The Pensacola journal., 1922-12-23

on the planting and cultivation of a
grape vineyard are contained in the
following address by J. L. thinner
man of Tampa before the Chamber
of Commerce of Lake City on De-
cember 5:
Gentlemen Of the Chamber Of
Commerce, ladies and gentlemen: 1t is
a great pleasure to speak to you to-
day upon the subject of grape grow
ing in Florida and particularly in
Columbia county. Through the
courtesy of your strawberry and
trucking expert, my brother and my
self had the pleasure of spending
several hours today, inspecting all
varieties of soils in almost every di-
rection from your progressive city,
with a view of definitely ascertain
ing their adaptability to commercial
grape growing. This large and rep
resentative gathering of business men
and farmers demonstrates a real live
interest in commercial grape grow
ing in Columbia county, and / am
pleased to state that as a result of
our careful examinations of soils.
| drainage. etc, we are able to assure
you that it is entirely practical to
establish a great grape growing in
dustry in this part of the state; in
deed we are assured by a number
of your citizens that a good many
acres will be planted to grapes in
this county, largely near Lake City,
this season. You have the soil, you
have the drainage and you have the
shipping facilities for marketing the
fruit.
Success of Long Standing.
while your special interest in
grape growing is quite recent, we
assure YOU that commercial propo-
CATION of grapes in Florida, our
adapted varieties, has been a sue
cess for the past ten seasons, each
year showing substantial progress.
with more acreages planted and the
paintings growing larger each year,
as a direct result of the returns re-
ceived by those who have been grow
ing our varieties of grapes success
fully and receiving the highest
prices for the fruit year afte ryear.
There are now about 90 acreages of
adapted grapes in the state with in
dications that the paintings during
the season just opening will be more
| than double all former records for
| one year. 1t will not be surprising
! if upwards of 1000 acres are planted
! 10 DuUCA grapes III I lOI OII III
| this season.
at has bean fully demonstrated that
| there are a number OF varieties OF
bunch grapes really adapted to
Florida growing conditions and that
they are reasonably long-lived varie-
ties Moreover, they are of the best
qualities in flavor and for shipping
purposes. Grapes grow in Florida
have the advantage of being ripe and
ready for the markets of the country
several weeks earlier on the average,
than grapes grown in any other part
! of the world. Florida grown grapes
have the advantage of bringing sub
stantial financial returns to the
| grower within a couple OF years
from the time of planting. More
| over, as the vines are dormant dur
| ing the winteT period, there is no
| danger of injury from frosts. Florida
grown grapes bring the highest
| prices on the markets because they
have no outside competition and for
the further reason that they are Of
excellent quality.
Easily Grown.
Grapes are easily grown, are not
difficult to care for properly, they
are readily pruned and are less af-
fected by disease than most other
fruits. Besides. all enemies thus
far have been readily controlled by
! spraying. The cost OF spraying five
| acres of grapes is not as great on the
average as the cost of spraying a
single acre Of citrus fruit, We are
always glad to give full and free in
formation regarding pruning and such
information as will contribute to the
arlrA f1c
grapes.
Florida has the soils suited TO
successful commercial grape growing
as has been amply demonstrated, the
proper varieties for the establish
ment of a successful commercial in
dustry are available and more and
more fruit growers are engaging in
the grape growing industry. We
assure you that you are acting
wisely in determining to engage in
grape growing in thjc part of the
state and we are confident that you
will contribute very materially to the
income of the people of the county.
Columbia county is bound to become
one of the best grape growing sec
tions of the entire state. We are
assured that you will make good
start this year. There is no other
move that you can. make that will
more substantially increase the mar
ket value of your property than by
engaging in grape growing in the
count on a large scale.
Pruning grapes is a very simple
matter. If the plants have made
a growth of Il to 20 feet or more
than the first season. which they
should do with proper care, cut off
all the branches below four feet
from the ground. and leave a main
stem four feet long. If the growth
has been strong leave one branch
stem one or two feet long, branching
out from the four feet height.
Position OF Posts.
Put your posts and wires in the
first season, setting the posts 80 feet
anart If the vines are 10 feet apart.
with three plants between each two
nosts. At the end post put in a
dead man for the purpose Of keep
ing the wires tight and also to act
as a lightning eliminator. The tor
wire should be four feet from the
ground and the second wire IS inches
below that. Preferably galvanized
smooth wire No. 10 or II should be
used. The pruning should be the
latter part of December or early IN
January each year. In starting the
vines. permit only one main stem to
davelop up to about July 1st, pinch
ing off all the sprouts every week
or ten days. the object being to de-
,.-y-~ q rrood main stem. The sec