The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-17
THE CULTURE
OF THE
S~CUPPERNONG A

Scuppernong aGrape. that we give .
few OF the more important details IN a
circular letter. We wish to state. IN the
beginning. hat 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 rs much anout grape
growing as WI do. As there does MOI
seem 20 De 4 full knowledge. however.
we give what we know for what j.; is
worth.
The Scuppcrnong viii grow and pro-
duce grapes on any OF the sandy and
couth OF Norfolk. Va. While certain
We think we may safely say that any
lane which grows cotton or corn nicely
sill produce Scuppernong grapes They
DO not seem 10 bear well West Of Middle
| North Carolina. THE HOME OF THE
GRAPE IS IN THE EASTERN PART
| Cs THE STATE"
Cuttings may De secured in great
quantity by taking any Scuppernons
| vine and letting IL fall on the ground in
| June and throwing u few shovelsfuli 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
/ bS ldESI up anu N0k "a Oily oAA~ Aa'AA
| November 1st TO March 1st, and set out.
| Care should be used in selecting thrift
" vines with nice a 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 aid of 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 10 each
vine. These should be where pract!ca-
BILE. of cedar. oak. or lightwCod, as the
setting Of new posts cuts the roots OF
the vines. A good cutting 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, we'll braced, have to be
set out around 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 or each post.
| Across these governor wires you stretch
| at first, one Nc. IA wire. If well braced
at the ends, this gives all the posts
| secure bracing. AS the vines grow ano
| spread out, o add one each sid or the
No. IA wire, other wires, always keep
| ing good arbors for the vines TO run on.
If you let the branche fall down and
| have to support their W weight, they
do not grow so rapidly. The vine should
| not he allowed TO bunch up in knots,
but he kept spread out and growing
uniformly in all directions. 1t takes
! about 10 vines to set an acre properly
| laid off. These can be bought through
! rs 1T : cents each. If you cannot get
| them from q 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 as far as the branches
run. Hence if you pillow 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 q heavy coat Of wood-mould and
STRAW. The home of the vines is in the
piny woods, where, in the rich virgin
| sun. - opl NodS
best vines we have ever seen were in
! old garden plots where they were never
| plowed. but the weeds kept down. A
GOOD plan ie. perhaps to have sheep
rrazo under the vines: but the best pan
ie TO keen IN cultivation the land not
shaded, and to keep the weeds down on
the rest by having a heavy mulch.
While fertilizers may produce unusual
y 1~o-c r-o advice rtCinO 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 GOV peas, yet it should not De ex-
rected 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 enpenses 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 worn
once the vineyard is well wired. 1t
means only a few posts a year, ann
a little wiring to lake up the SLACK
places. and the hauling in of coarse
manures. We do not believe in plowinS
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 4 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 canvass, each
about ten feet square, and with leather
handles and a mar 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 h ripe
grapes fall and are caught. Children
pick up the few grape which fall out
side the sheet. The vines should not
De beaten hard. a. not only do you
thus get green fruit. but damage the