The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-07-16
$40
A Monster Grapevine.

A Monster Grapevine.
The grapevine now growing in Mon
tecito, few rods from where the world.
wide big vine grew, bids fair to rival its
parent vine in all its proportions and its
crop of fruit. This vine is now about q
years old, and has just been measured
by one of our citizens. It's circumference
at the surface of the ground is three feet
and eleven inches. At one foot above
the ground it is three feet three inches.
At two feet above the surface it is four
feet around. At three feet elevation il
swclls out and is five feet in circumfer-
ence. And at three feet and three inch
es from the ground it branches One of
the branches at the fork is 49, inches
in circumference, and keeps this size to
the height of six feet and six inches
from the ground, when it turns horizon
tally and divides over frame or trellis.
At is inches above the crotch, the Sec
ond branch is 16inches in circumference.
The third branch, at % inches above the
crotch, is % inches in circumference. At
33 inches above the crotch this branch
forks. One OF the prongs OF this fork is
Is inches i'll circumference where it starts
out from the branch. -Four feet from the
upper fork this prong is Is inches in cir
conference. The other prong, at four
feet from the upper fork, is u inches i'll
circumference. The fourth branch from
the main trunk, at 20 inches from the
crotch, is 20 inches in circumference
At the crotch itself this branch is pol,
inch around. This fourth branch is Il
inches in circumference where it turns
from Il perpendicular and begins to
run horizontally, dividing into three
arms, which then spread out over
the trellis. The fifth main branch is II
inches in circumference at the crotch.
At three feet above the crotch it is 10
inches around. The sixth main branch
is 20 inches in circumference at the
crotch
The vine is trained over trellis seven
feet high. The trellis is eighteen steps
square, with two projections, each about
twelve feet wide and forty feet long. |
The trellis consists of framework of |
joists, two inches by six inches, resting |
upon forty-ive upright standards, some |
2XG, and others 3X6 inches. Above the |
horizontal joists, Stats about three inches |
wide and six inches apart are stretched |
across for the branches to rest upon. |
Over the trellis is sort of derrick, made |
Of four strong joists framed into the trel- |
lis and meeting at q point about six feet |
above the top of the trellis, from which |
q finger and three-eighths of an inch in |
diameter. This chain is not over the |
main trunk OF the vine, but about ten |
feet to the south of it, and is intended to |
keep the trelliS from being crushed I'M |
der the weight of the crop OF grapes. |
An iron wire, about as thick as a lead |
pencil, is wrapped around the cross
pieces OF the trellis and connected with
theschain depending from the derrick
The spread of the derrick is about TWEEN
ty-five feet. This vine extends over the
trellis, measuring from the trunk Of the |
vine as a center, north thirty-two feet, |
south torty-three feet, east 341, feet, |
and west 251a feet. The measurement |
is limited to the old wood. New shoots, |
OF the present year, extend beyond the |
figures above given. The ends of some |
of the branches at the outer edge OF the |
trellis, are ,, y. and 81, inches in cir
cumference.
Year before last, 1882, this vine bore
over three tons of grapes. The weight
OF the crop of 1883 was not calculated, |
but was apparently as large as i'll 1882.
1t has borne a good crop every year
since it was three years old. In the
present year it has bloomed out we'll
and will probably produce a full crop.
The vine is of the variety commonly
known as the Mission grape. This kind |
is said to have been brought from Spain,
by the Mission Fathers, and is the kind |
from which the famous sherry wine is
made. The vine shows no signs of age.
1t has a smooth, bright bark, is full of !
sap, and none of the branches are dry |
or shriveled in the slightest degree
Santa Barbara Press.