408 



VINEYARD CULTURE IN OHIO. 



There is one other remedy which I have 

 not tried, in which I have some faith. I 

 allude to converting- the plum orchard into 

 a hog yard. But my faith is not founded 

 upon the belief that the hogs destroy all the 

 insects by devouring the fruit. For I have 

 tried picking up the fruit most thoroughly 

 for several years, without the slightest ap- 

 parent benefit. My impression is, that the 



swinish quadruped operates upon the fears 

 of the destroyer, partly by his presence and 

 noise, and partly by his occasionally coming 

 in contact with the trees, and partly, per- 

 haps, by the odors which arise from his 

 bed. At all events, I purpose trying that 

 experiment the coming season, and will 

 then make public the result. B. 



Puughkeepsie, January, 1S50. 



VINEYARD CULTURE IN OHIO. 



BY R. BUCHANAN, CINCINNATI, O. 



[Vineyard culture is awaking a good deal 

 of attention in various parts of the country ; 

 and we are, therefore, very glad to receive 

 such practical remarks as those of Mr. 

 Longworth, and those of Mr. Buchanan, 

 which follow : Ed.] 



Dear Sir — Your last (Jan.) number of 

 the Horticulturist contains a publication on 

 "Vineyards and Wine-making," from Hol- 

 lywood, Miss. As the process there dif- 

 fers, in some respects, from ours in this 

 vicinity, I have thought that the enclosed 

 article, written for, and published in the 

 Patent Office Report for 1848, might per- 

 haps be considered worthy of a place in 

 your excellent journal. It may appear too 

 brief and condensed ; but still, it gives 

 some idea of our mode of culture, and pro- 

 cess of wine-making here. Very respect- 

 fully, R. Buchanan. 



Cincinnati, Ohio, Jan. 26, 1850. 



Dear Sir — At your request, I now give 

 you the mode adopted by myself, and some 

 others in this vicinity, in cultivating the 

 vine for wine-making. 



At the same time, I feel that it would 

 come with greater propriety from Mr. Long- 

 worth, to whom, more than to any other 

 man in the west, we are all indebted for 

 our knowledge in grape culture. 



Selecting and Preparing the Ground. — 

 A hill side, with a southern aspect, is pre- 

 ferred. If the declivity is gentle, it can be 

 drained by sodded, concave avenues; but 

 if too steep for that, it must be benched or 

 terraced, which is more expensive. 



In the autumn and winter, dig or trench 

 the ground with a spade all over, two feet 

 deep, turning the surface under. The 

 ground will be mellowed by the frosts of 

 winter. 



Planting. — Lay off the ground in rows, 

 3 by 6 feet ; put down a stick twelve or fif- 

 teen inches long, where each vine is to 

 grow. 



The avenues should be 10 feet wide, di- 

 viding the vineyard into squares of 120 

 feet. Plant at each stick two cuttings, se- 

 parated 5 or 8 inches at the bottom of the 

 hole, but joined at the top ; throw a spade- 

 full of rich vegetable mould into each hole, 

 and let the top eye of the cutting be even 

 with the surface of the ground, and if the 

 weather is dry, cover with half an inch of 

 light earth. 



The cuttings should be prepared for 

 planting by burying them in the earth im- 

 mediately after pruned from the vines in 

 the spring ; and by the latter end of March, 

 or early in April, which is the right time 

 for planting, the buds will be swelled so 

 as to make them strike root with great cer- 

 tainty. Cut off close to the joint at the 

 lower end, and about an inch above the 

 upper. 



