350 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



Vineyard Culture in Indiana. — We extract 

 the following account of the grape culture in In- 

 diana, from the new edition of Mr. Allen's work 

 on the vine. It is the account of Mr. Goodwin's 

 experience. — Ed. 



I have about eight acres in cultivation. The 

 vines are planted in rows, about six feet apart, and 

 at the distance of four feet in the rows. My sys- 

 tem of pruning consists simply in shortening-in 

 the wood of the past year's growth from one to a 

 dozen eyes, according to the condition of the vine, 

 and afterwards tying up the new growth to the 

 trellis, from time to time, as it may seem to 

 require support. Stout stakes, about 5^feethigh, 

 with narrow strips of board nailed on them, con- 

 stitute the best trellis. I tried wire, but the sun 

 heated it to such an extent that it killed the ten- 

 drils of the vine, and frequently injured the young 

 wood. 



My grapes are principally Catawba ; I have a 

 few of the Isabella, but do not use them for wine. 

 The Catawba, as a wine grape, has, in my opin- 

 ion; no equal among grapes that can be success- 

 fully cultivated in our climate. 



We have occasionally had the leaves of our 

 vines eaten in places by an insect, but never to an 

 extent sufficient to be injurious. The "rot" is 

 the great enemy we have to contend with. Some 

 seasons twenty gallons of wine per acre can hard- 

 ly be realized from our vineyards in consequence 

 of it. I have noticed that whenever wheat is in- 

 jured by the rust, the grape is, to a proportionate 

 extent, affected by the rot. They doubtless origi- 

 nate from a common cause. As to what that 

 cause is, great diversity of opinion exists. My 

 observation does not enable me to give, with con- 

 fidence, any opinion on the subject. 



The young shoots, in spring, are seldom injured 

 by frosts, except in low grounds. This fact is 

 now beginning to be understood by our farmers, 

 and the highest ground is selected for both vine- 

 yards and orchards. 



I have never tried any of the foreign varieties ; 

 Mr. Longworth's experience having satisfied me 

 that it would be but a waste of time and money. 



There are a considerable number of vineyards in 

 our county — I cannot of course speak with entire 

 accuracy — bat I think I cannot be far wrong in 

 estimating the quantity of land devoted at present 

 to the culture of the grape in this county, at from 

 100 to 120 acres. In this estimate I do not mean 

 to include small portions, grown merely for family 

 use, but vineyards intended for the manufacture 

 of wine. The quantity will probably be doubled in 

 the course of two years more. The vineyards on 

 the hills seem to do much better than those imme- 

 diately on the river. In the rich alluvial bottoms 

 they do not succeed well, the fruit almost inva- 

 riably rotting. 



With regard to the profit, a careful cultivator 

 may safely calculate on 200 gallons of wine per 

 acre, one year with another ; he may with as 

 much certainty calculate on selling the juice at 



the press, at from 60 to 80 cents per gallon — mak- 

 ing the proceeds per acre from 120 to 160 dol- 

 lars. The same labor that will cultivate twenty 

 acres of corn, will suffice for ten acres of grapes. 

 The twenty acres of corn, when gathered, may 

 at the best prices and crops, be worth here $250 ; 

 the ten acres of grapes from $1200 to $1600 dol- 

 lars. This, however, cannot be expected to last 

 long ; as vineyards increase, and they are doing 

 so rapidly, the price of wine must come down ; it 

 can be manufactured and sold at 75 cts. per bot- 

 tle, and then pay the producer better than any 

 other crop he can raise. 



The CAa??i^ag-ne manufactured from the juice of 

 the Catawba, is equal, in my judgment, to the 

 best European brands. I do not manufacture 

 [ferment] my own wine, but sell the juice to the 

 vintners. Amos Goodwin. Clarkstown, Indiana, 



Grafting Vines. — Permit me to describe a 

 method of grafting the grajie upon roots that I 

 have never seen in print. 



Cut the old root off, some two inches below the 

 ground, by a horizontal cut. Then choose a gimb- 

 let just the size of the scion to be inserted, and 

 bore from one to three or four holes, according to 

 the size of the root, and insert the scions, first 

 removing the loose bark. The holes should be 

 two or three inches in depth, and the scion should 

 fit accurately. I have never known them fail to 

 grow. Old stocks may thus be wholly changed in 

 two years. If the operation is performed so late 

 in the season that the root shows a disposition to 

 bleed, grafting cement must be used. The holes 

 should be [perpendicular,] or in the direction of 

 the grain of the wood. I have never known this 

 method fail, and I have never succeeded with any 

 other, though I have frequently tried both cleft 

 and split grafting. Amos Goodwin. Ibid. 



The Dignity of Labor in America. — In 

 mechanical labor and skill, the absence of all 

 honour as an habitual attendant, is, in Europe, 

 equally manifest. I know that luxury purchases, 

 often at a great price, the beautiful results of 

 handicraft and skill. I know that individuals of 

 boldness and energy — those irrepressible spirits 

 whose elasticiy no bonds can limit — have occa- 

 sionally forced their way through all this down- 

 ward pressure, and have compelled an acknow- 

 ledgement of their greatness, and a respect for 

 their mighty developments of mental and moral 

 powers, from those titled tribes, who habitually 

 fancy their interest to be in widening the gulf of 

 separation, and insulating their own position as 

 completely as possible. But what are these 

 among so many ? Their class are tradesmen and 

 tradespeople still. And the habitual fact in their 

 history is, not only no encouragement to rise, but 

 great discouragement and jealousy of their possi- 

 ble ability to break the shell of caste, whose ac- 

 cumulated scales ages have riveted over them. 

 European mechanics feel this fact of discourage- 

 ment and dishonor, and feel it deeply. 



