The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-08-24
Grapr.(.rowinr in Florida.

Grape.Growing ia FLORIDA.
II there is any industry which, excep,
within the last three years, has never
been much thought al in Florida, it i.
the growing OF grapes for profit. Soup
r"rnong arboIs could he seen ornament
lng the gardens Of almost every planta
tim, but bearing hardly enough t.
make, with the addition of IA large per
ccntage Of sugar AMI water, a few gal
Ions Of Vine for family us''. II som,
parties cultivated scuppernongs on q
larger scale, AMI converted their grape,
into wine, they found 1t difficult tn dis
pose Of this wine outside Of "a circle al
| friends and acquaintance. scuplernonp
wine not being II current article of con.
sumption.
TN my first visit to Florida. and upon
inquiries about grape growlng in thi'
country. was told by some that the Sc
called bunch grapes would not lo here
that they had been tried and proved 4
failure. l'l some othrrS, that the, did
not S,e why grapes would not grow
here. This was not sufficient To Ills
courage or encourage me-, ani u ! hal
come To this state with the intention ut
testing her capability ~ a gralp grow
ing country, ! decided to make an cN
pertinent 10y myself, and plant n few
acres of grapes. Nn,t, the difficulty
was to discriminate among the c'ow,led
list of American grapes those suited I,
thi' climate. had seen some tunrords
and Ives growing well and bear ing good
crops, but how long would they last:
| And furthermore. was it ncCSsSar, It.
come 50 Tar south To- raise so poor gSales.
There were some Delaware AMI Rogers
| llybrids on II little place which We
bought in tain,sville, AhrhIi county.
They were doing we'll enough, though
planted on thlr,l class pine land, the nat
1 ural drainage of which was very deii
cient. l,nt how t. dispose If those
Rogers lIybrlls which do not bear
transportation, and are not profitable ~
wine grapes.
As had no confidence in European
grapes. though disposed to give thu m Il
| iair trial. and having in view the grow
ingof grapes for wine making, thought
that the best varieties Of the .E,tivai3
class were the proper sorts 10 plant, in
a,mlirh as had noticed that among the
innumerablc grapcvines growing wild
along our road, AMI borders. the health
lest and best bearers belong to that
species.
\sregarl, location. although ! found
a great many places IN different coun
ties father south, which seemed to me
especially adapted to grape culture.
htcame enthusIa. tie at the beautiful
country surrounding til" city If Talfa-
ha~aer. We bought some twenty seven
acres Of land on the south shore Of this
lovely little sheet Of water called Lake
Hall. and the first year that j., in the
spring ot 1889 we ttt ont in vineyard
the following varieties and quantities of
grape vines: tNuthiana, 500. horton :
Virginia, iOuO; Delaware 300. lnnoir
OJncvup2l, poo; tIyira. 30. Mi souri,
l,icsing, 100. and perhaps fifty to sixty
other varieties in email quantities.
In the fall of ISL that is. two Years
and "A half after planting some Of our
vines bure and We made about - gal
IONS Of vine ,claret from the Cynthiana
and Northern grapes. and twenty five
!
/ Missouri Riesling. besides several hun
d,ed pounds Of grapes sold IN town. We
kept planting every year ON our Lake
! HAIL place. and on our Font SIN Luis
plantation. cur vineyards consist now
vt thttv acres. and W. expect to make
! this wear > OUO gallons of wine. and ship
som. tholsand pounds OF Delaware
grap.- To- the Northern mnr,ct'. When
cur ftlrty acres are IN hearlh- We can
r,Ak Iun N.nhD or y ~ gallons. | am
sail ID that We can raise here the
rigI lind of grapes to max" as fine
win, 4 the tlafrt, lItrk and Souterne
SOFT As ANY un this continent and with
NY pcrrucr ~ u European Wine
-ruN,r. / may say far suptrior to the
hulk If imported wines. When | say
"hriv" in not mean Leon county. or
middle and western florla. hut any
part of the state where piece Of W. II
irainpl land can t. found.
Now. how j. it that so few persons
think IF engaging in grape growing
and wine making. hen tits known that
these industries brought wealth to all
countries whore they have Teen pur-
sued. Simply hrcau>r they have been
considered a science within the reach
only Of those born Ill vine land. h-.
cause. also. most If the treati~r~ ON the
subject have not been written from Il
practical standpoint, but on)y tu st
forth personal thcol,,s and boast f
botanical knowledge.
As feel confident that the culture Of
grapes in Florida will, in the near future.
if not sliptrstde. at least ~ at par with
that Of the orange. intend IT, publish
in this paper . srtl,' OF aluvirs On
Il rartctl Crap" Growing aud Vine
Making in llorida. t.. dubois. in the
Florida Rural Home.
ltvn..- t"r''r..-., ems ~ ut "a .Ie, i
the INSIDE # tht LIN ..u moGfsu,nt Il
Springfield