The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-04-19
CAROLINA'S GRAPE CROP.
Comments Upon tho Rich Juices OF tho
Vine.
Cor. Chronicle and Co,p.isution,lis.

our people have never given it more
attention. There are now indications,
however, that this industry, which prom.
ises such rich returns, will receive
greater encouragement, and in time de-
velop into large snd profitable business.
South Carolina exhibited at the Atlanta
Exposition what was said to have been
the largest grape vine in the world. 1t
was sent from Marlboro COUNTY, in ti.o
eastern part of the State, by Hon. G. s.
Mccall. Col. VIM. p. Starke sRvs "ours
is true vinelapd," and the eucceas that
has attended every effort in viticulture
demonstrates the truth of his statements.
Mr. Joseph Shumpert, who resides near
Reeder's Store, on Congaree creek, in
Lexington county, has one and half
acres Of the Concord and Salem varieties.
he planted from cuttings three years
since, but failing to obtain q perfect
stand replanted year later. During
August, 1882, lie made from this small
vineyard nine hundred gallons of most
excellent wine, being six hundred gal.
Ions per acre. This production is we'll
attested. This wine sold readily at 50
per gallon, which gave 81 200 per acre.
Mr.. ShiilaPeFt ttiiilEs :la. his yield ,his
year will probably be three thousand
gallons, es his zines are remarkably
healthy and growing rapidly.
Hon. A. p. Butler, State Commissioner
Of Agriculture, has on his farm in Aiken
county, a scuppernong vine that covers
fully quarter of an acre of ground, and
it is estimated that this single vine will
yield one thousand bushels of grapes in q
season. The late DR.. S. s. Marshall, of
Greenville county, had entered into this
industry with great deal Of energy. He
had vineyard of about twenty i've
acres, and from his first vintage his WELD
was from five hundred to seven hundred 4
dollars worth Of most excellent wine.
He thought there was no portion of the
United States better adapted to the
growth of the grape than the Piedmont
region of South Carolina. The land is
fertile and productive, and sufficiently
rolling to insure good drainage, seasons
regular, rainfall moderate, winters mild
dew point low and absence of early frosts.
Gen. Paul Quattlebaum, of Lexington
county, has gcuppernong arhor 70x84
feet, from which he made 200 gallons of
the best of wine, beaides having plenty
of grapes for the use of his family and
visiting friends from the time they began
to ripen, the latter part of August, until
destroyed by the winter frost. One of
his vines, General Quattlebaum saws.
between one and two feet from the
ground. has ten branches, measuring In
circumference respectively 10, 1O3, 81,
8. 81, l3, 8, II, Z and z inches. Three
or four feet from the ground they have
trebied in number, making large mass
MIR. Schweiren and others about Aiken
IN n Sn0Hn N mn s.,
ceedingly profitable.
Col. R. NJ. Sims, near this city, has a
beautiful little farm and he is devoting
most of his spnce to grapes and other
fruit. In a most admirable address
before the State Floral and Horticultural
Society, of which he is president, he
said, There is in the pursuit of horti-
culture, Both as TO the seHuiiement cy
knowledge and the exercise of the nee.
essary industry to succeed, less of self
aggrandizement, fattery and vain show,
and more of substantial happiness and
contentment than in any occupation at
all. At time when everything is
counted and valued By dollars and cents,
we claim that there is more money to be
made by intelligent labor in the orchard
and in the vineyard than in the cotton
and in the corn field. But this is not
all the human mind, the soul, the fam.
lily and the family altar, cannot be meas.
ured BY gold. There is something con.
tinually whispering to us in the toll and
sweat of the days labor that there is
ses,ee..a:cG higher shat Nc live for than
the mere worldly dross of gold and silver,
peace, contentment, happiness and COM
fort of the home and the fireside."
MT. W. L. Greenfield, OF this city, has
perhaps the muaei vineyard of the State.
1t covers not more than one.quarter of
All acre, and at the last fair of the State
Horticultural Society he exhibited
twelve different varieties of grapes that
had reached the greatest perfection. Mr..
Greenfield says that an eighth of an acre
will furnish grapes TO q family for three
weeks, and at least quart of wine each
day for the whole year. He thinks
there is no profit in growing grapes for
market, bnt that handsome returns can
be obtained from the manufacture of
domestic wine. It costs about twenty.
FIVE cents per gallon to make it, and it
sells readily for $3.50. Some parties liv-
ing near Columbia have shipped their
wine TO Charleston and Philadelphia,
and realized net returns Of $3 per gallon.
Mr.. Greenfield says that g few years
ago gentleman in Marion county sim
ply pressed the juice from the grapes aud
shipped 1t to Philadelphia, and sold it at
q large profit. In Pennsylvania he
knows parties who sell grapes at two
cents per pound, and even at these prices
their vineyards pay them better than the
land they cultivate in corn. Mr.. Green.
field thinks that probably the Hermann
variety is the best wine grape for the
Virginia, raised by Mr.. F. Langendoer-
fer, near Hermann, Missouri. Bush
bery's Catalogue says Of this grape 1T
has now been tested for nearly ten years
in various places, and proved itself with. {.
out fault DO to growth, foliage and fruit.
Bunch long and narrow, seldom shoul.
dered, compact, often nine inches long :
the shoulders, If there are any, having
the appearance of q separate bunch
berry small, about same size as Norton's,
round, black, with bite bloom, moder.
ately juicy never rots or mildews,o and
ripens very late, few days later that
the Norton's. The Juice is of bro~nisfi
yellow, making wine OF the color of d
brown sherry or Madeira, ofgreat body and
OF very fine flavor resembling Madeira" )"
Mr.. Greenfield esys If only one kind OF
grapes is to be cultivated, he would re
commend the Eumalan, for he says 1t
will bear for six weeks In our climate.
This is described 40 q good black
grape, and is remarkable both for good
ness and earliness.' The branches are OF
good size, elegant form, and proper
l. II . y r. q 4 -