The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-07-04
by w. E. BolIes of Oldsmar, President
Florida Grape Growers Association.)

about over, and if you want to enjoy
some of this delicious fruit, you will
have to ask your fruit dealer very
soon, or you will miss the opportunity.
The home demand has been so active
this year, that comparatively small
quantities have been shipped away.
The growers have received from 20 to
80 cents a pound, and the early grapes
brought sixty cents to one dollar per
pound at retail. James II. Thompson
,of Oldsmar offered 81 pound for the
first grapes into that market.
In Florida every man can live under
his own vine and fig tree 1t is a
land or corn and wine, soft pedal on
the wine nowadays; it is a land flow
ing with milk and honey. Blessed are
the families who have an abundance
OF home grown fruits on their tables
all the year around. with some to
spare for other people.
Grape growers in Florida have
proved that we can produce the earli-
est grapes in the United States. They
begin to mature in May and are on
the markets in June, month to six
weeks ahead of the California crop,
Florida Grape Growers Association
united the growers, and is helping all
in handling the extra early varieties
successfully.
There were disappointments in grow
ing bunch grapes here in past years,
not because this state is not suited to
grapes for it is; wild grapes are found
in every county. Florida is a natural
grape region. But the early growers
tried to introduce California, European
and northern states varieties without
much success in a commercial way.
Southern varieties of grapes are the
thing in Florida, varieties adapted to
this climate and having disease-re-
sistant qualities. Our summer rain
fall and increased humidity promote
certain diseases on grape vines If they
are not native to this latitude and
climate. Southern varieties are able
to withstand such attacks, being more
resistant to fungi characteristic OF
their localities, and all the diseases
can be prevented, controlled or healed.
Many of the best varieties suited to
Florida have been developed by using
a native southern grape as the foun-
dation for crosses. An entirely new
race of bunch grapes was thereby
evolved, suited to Southern conditions;
and the ehybrids and multi hybrids of
this interesting breeding are the vines
from which we are getting results in
Florida today. The name Of Munson
has been inscribed in an honorable
place on the pages of Southern grape
culture forever. It has been found by
experience that the varieties he orig
mated years ago in southern Texas
are among the best adapted to Florid-
ian condition; many of our CONNER
cial vineyards include vines directly
descended from his plants. The lead
ing varieties now being planted in
Florida include the Florida malaga
Florida tokay, Carmen, Coal, R. w.
Munson, Black Hamburg, Armalaga,
Royal, Roalo and others. The zim-
norman brothers have grown total
of seventy-f1ve varieties, some OF
which are results of their own devel-
opment in our state.
The soils suited to grapes are we'll
drained dark sandy loan found in the
rolling high pine lands and in the flat
woods, the latter as a rule having
more humus. Grapes will flourish in
well drained muck and even in spruce
pine lands. Any land which will grow
oranges successfully will grow grapes.
Grapes will stand more moisture than
citrus trees, and are harder, being in
little danger Of being killed by frost
or freeze. They will endure condi-
lions which would destroy citrus
grove. Many a citrus grower has
planted or is considering planting an
acreage of grapes to secure diversity
of crops and regular annual profits.
The best TIME to plant vineyards isl
from December to March, while the
vines are dormant. They should pro-
duce a fair yield one and one-half
years from planting, and should have
a full crop in the third summer, at two
and one-half years from planting.
They require little fertilizer the f1rstI
two years, and moderate applications
thereafter.
The plants are set eight to ten feet
apart in the rows, with the rows ten
feet apart, usually running north and
south The new runners are trained
on wire strung horizontally to posts.
The two wire system is used, that IS, |
one wire two feet above the ground,
the second wire a foot and a hair
above the lower, making a total OF ;
l-2 feet from the ground to the tcp
IF the post.
The practice is to cut the branches
back severely every year, during the
dormant season in January, leaving
1nly one trunk with two or three
;m1rs near its top, the spurs having
,nly two or three joints. Everything
Else is trimmed away.
If we could be told, before we are
BORN, what a great number of human
diseases there are in~the world, some
If us might hesitate about entering
lpon such a life. Those who have
never grown grapes or read about
ruit diseases, may likewise feel alarm
ID over the enemies of the vine. Yet
hey are not nearly so numerous as
human diseases, and are much easier
% handle. As matter of fact, IN
eliigent protective measures Will save I