The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-20
THE
OF THE
S~CUPPERNONG RAP

: 80 GfAI4 TSluCstS nave SaGlt 10 Us as
to the best methods Of c~ultivating the
Scuppernong Grape. that we give a
few OF the more important details in a
circula letter. We wish to state. In the
beginning, that We are better posted
as TO n making than grape growing.
n did not suppose there We're any
land owners IN Eastern North Carolina
VITO id not know as much about grape
! growing as We do. as there does not
seem 20 be q full knowledge. however.
We give what We know for what IL Is
worth.
The Scappernong will grow and pro-
luce grapes on any OF the sandy lands
| couth Of Norfolk. Va. While certain
we think we may safely say that any
land which grows cotton or corn nicely
: viii produce Scuppernong grapes. They
GO nos seem to bear well West OF Middle
| North Carolina. THE HOME OF THE
GRAPE IS IN THE EASTERN PART
c. THE STATE"
Cuttings may be secured in great
quantity by taking any Scuppernong
vine and letting il fall on the ground in
June and throwing 4 few saovelsfuil OF
dirt on ii at from two TO three feet from
the outer ends of the limbs. These take
root quickly in the fresh earth. n can
5e taken up and cut on any time from
November lst TO March 1st. and set out.
! Care should be used in selecting thrift
ty vines with nice rap as the vine
reproduces the kind. Seeding wines
from the seed) are not worth planting,
as you do not know what Kind Of grapes
they vii produce.
The land should be laid ST nicely. in
rows Of twenty feet apart. the vines
being set out ten feet apart in the rows,
| and planted out OF he ground not less
than seven feet should be set TO each
| vine. These should be where practical
bic, of cedar, oak, or lightwood, as the
setting OF new posts cuts the roots off
| the vines. 4 good cutting will reach
| almost to the top of the post when set
put, or grow to the top in one year, IL
| properly cared for. The best method
is to wire the vines. When this done,
| rows of posts, we'll braced, have to be
set out around the edge Of the vine
kyard, to which. are attached the larger
| wires. Down each row a No. 10 galvan-
| lied wire is run as a governor wire,
| and stapled to the top of each post.
| Across these governor wires you stretch
| at first, one No. IA wire. If we'll braced
at the ends, this gives all the posts
| secure bracing. AS the vines grow M
| spread out, o d one each side OF the
| No. IA wire, other wires, always keep
| ing good arbors for the vines to run on.
| If you let the branches fall down and
| have to support their own weight, they
| do not grow so rapidly. The vine should
not be allowed to bunch up in knots,
| but be kept spread out and growing
| uniformly in all directions. 1t takes
f! about 10 vines to set an acre properly
| laid off. These can be bought hrough
us at 5 cents each. If you cannot get
| them from a nearby vine.
The land should be cultivated with
| crops that do not grow too high, ana
the vines kept free from trash AROUND
| the roots, which grow close to the top
of the ground, do not cultivate under
| the branches, as the roots extend n
draw s~ustenance as far as the
run. Hence if you plow close TO the
vines you tear up the roots. The best
method we know is to keep the roots all
around the body OF the vine, and as
far as the branches extend, mulched
with a heavy coat OF wood-n1ould ana
! straw. The home Of the vines is in the
riny woods. where, in the rich virgin
soil. is spreads hundreds OF feet. The
best vines we have ever seen were IN
old garden plots where they were never
plowed. but the weeds kept down. A
zoe! plan is. perhaps to nave sheep
gra-n under the vines; but the best plan
j. 70 keen IN cultivation the land not
sr,aGe1. n to keep the weeds down on
the rest by having a heavy mulch.
While fertilizers may produce unusual
ly heavy crops, we advise using coarse
harm manure in connection with heavy
coatings of wood-mould and straw, so
as to keep the soil light and productive.
While the vine will grow. and produce
on light sandy LAND that will hardly
grow COW peas. yet it should not be ex-
pectcd to get good crops from poor land.
| The soil should be fortified as directed
above. Arbors can be made Of wood,
as are frequently seen, on a small scale.
hut the expenses of wooden arbors on a
large scale is considerable. Galvanized
wire on good posts is the cheapest in
the long run, and makes much less work
once the vineyard is well wired. 1t
means only a few posts each year, and
a little wiring TO take up the SLACK
| places, anu kht ildIIIIS III "a
mar6res. We do not believe in blowing
close to the vines. 1t breaks the roots
and inevitably damages the vines.
AS TO gathering, the preferable plan
is to gather by hand. and IN small vine
Yards this can be done. We pay spe-
cha prices for selected, hand-gathered
grapes. But in q large vineyard this
is not practicable. Poles are attacheh
to strong sheets made of canvass, each
about ten feet square, and with leather
| Handles and a mar to each sid or the
sheet. it is easily carried around be-
tween the posts. which are set in even
rows. Another man or boy. with a
forked stick. shakes the vine gently
lust above the sheet. n the ripe
grapes fall and are caught. Children
pick up the few grapes which fail out
side the sheet. The vines should not
be beaten hard, as not only do you
+b,,g ~z. r~ao1 fruit hfsr damage tbs