The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-24
THE
OF THE
S~CUPPERNONG A

90 many rcQueSIS nave some 10 Us as
60 the best methods or c~ultivating the
Scuppernong Grape. that we give a
few OF the more important details In q
circular letter. We wish to state. in the
beginning, that We are better posted
as to wine making h grape growing.
and did not suppose there were any
land owners in Eastern North Carolina
who cid not know as much about grape
growing as We do. As there does not
seem TO be 1 full knowledge. however.
we give what we know for what IL Is
worth.
The Scuppernong Will grow and pro-
due 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 Scuppernong grapes. They
DO not seem TO bear well West Of Middle
| North Carolina. THE HOME Or THE
GRAPE IS IN THE EASTERN PART
CT THE STATE"
Cuttings may be secured In great
quantity by taxing any Scuppernong
vine and letting IL fall on the ground In
June and throwing a few shoyelsfull Of
dirt on IL at from two to three feet from
the outer ends of the limbs. These take
root quickly in the fresh earth, and can
Re taken up n cut OF any time from
November 1st 10 March LIST, and set out.
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 know what kim Of grapes
they vail produce.
The land should be laid 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 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 cutting will reach
| almost to the top of the post when set
out, or grow to the top in one year, IL
| 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 of each post.
! Across these governor wires you stretch
at first, one No. IA wire. If well braced
at the ends, this gives all the posts
| secure bracing. las the vines grow ana
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.
II you let the branches fall down AND
have to support their W weight, they
do not grow so rapidly. The vine should
not be allowed to bunch up in knots.
but be kept spread out n growing
uniformly in all directions. 1t takes
| about Ito vines to set an acre properly
laid off. These can be bought through
US at 5 cents each. If you cannot get
| them from a nearby vine.
The land should be cultivated with
| crops tina 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 under
| the branches, as the roots extend ano
| 6raw s1stenance 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, n as
| far as the branches extend, mulched
with a heavy Goa Of wood-mould ana
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
| plcwed, but the weeds kept down. A
! zoos plan is, perhaps to have sheep
/ Craze under the vines; but the best plan
IS 20 keep ~ cultivation the land no
| shaded, and to keep the weeds down on
tha rest by having a heavy mulch
While fertilizers may produce unusual
" heavy crops, we advise using coarse
barn manure in connection with heavy
coatings of wood-mould and straw, sc
as to keep the soil light and productive
While the vine will grow and produce
on light sandy and that will hardly
grow cow peas, yet it should not be ex-
pected to get good crops from poo land
The soil should be fortified as directed
above. Arbors can be made Of wood
as are frequently seen, On a small scale
but the expenses of wooden arbors on q
large scale is considerable Galvanizee
wire on good posts is the cheapest ir
the long run, and makes much less WORK
once the vineyard is well wired. II
means only a few posts each year, anc
a little wiring to take up the slaca
/ places. anu the udulIEls al IA SoAA
manures. We do not believe in plowinE
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 pay spe
cial prices for selected, hand-gathered
grapes But in a large vineyard this
Is not practicable. Poles are attached
to strong sheet made of canvass, each
about ten feet square, and with leather
candles 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
juEt 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
| Tins oat O-aau fruit nuf damage the