The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-07-31
Culture of the Grape.


Following is an article published in
the Muskegon Chronicle, written by
John w. Brakeman of that city, who
was recently here studying into the grape
question:
During the last few weeks ! have de-
voted considerable time and attention to
the subject of grape culture as seen par
ticularly in Van Buren, county and adj
joining townships, and if of sufficient
interest to your readers this communica-
ton is at your disposal. \ strip of coun-
try, with a center some twenty miles
west of Kalamazoo, containing five or six
townships, is devoted almost entirely to
the raising of grapes, or at least will be
In the near future, judging 10y the acre
age planted last spring and in contempla-
ton for next season. Six thousand acres
were added to the vineyards in this
vicinity in 1903 and double that acreage
will be planted in 1904.
The raising of grapes in this particu-
lar locality does not seem 70 be an un-
wholesome boom like SO many fads and
fancies that show satisfactory results
on paper but do not produce the remun-
Grafton expected, but rather the gradual
growth of the idea that here grapes are
the best paying crops that can be raised
on this soil, and in proof of this they re
fer to the experience of men who for the
past twenty years have raised grapes and
made business of it intelligently and
with systematical calculation. They
make the claim that in the immediate
vicinity that | have mentioned, owing to
soil, climate, elevation, and the surround
ings of different character, grapes grow
that are of a better flavor, make a
better wine and are more sought for
in market than grapes of the same
kind grown in other places in the state
To substantiate this theory they refer
TO other grape growing countries, Cali
fornia, Spain, Italy, France and others
where different qualities of wine are
made from the same varieties of grapes
grown but a few miles apart.
Whether the first proposition of the
Van Buren, grape growers is true or not
may need further time and proof, but
the latter statement is accepted without
dispute by those who have given the
matter thought and are in a position to
be good judges.
Fifteen miles west of Kalamazoo 10y
the Michigan Central railroad, you reach
the grape belt proper The soil would be
cassed as light, sandy land i'm the main
with some gravelly loan in places; origin
ally covered with oak timber. And here
let me add my tribute to the beauty of
the noble shade trees that line the high
ways and dot the fields and are in such
profusion in highways, fields, village and
in church yard, monuments of the fore
sight and enterprise of those that planted
them in the early days and who cared
for them for many a long year, until
they are not excelled, If equalled, in
the state. 1t should not be recognized
as a crime to kill any vandal that need
lessly mutilated or destroyed one of these
that lifetime cannot replace.
The general country is rolling on both
sides OF the Paw Paw river, with numer-
Gus lakes and marshes. The ground is
prepared as for usual farm crops, plow-
ed and thoroughly dragged and the
grape roots, or cuttings, planted in rows
eight to ten feet apart each way, plant
ing done as early in the spring as the
ground is in condition. These cuttings
are oue-year- old stock and the larger part
Of them are grown in Fredonia, y. y. The
vines are we'll cared for 10y cultivation
the first year and some other crop can
be grown between the rows. The second