travelled over
Europe to report on grape culture and
wine-making. At Hochheim, in Ger
many, he found wine very carefully
made, especial rules and regulations be-
ing enforced by the government to assure
its quality. This wine was worth
fror, opa fo civ 1ollor, n pollop