The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-07

fthan poor soil, though and sandy soil
lin Eastern North Carolina can be
made very profitable in Scuppernong
Grapes.
"A word as to the profit. An acre viii!
Iset Ito vines. At three years old with
proper care, they should produce from
"A peck to a half bushel each. At four
years old they should produce not less
than n to two bushels each. At this
thine you can still cultivate one-half
the land. AT seven years old you
lshould be getting from four hundred to
Ieight hundred bushels per acre. TAX
ling the lowest estimate, say four hun
cred bushels at IS cents per bushel,
(which we propose to pay for choice
Igrapes, you have an income of $500 per
lacre. as log estimate for each year.
Vines live to be over a hundred years
lold. The Old Mother Vine is still living
lon Roanoke Island, and is over three
hundred years old, and bore fruit last
year though utterly neglected, and it's
roots are bare. No crop you can grow
will give such sure returns. Ten acres
in grapes vii insure any man a steady
Income after sever years; which beats
ANY life insurance policy. While it pro-
lduces some times larger crops thar
Iothers, it never fails utterly.
To land owners who will set out vines
1--we propose to give contracts guarantee
ling a market at a regular and fair scale
.of prices, for five years or longer, they
Ito guarantee to sell US the crop each
Iyear. we to take ali the crop that is
~lgathered and offered properly at the
nearest railroad station, or at our
WINERY.
North Carolina has, in the Eastern
lpart Of the state, more thar a million
lacres Of Ian adapted to the growth of
this grape Granting hat only one
lacre in each one hundred were planted
land that the minimum crop of 400 BUSH
els per acre were produced, and that
leach bushel produced three gallons Of
wine, we have twelve million gallons
Iof 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
Jour state, produces over a billion gal
lions of wine. North Carolina COULD,
liz her people only WOULD, be in his
respect the SOUTHERN FRANCE OF
IAMERICA, and could make as much
lwine as France, the greatest wine pro-
ouClilS Quill III I4lS WI " lloPS
ito 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
Igrape growing that is worth a cent as
Iapplied to Scuppernong. Plant it prop
lerly, give it half~-a-chance, and it will
make you rich in spite of yourself-in-
dependent, at least. 1t takes a little,
ft,~on III not ny ~ nxrnY nvnnnf
when necessary to keep it in shape while
lyoung. If cut it bleeds and dies, or
docs not thrive. Give it arborage, and
mice rich soil protected from the sun
land rains by rich loan, or woods-mould.
land 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 your land while it
is growing, and once in full bearing,
lyou don't want, at most over fifty acres
to take care of a large family in COM
Ifort-even aff1uence. Even if it netted
Iyou only 800 per acre, and you a only
twenty-five acres, it beats cotton or
tobacco as a money crop. Don't go III
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
thine expenses Of wiring becomes heavy.
we advise if you purpose to have a
Vineyard OF twenty-five acres, to set
lout five acres each year. If you want
fifty acres set out ten acres each year.
In five years you will be on easy street.
in ten years you will be perfectly in
dependent. To any mar who will set
lout vineyard we will give a contract
to take his entire product. Get near a
shipping point so you Won't have so far
Ito haul your grapes. They are heavy
and must be shipped promptly after
being gathered. We AVE and will have
facilities to handle them as fast as the
farmers can ship them.
Yours very truly,
SOL BEAR & CO.