The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-02-17
THE
OF THE
S~CUPPERNONG A

OkAFE
So many requests nave some to Us az
to the best methods OF c~ultivating tine
lScuppernong Grape, that We give =
few OF the more important details IN
Ecircular letter. We wish TO state, In the
beginning, that we are better posted
las TO wine making than grape CROWNS
land did not suppose there were any
hnd owners in Eastern North Carolina
who did not know as much about grape
lgrowiag as we do. As there does nos
Iseem to be a full knowledge, however.
I've give what We know for what IL Is
worth.
The Scuppernong viii grow and pro-
lduce grapes on any or the sandy lands
icouth Of Norfolk. Va. While certain
I've think we may safely say that any
Hand which grows cotton or corn nicely
win produce Scuppernong grapes They
I6o not seem to bear well West OF M.ddle
North Carolina THE HOME OF THE
GRAPE is IN THE EASTERN PART
IOF THE STATE"
Cuttings may be secured In great
Quantity by taking any ScuppernoaE
wine and letting it fall on the ground In
June Inc throwing a few shovelsfuil OK
dirt On II at from two TO three feet from
1.-The outer ends of the limbs. These take
root quickly in the fresh earth. and can
lbe axe up and cut of any time from
November 1st to March LIST. and set ouI
>ICare should be used in selecting thrift
lty vines with nice grapes, as the vine
l~reproduces the kind. Seeding (vines
from the seed) are not worth planting.
Jas you do not know what kind Of grapes
they will produce.
n land should be laid off nicely, In
lrows Of twenty feet apart, the vines
being set out ten feet apart in the rows.
land planted out of the ground not less
than seven feet should be set to each
wine. These should be where practical
lble, of cedar, oak, or lightwood, as the
Isetting of new posts cuts the roots of
the vines. A good cutting will reach
almost to the top of the post when set
lout, or grow to the top in one year, If
properly cared for. The best method
lis to wire the vines. When this done.
rows of posts, well braced, have 10 be
Iset out around the edge of the vine
Iyard, to which are attached the larger
wires. Down each row a No. 10 galvan-
lied wire is run as a governor wire.
land stapled to the top OF a ch post.
ACROSS these governor wires you stretch
lat first, one No. IA wire. II we'll braced
lat the ends, this gives all the posts
secure bracing. AS the vines roy and
lspread out you add one each side OF the
No. IA wire, other wires, always keep
ling good arbOrs for the vines to run on.
IIf you let the branches fall down ana
have 10 support their own weight. they
lido not grow so rapidly. The vine should
lnot be allowed to bunch up in knots.
but be kept spread out and growing
uniformly in all directions. 1t
labout ITO vines to set an acre properly
laid off. These can be bought through
lus at 5 cents each. If you cannot get
them from a nearby vine.
The land should be cultivated with
lcrops that do not grow too high. ana
the vines kept free from trash around
the roots, which grow close to the top
Iof the ground, do not cultivate under
the branches, as the roots extend and
draw sustenance as far as the branches
run. Hence if you pillow close to the
vines you tear up the roots The pest
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-mold and
Istraw. The home of the vines Is in the
Ipiny woods, where, in the rich origin
lsoil, it spreads hundreds of feet. TIE
hest vines we have ever seen were IN
Iold garden plots where they were never
Iplowed. but the weeds kept down. A
igood plan is, perhaps 10 lay Sleeps
lgraze under the vines, but the best plan
lis to keep 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
lily heavy crops, we advise using coarse
barn manure in connection with heavy
lcoatings of wood-mould and straw, 50
as to keep the soil light n productive.
while the vine will grow and produce
lon light sandy land that will hard y
grow COW peas yet it should not be ex-
ipected to get good crops from poor land
The soil should be fortified as de~c~iNed
above. Arbors can be made of wool,
IS are frequently e 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
1.-THE long run, and makes much less WORK
once the vineyard is well wired. 1t
imeans only a few posts each year, and
II little wiring to take up the SLACK
tplaces, and the hauling in of coar5"
manures. We do not believe in plowing
Iclose to the vines. 1t breaks the roofs
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-
cial prices for selected, manufactured
grapes But in a large vineyard this
lis NOT nractica hle PoIaS ire attached
to strong sheets made of canvass. eacn
about ten feet u and with leather
handles and a man to each side OF Inc
sheet, it is easily carried around be-
tween the posts, which are set in even
irows. Another man or boy, with a
lforked stick, shakes the vine gently