Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-09-18
EUR0PE AN GRAPE.
THR|vES IN N. NJ.
GARCIA CLAIMS
Especial Correspondence to The journal,

Especial Correspondence to The JournalJ
Las Cruces, N. NJ, Sept. IL
Many varieties of European
crap thrive in the Rio Grande val.
ley, but care should be taken not
to plant too many varieties In a
vineyard, especially II It is to be
q commercial plantation"
Prof. Fabian Garcia, director of
the experiment station at the New
Mexico College of Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts, said this at the
Temple Of Agriculture here, ad-
ding:
"Some Of the varieties that
might be considered by prospective
growers are: Thompson Seedless.
a ralsin variety; Black Hamburg
and Muscat of Alexandria, good
mid-season varieties, and Black
Cornichon and Flame Tokay, two
of the good late shipping grapes.
THE European or so-called Cal
ifornia grape does well in the
Grande valley, but 1t is not quite
at hardy to cold as the native va
rieties, such as Concord and Della
ware. Occasionally the whole vine
may he killed. especially during a
very dry and severe winter. Conse-
quently the grower should take
precautions against loss from this
source. The best and easiest way
to guard against this danger Is TO
protect the vines and stumps In
winter by killing the earth around
them to the height from eight to
twelve inches above the scaffold
of the stump.
This may seem an extra ex-
pense and unnecessary labor, but it
Is an assurance against serious
loss. as one can never tell when
conditions are going to be favora-
BILE for winter injury. Like all 9TH
er fruits, the grape is more or less
subject to. late spring frost injury,
but not so much as in the case of
the tree fruits. The grape as a rule
is later in starting to grow In the
spring and for that reason escapes
more frost injury than many Of
the other fruits.
1.-THE European grape has few
insect or plant pests. The grape
leaf hopper Is occasionally trouble
some. The honey bee has been
noted during late years to do more
or less damage to the ripened fruit
on the vine by breaking through
the skin and sucking the Juice out
of the berry. The yellow disease
of the grape is common to the
Concord, but does not affect the
European grapes.
1.-THE grape is one of the easiest
fruits to grow, especially after the
stump has been established, as a
rule it requires less labor and is
less expensive than the growing
Of many tree fruits.
Vineyards are always started
from cuttings,~ preferably rooted
cuttings. 1t always pays well, es-
pecially for amateurs, to use root
cd cuttings. A great deal of care
and attention should be given to
the cuttings in the field and first
season in order to secure a good
stand and good growth.
Irrigation and cultivation close
to the cuttings should not be neg
ltcted. Wien cuttings are of the
average length of fifteen to twen-
ty inches they can easily be plant
cd half their length. The distance
between the plants may vary from
from by to 10 by 10. feet. II
the former distance is used about
COO vines may be planted to the
acre. If the latter distance is used
there will be about AIT plants to
the acre. The more common dis
lance 20 plant Is 5 by s feet.
While the grape grows on a
great variety OF soils, the best re-
suits. everything considered, will
be obtained from the lighter soils.
Therefore, wherever possible, q
sandy loan to a loan should be
selected. The heavy adobe soils
should be avoided if possible. Such
soils are hard to work, particularly
in winter when the vines are being
covered up. The tendency on
adobe soil is for the plant to pro-
duce too much of cane growth,
making the grape later and more
irregular in ripening.
After the first seasons growth
It Is desirable, though not abso-
lutely necessary, to tie the vines to
stakes. which are driven down in
the soil close to the plant. The
/ vines are kept tied to the stakes
until the stump Is we'll formed. The
stake may be from two and a half
TO three freet in length ana from
two two three and half inches In
diameter.
1.-THE European grape is trained
on what is known as the stump
system and the pruning is a COM
paratively easy proposition. After
the vines come into bearing better
crops. other things remaining
equal. may be produced by prun-
ing back to two ana not over three
buds on each cane. AS q rule the
grape Is later in starting to grow
In the spring than other fruits, ana
since the crop is produced from
the shoots grown from the base
buds OF last years canes, an effort
should be made to retard the
growth of the base buds as late as
possible. This seems to be done to
some degree by delaying pruning
Of the grape as late as possible in
the spring. However. care should
be taken not to delay the pruning
after the base buds have started to
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