The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-31
THE
OF THE
S~CUPPERNONG A

So many requests have some to us as
to the best methods of cultivating the
ScuPpernong Grape, that we give a
few of the more important details in a
circular letter. We wish to state, in the
beginning, that we are better posted
as to wine making than grape growing.
and did not suppose there were any
land owners in Eastern North Carolina
who did not know as much about grape
growing as we do. AS there does n
seem to be a full knowledge, however,
We give what we know for what it is
worth.
The Scuppernong will grow and pro-
Iduce 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
will produce Sc~uppernong grapes. They
90 not seem to bear well West of Middle
North Carolina. THE HOME OF THE
GRAPE IS IN THE EASTERN PART
OF THE STATE"
Cuttings may be secured in great
quantity by taking my Scuppernong
vine and letting it fall on the ground in
June and throwing a few shovelsfull OF
dirt on it at from two TO three feet from
the outer ends of the limbs. These take
root quickly in the fresh earth, and can
be taken UP and cut off any time from
November 1st to March 1st, and set cut.
Care should be used in selecting thrift
ty vines with nice grapes, as the vine
reproduces the kind. Seeding wines
from the seed) are not worth planting,
as you do not n what kind Of grapes
they viii produce.
The land should be laid off nicely, in
rows of twenty feet apart, the vines
being set out ten feet apart in the rows,
and planted out of the ground not less
than seven feet should be set to each
vine. These should be where practical
BILE, of cedar, oak, or lightwood, as the
setting of new posts cuts the roots off
the vines. A good outing will reach
almost to the top of the post When set
out, or grow to the top in one year, if
properly cared for. The best method
is to wire the vines. When this done,
rows Of posts, well braced, have to be
set out 0 the edge Of the vine
yard, 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 and
spread out, you 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 k
about 10 vines to set an acre properly
laid off. These a be bought through
us at S cents each. If you cannot get
ttbem from a nearby vine.
The land should be cultivated with
crops that do not grow too high, and
the vines kept free from trash around
the roots, which grow close to the top
of the ground, do not cultivate undo
the branches, as the roots extend anu
draw s~ustenance as far as the branches
run. Hence if you plOw close to the
vines you tear up the roots. The best
method we know is to keep the roots ali
around the body OF the vine, and as
far as the branches extend, mulched
with a heavy coat Of WOOd-mOuld and
straw. The home of the vines is in the
piny 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
pIowed, but the weeds kept down. A
good plan is, perhaps to have sheep
Craze under the vines; but the best plan
is to keep in cultivation the and not
shaded, and to keep the weeds down on
the rest by having a heavy mulch.
While fertilizers may produce unusual
/iy heavy crops, we advise using coarse
barn 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-
pscted to get good crops from poor land.
The soil Mould be fertilized as directed
above. ArbOrs can be made of wood,
as are frequently seen, on a small scale,
but 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 we'll wired. 1t
means only q few posts each year, and
a little wiring to take up the SLACK
places, and the hauling in Of coarse
manures. 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 sma-l VINE
yards this can be done. We a sPe-
cial prices for selected, hand-gathered
grapes. But in a large vineyard this
is not practicable. Poles are attached
to strong sheets made of V each
about ten feet square,, and with leather
handles and a man to each side Of 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
just above the sheet, and the ripe
grapes fall and are caught. Children
pick up the few grapes which fall out
side the sheet. The vines should not
be beaten hard, as not only do you
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