The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-08-15
BEN 1ILLMAN At HOME.
somethlng About Highview Vineyard and
Dairy.
q. B. Hook, il, l,lg:tsla Ctronsslo.

1
T.. B. Hook, in 1ag:l!la c!rontslo.
Ten acres; FIVE thousand vines, e1'
penae S4oo; crop, 10000 pounds O.
grapes.
In nutshell that's the result of an ex
pertinent which Mr.. Benjamin r. Tillmar
is making in grape culture at his home
in Edgefeld County, 3. g.
Learning that grapes we're now ripe il
his vineyard, dove over to Mr.. Till
mans place on Thursday, and spent the
day looking around. It is thirteen miles
from Augusta on the old stage road
through Edgefeld County, near to High
view Presbyterian church, from which
Gis vineyard and home take the name
Highview.
MIR. Tillman is large landowner and
planter. At Ninety.six he has 1,lot
acres of land, r;rs ten plowd, and raises
100 head of sheep. At Highview he
owns 700 acres, of which 400 acres are
cleared land, and rents 500 acres besides
At Highview he has 200 acres of cotton
126 of coth, besides fields of oats, barley
peas, sorghum, potatoes and other stand
ard crops. He also raises annually 81
head of hogs, which average $50 pound:
net when killed. he has fine peach
orchard and garden which supplies
everybody on the plantation with vegeta
bles. His vineyard and dairy complete
the list.
"My place is divided into three
branches, you see; my farm, my vineyard
and my dairy" Mr.. Tillman said to me
when we frat began to talk. That nigh
I said TO him: "You have now told MT
all about your vineyard and your dairy
how about that third branch-wha
have you in your corn and cotton depart
ment 7"
"Vexation, tribulation and darnnatior
little profit" was the emphatic and feel
ing response. With the simple statement
therefore, that he makes all he needs tt
live on, and doesn't have to buy every
thing he uses on the plantation, / will
leave this department and give special
notice to the vineyard and dairy.
When be goes into anything Mr. Till
maa goes in earnest. It is probable tina
there are some prominent men in Carroll
ma who are prepared to admit this. So
when he became, from careful in7estiga
ton, convinced that there vas money in
grape culture he ordered at once 5000
vines. The great bulk of these are SCI
out on niue acres, which crown higf
hill by the roadside, whose splendid ele
yation at once justifies the title
"Highview Vineyard" Near the house
and on opposite sides Of it are two small
vineyards-one of wine grapes, th'
Clinton, and the other an experimen
station containing sizty-two differen
varieties.
In this little vineyard Mr.. Tillma1
plants one or more vines of kind to tes
its adaptability to the climate and soil, it
fruitfulness and favor. Satisfied of tb'
value Of variety, he plants as many al
are desired in his main vineyard. b,
started setting out his vineyard in March
1887, and this is its fret harvest. he ha
made his first shipment to New York
where he will go for his market, but ha
not yet gotten returns of the sales. In
monetary point of view, therefore, tn
result is not yet determined. But MI
Tillman has already established some
facts in reference to grape culture tha
are sufficiently satisfactory to induce hin
to double his acreage.
"1 have charged every bit Of work o
all kinds that has been done in the vine
yard against it," said Mr.. Tillman, "ant
including the rent of the land it has coz
up to date s40O. At two cents pount
it would be profitable crop. After tn
first expense of buying the vines ant
posts, and establishing the vineyard, it
annual cultivation will cost no more thai
an equal acreage of cotton. A fair crol
is 1900 pounds 70 the acre; at FIVE cent
pound this would be s2O0 The SAM
land with the same labor and expens
would bring in cotton half bale, o
s25.
"Ifnd, further, that intelligent negroes
With my supervision and instructions, ar
able to do all the work Of pruning, pick
ing, packing and all that is tc be done
This relieves the problem of labor. an
places grape culture on footing with tn
other crops"
"Of course" said Mr.. Tillman, "thi
thing is yet in the domain of experiment
aud until I find out how the grapes wi
sell in New York cannot give any prat
tical monetary results. have establish
ed the fact, however, that they can b
cultivated as perfectly in Edge6eld 0
elsewhere, and that the difference in lat
tude and altitude in my favor will civ
me the same grapes, ready for shipmen
about ten days earlier than they ripen i
the vineyards st Greenville. I don't Sc
any thing in the experiment as yet Tia
justi6es any extravagant calculations, BIT
if my sales are reasonable satisfactory
New York I shall feel justified in doul
ling my present acreage, and making
speciality Of my vineyard and dairy
the gradual exclusion of other crops, e.
cept enough to furnish work for N
hands all the time."
One who has never been in larg
vineyard has no idea Of the ravishin
beauty of the picture and the ricn PEI
fume which pervades the atmosphere ft
hundreds of yards around. As I al
preached the place at sunrise Thursda
morning, an entire stranger in the local
t-.... r Ill .,,b II 49, Jo,t;oo s.; n