The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-05-23
GOLDEN RULE SALE DAY WILL BE BIG
EVENT AGAIN In LAKELAND TOMORROW

yard out about eight or ten miles
north OF Lakeland.
+. A. Ritter, vice.president of the
Grapeview Nurseries Co, came to
FLORIDA several years ago, from Mis-
souri,, where he and his three sons
had engaged in grape growing. He
homesteaGed a tract out north of
Lakeland, where the soil looked lit
orally more hopeless than the last fad
ed rose of summer. To-Day he has a
vineyard of about or 8 acres G.
OF which are bearing,) in which any
grape grower should take pride,-and
that on sandy hill land occupied by
Jack pine. His four year old vines
bear an average of between fifteen
and twenty pounds to the vine and
one OF them last year, produced one
hundred pounds. they grow in great
luscious clusters weighing from
half pound, to one and half pound=
and they ship. That is, discovery
has been made that the Carmen grape
which can be profitably raised in
Florida, will keep well on its long
| journey to the northern fruit mark
cts because of its touch skin and gen
eral sturdy qualities.
Ritter and his son, w. A. Ritter,
who is in charge OF the original Rit-
ter vineyard, have specialized in Car
men grapes, but. they are also pro-
ducing Tokay, and Malaga, and some
| few other varieties in smaller quanti-
| ties.
! The Grapeview Nursery, Inc, the
! second grape nursery concern in the
state, VS. formed on the foundation
! laid in the industry by the Ritters,
and has at it's head as president, W.
! A. hodges, who arrived in Florida
! last November. +. A. Ritter is vice
president and S. l.. Holland secretary
and treasurer. Their charter was
! granted in March and they have since
/ then set out about 10000 cuttings,
at least 1900 OF which are expect
ed to be ready for sale by the next
planting season-December, January,
and February.
They own twenty acre property
just off the bakeland road, about d
mile and half northwest Of Barlow,
and formerly known as the old Page
place, and have planted five acres
in vineyard. Next winter they will
have at least ten more underway and
by the end of the season, will prob
ably have this years vines bearing
fruit.
According to an estimate based on
tentative requests for plants, there
will be between fifty and seyenty-five
acres in grapes, in the immediate
vicinity OF Barlow, next year. Several
Of the truck growers who have here
tofore devoted their acreages TO cab
bage largely, are beginning TO plan
to so into the business Oh an expert
mental Scale and will begin with five
and ten acre plots. 1t is understood
that a company is now i'll process Of
formation to start a new twenty acre
planting in the immediate vicin-
lty.
The Grapeview company has al
ready made a verbal contract Tor the
sale to one concern in a neighbor-
ing county of $4,000 settings Tor next
season and the demand is sufficient
that large part of the remaining
100000 paintings of their stock is
already bargained for.
MI Hodges, Mr.. Ritter, and other
experienced grape growers have said
that many sections OF Polk county
as any part of the state both by its
soil conditions and its climatic advar-
tagas. 1t seems quite generally
agreed that the Carmen variety, a
type propagated by x. w. Munson, of
Dennison, Texas, especially for the
Southern states, will prove most sue
cessful in Florida, both by reason of
it's dependendable shipping qualities
and its excellence of taste and tex
ture. A large grape, almost round
ard deliciously rich and juicy, many
of them were brought to Barlow for
sale last summer and proved highly
popular.
They come into bearing about the
18th of June well in advance OF the
California crops and at a tine of the
year when no other part OF the coun-
try is producing, and continue for
about six weeks. While great care
is demanded in the culture OF grapes
here and fertilization is necessary,
the planting, pruning and spraying
DO not require more attention nor
more funds, than some OF the less
profitable crops that have been Civ
en- much attention heretofore. They
.
after planting,-some two or three
pounds to the vine,-and by the end
of four years, will yield between 10
and 20 pounds to the vine, or more
where the soil is best suited for their
culture.
A beautiful four acre plot on the
4 ;5y lvester farm, near Lakeland just
of the Barlow road, is devoted to
GRAPES now and they are about two
and one half years old and bearing
heavily.
Several small plots are planted
within the city limits of Barlow and
these are being watched with great
interest by local property owpers who
consider adding grapes to their own
lists of products.
On the whole, what has already
been accomplished gives the appear
ance, as one experienced truck8row'
ey has said, that the soil has just
/ been scratched in an industry that
mey mean new riches for Polk coun'
ty, and its progress will be watched