The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-07
THE
OF THE
S~CUPPERNONG A

80 Lndhy reQueStS nave some TO US as
to the best methods of c%ultivating the
Scuppernons Grape, that we give a
few of the more important details in a
circular letter. We wish to state, in the
beginning, that we are better posted
IS to wine making than grape growing.
and Liz not uppose there were any
land owners in Eastern North Carolina
who did not know as much about grape
growing as we do. AS there does not
seem to be a full knowledge, however,
we give what we know for what it is
worth.
The Scuppernong will grow and pro-
duee grapes IN 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 a They
do not seem to bear well West of Middle
North Carolina. THE HOME OF THE
GRAPE IS IN THE EASTERN PART
OF THE STATE"
Cuttings may be secured in great
quantity by taking any Scuppernong
vine and letting it fall on the ground in
June and throwing a 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
be taken up and cut off any time from
November 1st to March 1st, and set out.
Care should be used in selecting thrift
ty vines with nice grapes, as the vine
r~eprodpces the kind. Seeding wines
from the seed) are not worth planting,
as you do not know what kind Of grapes
they viii produce.
The LAND should be laid off nicely, in
rows of twenty feet apart, the vines
being set out ten feet apart in the rows,
n 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
Amos to the top Of the post when set
out, or grow to the top in n yea 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 of each post.
Across these governor wires you stretch
at first, one No. ii wire. If we'll braced
at the ends, this gives all the posts
secure bracing. AS the vines grow and
spread out you add one each side of the
No. IA wire, other wires, always keep
ing good arbors for the vines to run on.
If you let the branches fall down ana
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 and growing
- I'll 1;~oo+o~r TT +ol-aC
about no vines to set an acre properly
aid off. These can be bought through
us at 5 cents each. If you cannot get
the71 from @ 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 anu
draw s~ustenance as far as the branches
run. Hence if you pillow close to he
vines you tear up the roots. The ceat
method we know is to keep the roots all
around the body of the v-ne and as
far as the branches extend, mulched
with q heavy coat of WOod-mOld and
straw. The home of the vines is in the
piny woods, where, in the rich c1rg1n
soif, it spreads hundreds of feet. Tne
best vines we have ever seen We're 10
old garden plots where they were never
plowed, but the weeds kept down. A
good plan is. perhaps to have sheeps
Craze under the vines, but the best plan
is to keep in cultivation the land not
shaded, n to keep the weeds down on
the. crest by having a heavy mulch
Whine fertilizers may produce unusud;-
w heavy crops, we advise using coarse
harm manure in connection with heavy
coatines of Wood-mOuld n straw, 50
as to keep the soil light and productive.
While the vine will grow and produce
on light sandy land that will hardly
grow cow peas, yet it should not be eX-
pected to get good crops from poor laud
The soil should be fertiliZed as described
above. Arbors can be made of wool,
as are frequently seem, on q small scale,
but the expenses of wooden arbors on d
large scale is considerable. Galvanized
wire on good posts is the cheapest IN
the long run, and makes much less work
once h vineyard is we'll wired. 1t
means only a few posts each year, n
a little wiring to take up the sack
places, and the hauling in of coafsS
We do not believe in ploWlng
close 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-
cfal prices for selected, mand-gathered
grapes. But in a large vineyard Cnls
is not practicable. Poles are attachcd
to strong sheets made of each
about ten feet square, and with leath"r
handles and a man to each side of tee
sheet, it is easily carried around pc
tween the posts, which are set IN ever
rows. Another man or boy, with q
forked stick, shakes the vine gently
just 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 yoti
thus get green fruit, but damage tie
vines by breaking the tender ne"
growth whic produces the crop next