The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-03-24
GRAPE CULTURE ON THE COAST

a doubt, the most tempting l0ca
ton in the United States for th
grape grower and the vine maker
The scuprernnng is the grape an,
the wine par excellence. but man
varieties cultivated in other part
of the country will flourish here
! 1t lslhe scuppernong, though, t,
which this article is devoted. AL
!. through the favored but Unite,
section referred to, this excellen
grape is'at home" and there ar,
points in its favor, numerical,
and lntrinsically, which en;itle il
to the palm among grapes. All
the conditions are here favorable
to the cultivation and manipula.
ton OF the grape-adaptability Of
the soil, hardy character of the
vine, favorable climate, absolute
immunity from insect pests. enor.
nous yield, length of harvest, ease
and c%heapncss of gathering the
crop, ard last, but not least, the
superior quality of the wine, both
still and sparkling. The writer
has recently talked with an ex.
perienced vinicullurist and wine
maker, whose years have been
passed in the closest study of
vines and wines; this gentleman.
whose yerarlty is unquestioned,
and who is familiar with the bust
ness in all countries, among them
being Spain, France and The Unit.
ed States, declares emphatically
that none If them can compare
with the Gulf Coast in exception.
"a advantages for vineyards and
their products. lie also asserts
that the scnppernong is capable OF
being made into wine which is
equal IN every respect to the finest
in the world; that the still
wines are Incompatible, and the
sparkling equal to the finest i'm
ported. That this Eldorado of the
grape grower should so long have
remained comparatively undiscov
cred, is one of the modern WON
ders. 1t is not without parallel.
though, as is evidenced by the
very recent discovery of mex
haustlble beds of phosphate rock
in Florida. For several hundred
years these stores of mineral
treasure had been walked over
their existence never suspected-
until by chance the ligat man
came along. lie saw the opening
public attention was called to it
anG as a rrsu't, millions Of dollars
have already been dug out of the
earth, and the community reaped
the benefit. together with those
whose enterprise developed the
industry. The Gulf Coast and the
scuppernong furnish. a combina.
Ilon more potent by far than that
Just referred to, and there is more
sure money" in it than in any.
thing the South offers to day. Let
but the right man come along,
furnished with the brains. the en-.
terprise and the tact to start the
PAL rol Ing, and the vine clad
nils OF France, together with the
much Wanted lands of Southern
California, must hide their dimin-
lShed heads. This is plain, bust.
ness talk, and the attention of
those seeking favorable locations
Tor 4 paylng Investment is court
cd. We append a few figures.
showing what can and has been
done with the scuppernong under
intelligent cultivation. If our
rsaders, or any of them, should
desire corrOboration the same will
be cheerfully furnished, and the
eAqu,rers convinced that the data
IS reliable and conservative.
IAN average crop ola trained and cultur-
ed vine four years old is about 80 bush.
els, u vines to the acre would be 9i5
bushels which would make 2S35 gallons
OF tine wine or converted into sparkling
VINE would put up 1l.540 quart bottles
worth SIS per dozen, gross, or Sl2 per
bnshcl net. These wines, if properly
manufactured, will find ready sale in the
large cities OF the North, West, East and
South. If the small farmer could realize
81 a busllel for the fruit he could grow on
his farm or in his yard making him $35
to the vine he would soon learn that it
would pay him to plant enough to pro-
duce 1000 bushels. A company or indi-
vidual that would invest $1,000 the first
year to plant and harbor ten acres and
$1,000 the second and third years, that
company would have an Independent for
tune and would do more good to build up
the country than any other industry that
could be started here. l venture to say
that in course of time when the log Is
gone that this country will be equal to
the rich district Champagnia in France,
AS the scnppernong has all and better
elements of u sparkling wine than any
grape growing. 1. is the safe grape not