The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-23
Renewing Old VINEYARDS.


varieties of grapes within the last thirty
five years than in any other fruit, says the
American Cttltipator. At that time the
old standards. Isabella, Catawba and
Concord, were the chief reliance of the vint-
ner, and as a white grape of much excel-
lence the Rebecca was beginning to come
into favor. The two first of these are still
largely grown. Both are good grapes,
their main fault being lateness, which in
many places makes it not possible to ripen
them every year. Most of the new grapes
are much earlier than these old standards.
In some Of the musky varieties earliness
seems to us their only claim to favor. Yet
to many tastes these musky sweet grapes are
still regarded as excellent. How much edu-
cation there has been in popular tastes of
grapes few realize. We remember many
years ago lady who had never grown any
but the Isabella grape. She was remarking
one day that there was still another variety
she had eaten far better and sweeter than
the Isabella 1t was light colored almost
white, with light tinge of red. When we
came to Identify the variety we found it I'M
ripe Catawbas. Giving the lady taste Of
Delaware and Salem, she never after re-
garded unripe Catawbas as sweet or other
wise meritorious
Popular taste In grapes changes as new,
earlier and better varieties come into use.
But it IL not quite so easy to change the
vineyards. Most winners prefer to start
new plantations of the new varieties,
planting rooted cuttings or layered roots,
and allo wing the old vineyard to go on pro-
ducing what it will. 1t probably in most
seasons produces more than it would in av-
erage farm crops, selling the grapes even
when they are green cheaply, for use 20
make jelles and for canning. There are
far too many Of these unripe grapes sold.
Their cheapuess induces many TO use them,
and disseminates the notion that grape
fruit is not so sweet, luscious and excellent
as the best varieties are. Could all grapes
be of the highest quality the market for
| grapes could never be overs0ld, or at least
in long term of years.
To dig up and destroy old grape vineyards
is slow and expensive. Then to plant in
new varieties and wait for them to get into
| bearing is a tedious aud Improbable work
that few will undertake. Left to itsef with
annual pruning the old vineyard often pays.
| poor as its fruit may be, more than the
value of the ground it occupies. 1t is no
| wonder that to leave well enough alone is
the popular, as it is surely the easiest,
way What is wanted is a method of re-
newing these old vines, or rather of chang
ing them by grating into varieties of
| greater value.
Grating the grape has been considered
an unusually difficult undertaking. Some
trials we made many years ago were unsuc-
cessfuL We gave up grating grape vines
| and relied on planting out rooted cuttings
| TO secure the new varieties we wanted. Now
| we have learned by talk with practical
| grape growers better way.
The trouble with grape grating is the
notion that the stock must be cut off abo We
| ground, and both IL and the graft exposed
TO air. Another trouble is that the stock as
we grated it squeezed the graft too tightly,
thus preventing circulation Of sap into it to
| start the bud.
Crafts should be prepared during fall and
winter, aud kept in dry sand in cool place.
Two buds should be left 10
grow, and with a vine whose roots
| are we'll established the sap fur
| nisbed to these two buds will make an enor-
| nous growth in each the first season. When
we get small yearling and evea 2-year-old
| vines from nurseries one bud on the stem is
enough to grow But IN grating strong
vines two shoots may be allowed the first
season.
An old Isabella vine, thus grated with
| Niagara, produced the second year after the
graft was set thirty-six large punches OF
fruit. The successful plan for grape graft
| lug Is " uoAO bllO Ctot1 AZ VIZ
enough below the surface that when the
graft is set and earth filed in the bud will
be entirely covered.
Leaf mold is best to cover the bud, as it
offers less resistance for the shoot to break
through. Not exposed to air, the bud does
not start until sap from the old stock en-
ters it and forces it into growth. A little
care is needed the first year to suppress sap
shoots from the old stock, but after the
/ graft grows enough to furnish outlet for the
sap these will give but little trouble.
In this way those who have old grape
vines of any kind can easily add enormous
Iy TO their value, with little expense and at
loss of only one years fruiting. Instead OF
having their ground numbered with what
they would gladly be rid Of, the land the
improved grape vine occupies will be worth
FIVE or ten times as much.
There are localities where the late-ripen'
ing varieties, like Catawba, Isabella, Iona
and Goethe, will ripen. aud there these va
, rieties should be retained. But any one
who has any variety that is doubtful about
ripenlnp or of Objectionable quality should
lose no time In changing 1t for some one o.
! the many varieties that are sure bearers
| every year. ~, -.
The Delaware grape II naturally not Q
verv vigorous grower. partly because II !;
allowed TO ovsrbear. Graft 1t on some OF
r tire stronger rooted sorts and 1t VIII De more
> vigorous and productive than on its own
: roots.