The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-02-10

more stiffness though not too stiff.
Good soil will produce better results
than poo soil, though and sandy soil
in Eastern North Carolina can be
made very profitable in Scuppernong
Grapes.
A word as to the profit. Ar acre VIII
set 10 vines, At three years old with
proper care. they should produce fronl
a peck to a half bushel each. At -four
years bid they should produce not less
b one to two bushels each. At this
time you a still cultivate one-haIf
the land. At seven years old you
should be getting from four hundred to
eight hundred ush per acre. TAX
ing the lowest estimate, say four un-
cred bushels at 75 cents per bushel,
which we propose to pay for choice
grapes. o have an income of $500 per
acre, as low estimate for each year.
Vines live to be over a hundred years
old The Old Mother Vine is still living
on Roanoke Island, and Is over three
hundred years old, and bore fruit last
year though utterly neglected, and its
roots are bare. No crop you a grow
will give such sure returns. Ten acres
in grapes will insure any a a steady
income after seven years; which beats
any life insurance policy. While it pro-
duces some times larger crops than
others, it never fails utterly.
To and owners who will set put vines
we propose to give contracts guarantee
ing a market at a regular and fair scale
of prices, for five year or longer, they
to guarantee to sell us the crop each
year, we to take ali the crop that Is
gathered and offered properly at the
nearest railroad station, Or at our
winery.
North Carolina has, in the Eastern
part of the state, more han a million
acres Of land adapted to the growth Of
this grape. Granting that only one
acre in ach one hundred were planted
and that the minimum crop of 400 BUSH
els per acre were produced, and that
each bushel produced three gallons Of
wine, we have twelve million gallons
Of the finest wine in the world when
properly made. This is nearly half as
much as California makes. France
which is not so very mush larger. than
u state, produces over a billion gal
Ions Of wine. North Carolina COULD,
il her people only WOULD be in this
IeSpcCL the oOO lI1EAflN FIIAISCE oT
AMERICA, and could make as much
wine as France, the greatest wine pro-
ducing country in the world. We hope
to see the work started. If the farmers
will make the grapes, we will try to
make the wine and sell it.
There is no publisher treaties on
grape growing hat is worth a cent as
applied to Scuppernong. Plant it prop
erly, give it half-a-chance, and it will
make you rich in spite of yourself-in-
dependent, at least. It takes a little
time. Do not prune it ever, except
when necessary to keep it in shape while
young. If cut it bleeds and dies, or
does not thrive. Give it arborage, and
nice rich soil protected from the sun
and rains by rich loan, or woods-mould.
and it will grow SO fast you forget you
planted it five years before. Don't be
deferred by the five years-you have
the use of nearly all you land while it
is growing, and one in full bearing,
o don't want, at most over fifty acres
to take care of a large family in COM
fort-even a~f1uence. Even if it netted
o only 500 per acre, and you a only
twenty-five acres, it beats cotton or
tobacco as a money crop. Don't go in
too big at first: plant five to ten acres
each year; then the posting and wiring
don't come all at once and break you,
and you begin to get some income by the
time expenses Of wiring becomes heavy.
We advise if o purpose to have a
vineyard of twenty-five acres, to set
out five acres each year IF you want
fifty acres set out ten acres each year.
In five ear you will be on cas- street.
in ten years you will be perfectly in
dependent. To any man who will set
out vineyard we will give a contract
to take his entire product. Get near a
shipping point SO you won't have So far
to haul your grapes. They are heavy
and must be shipped promptly after
being gathered. We have and will have
facilities to handle them rs fast as the
farmers car ship them.
Yours very truly,
SOL RRAR e. co.