Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1908-01-09
Grape GROWING
OH. E. Stockbridge.)

llllSCOllCCpO1Oli % w SA@PS SAO"
ing in the South should be SCI
general. Even among intelli-
gent Southerners the belief is
all prevailing that our claims to
successful grape production
must be confined to the musca-
dine type Of bunchless grapes.
The very people most willing to
insist on our pre-eminence in
peach growing, who laud the
Florida orange and make great
claims for our plums, figs straw
berries and apples still draw the
line Of success at grapes.
The greatest of all mistakes
relative to southern grape grow
ing is this debut of our adapta-
ticn to the production Of grapes.
Like most general beliefs this
misconception concerning the
Crane had it's origin in some de-
gree { reason. In the days be-
fore the cause of fungus disease
was known and before modern
spraying was heard of many of
the thin skinned bunch grapes
were eound to b. particularly
susceptible to disease in the
South. General disbelief in
Southern adaptation to this
whole class of fruits followed.
With modern knowledge and
present methods of combating
fungus pests the old misconcep-
ton still fingers, though now en-
tirely without rational cause.
In view Of these facts it may
be appropriate to preface our
consideration Of prevalent mis-
takes in grape growing by call
ing attention to a few Of the
facts showing the success of the
industry in the South.
1t should be understood at the
start that by grape growing we
mean the successful production
of bunch grapes. The scupper-
nong and others of that family
can never be considered CONNER
cial, and even their recognized
value for wine making is lost in
the tidal wave of alleged temper
ance reform sweeping over the
home of the scuppernong.
There are no better vineyards
anywhere. than some of those in
the hills Of Mississippi, Alaba-
Florida, the least dreamed Of
as a grape section, had the re-
markable fortune to defeat the
whole world in wine making by
winning the grand gold media
prize at the Paris exposition
The champion vintage was {
sour sauterne as unlike the soup
pernong beverage CASUALLY sup
posed to be typical Southern
wine) as champagne is unlike
sweetened water.
The loaction of the vineyard
is one of the most common mis-
takes of the grape grower. The
wild muscadine grows NATURALLY
about bay heads and moist bot
toms. So cultivated bunch grape
are often set in places CAREFUL.
selected because of being moist
No greater mistake could b
made. Excess Of moisture is ia
tai to success in grape growing
Dry slopes and gravelly hill
sides are ideal vineyard sites
1t must not be supposed tina
grapes do not require much mois
ture; they do, but excess, we
feet, must be carefully guarde
against.
The rows of vines should b
always run as nearly east an
west as the contour of the Ian
will allow in order that the frui
may be exposed as much as pos
sible to direct sunshine.
VARIETIES.
1t is here that the Souther
grower has most lamentabl
failed. Knowing that the Cor
cord is the standard table graz
of the world, he has set out hui
dreds of thousands of thes
vines, only to find that the fru
was not salable and hardly ed
BILE. 1t ripens extremely uneven
" and is very subject to 70
Avoid the Concord should be tt