The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-10-16
VALUE OF GRAPE POMACE
A Splendid Opportunity for North
Carolina Land Owners-Wine Drink
ing Should be Encouraged.
Norfolk, Va, October 9.

sent me your editorial of the 7th, or
grape pomace as fec for milk crows.
To one who has devoted all of his
life to the work Of building UP the
grape and wine industry of the state,
ii is gratifying to see hat there Is a
Willingness to publish an article hav-
ing even indirect bearing on the pos
sibilities Of grape culture in North
Carolina in particular and the south
in general. Were not the fact SO thor
oughly patent to the casual observer
even, it would be inconceivable to
think Of such possibilities lying un-
noted for So many generations, par
ticularly in this progressive age.
The scuppernong grape. indigenous
to the soil of three fourths of the State
Of North Carolina. and particularly
fruitful in the sandy hills of the mid
die and eastern portion OF the state.
has possibilities for its development
that the public shut their eyes to, will
lingly it seems, possibly from lack of
appreciation of what the ultimate re-
suits of greater interest would pro-
duce. We read of the earliest set
tiers mentioning the wonderful pro-
d~uctfveneSs of the grape. We also
uliuttStdIIu lIldl uuI1uS the Trying
times of the early colOnists, it served
as quite an article of food for them.
In fact, accounts of the earliest expe-
ditions sent from England to his
country We're largely devoted to the
hope and expectation that a supply
Of wines would be raised in the new
found possessions to meet the high
demand, but unfortunately all the ex-
periments were with foreign grapes,
overlooking the bountiful supplies Of
native grapes that were here and their
excellence for producing wines.
In antebellum days, scuppernong
wine was made by almost every farm
er, and much Of it found it's way to the
markets, but North Carolina having
! eSpOused the so-called temperance
cause so thoroughly Of late years,
everything having even an incidental
alcoholic clement is set down as being
| subject to the most strenuous forms Of
| prOhibitiVe legislation. Hence, it is
| gratifying to see your paper eSpOuSing
| the cause of the scuppernong grape
| even to the extent of discarding it's
other valuable elements, and merely
as using the skins for cattle, and in
this connection, I beg to give my own
experience with the skins as feed for
stock and fertilizer, my belief being
| that the skins and seeds are worth
$40 a ton as feed for pigs, poultry,
cattle and as fertilizer. For years,
whe the juice has been pressed, the
skins and seed have been thrown out
where all Of the stock on the place, in
Guiding the poultry, could have access
to it. The seed mak excellent food
for hogs and chickens, and keep them
in the best condition all through the
winter. Cattle eat the skins readily,
n while we had not observed that it
made excellent food for milk Ows, we
| yet know that they are very fond of
it. It produces a food somewhat SINH
lar to ensilage, and there is no doubt
Of the fact that if properly preserved,
it would be very valuable. We have
estimated hat the seed for o o and
the skins for fertilizers were worth at
least $40 combined with molasses, etc,
/ make the cattle food suggested, there
is little doubt but what the intrinsic
value of this part of the product
would be worth $40 q ton.
Hence, if this part Of the product
would be worth $40 a ton, and the
juice Of the grape entirely discarded,
it would still be profitable to raise
grapes for food for cattle. Tel tons Of
| grapes car be produced per acre. AL
lowing three ffths for the Juice, it
leaves two fifths or four tons OF food
per acre that could be produced, which
at $40 per ton would bring an income
of $50 per acre. In advocating plant
ing the grape, we have never laid any
stress whatever on this feature, but
have spoken rather Of the value Of
the product in wine.
If the people Of the south would rec
ognize the important parS that wine
plays in the economy of those nations
where. its production is possible and
would give even the slightest heed TO
the good results thac nave followed
the adoption of vine as 4 regular feed
product, and would adopt legislation
looking to the same ends, ~incOnceiva-
bly, good results would surely follow.
1t is a matter OF history that the
French Of the wine growing sections
are the most temperate as to the use
Of alcoholic liquors OF any Of the civ
iliZed races. Accustomed to the use
of wine from infancy. there seems to
be no temptation to- strong drink and
it appear to give them, with the
coarse bread they use, those elements
of s~ustenance which make them the
s~turdiesr, hardest working ~peasantry
of the world. In France are five mill
lion prOprietors of land: four million
two hundred thousand occupy land
they own, and the average acreage per
family or homestead is about ten acres.
A large part of this farming is devoted
to growing grapes: T~hirty-five years
ago, their earnings pulled the country
through one Of the worst financial
straits that ever embarrassed any ma
ton. A recent estimate Of the foreign
holdings OF these peasant farmers Of
France gives an investment in foreign
securities at twenty billion dollars.
Surely this is a testimonial to the
working capacity n temperate habits
Of this class of people that is in strik-
ing contrast to cur own.
Let us look at the contrast. IF North
Carolina were to adopt grape culture
and the wine habit, one million acres
might easily be planted in grapes with
out ~dfsplacing my profitable crop, as
vineyards do we'll OIL lands h a are
poorly adapted to- other products.
While twelve and fifteen tons per acre
Is possible, we will base our estimate
on ten tons per acre and as we secure
1875 gallons of wine per ton, it make
1880 gallons of wine. Putting this
wine at zoe per gallon at the cellars,
which would make 1t in reach of every