306 Is Grape Culture and yVbie Making a J^ailure hi this Comitry ? 



We know but too well that many liave been severe losers, others utterly ruin-id in 

 the laudable efl'ort to nationalize grape culture and wine-making ; yet, from expe- 

 rience, I sincerely believe it can be made to pay ; in fact I know it. But before I 

 can show how that result, in my estimation and experience, is to be reached, let us 

 consider, briefly, the many causes which have worked detrimentally to retard or 

 arrest the healthy growth of that new branch of business : knowing many of the 

 causes which have been an impediment, we may in a measure guard against their 

 repetition. 



Let us begin with the vineyardist, and sec the many errors in the vineyard. 

 First, the difficulty to know whether he wanted a wine grape or a table grape for a 

 handy market. The Catawba having already met with a certain success in some 

 portions of the country, was chosen, and planted everywhere, at random — in low 

 lands, side hills and table lands ; the risk of the soil being unsuitable was freely 

 taken, in many cases not even inquired into. To supply the demand plants were 

 made of sound or diseased wood, as the case might be ; of ripe and green cuttings ; 

 the same was done of the many new plants which carried public favor ; and, worse 

 than all, as soon as they began to grow they were made to furnish their own quota 

 of plants, weak, feeble, worthless plants. Then they were subjected to a style of 

 pruning, cutting, breaking, slashing, pinching, etc., which only proved the immense 

 energies of the vine ; the wonder was and is that they were not killed outright — 

 but to finish them sure, deep plowing, tearing and mangling the roots out of the soil 

 was resorted to, in and out of season, in times of drouth, with a dog-day sun, the 

 soil being baked as hard as a brick — whilst a crop, double the size it should be, was 

 making the reckless attempt to mature on well abused vines. And people wondered 

 that their vines became sickly, subject to rather light frosts, rot, mildew, insects etc., 

 and in many instances, within the last few years, failed to come up at all, utterly 

 ruined, dead. 



Next, with the vintner, the trouble was his inexperience in wine making; grapes 

 not sufficiently ripe, unsuitable or musty barrels ; then the pernicious theory of 

 gallizing, which has done more to destroy the reputation of native wines than all or 

 any other causes whatever; wine made with sugar and water, under pretext of 

 reducing the acids and pungent or foxy flavor, making a beverage no longer con-' 

 taining the healthful element — in due proportion — intended by a careful and benefi- 

 cent nature, and, unless with an excess of alcohol, no longer in a condition to keep, 

 often turning sour on the hands of the vintner, or soon after he sold it, especially 

 if the purchaser kept it on tap, like beer, without ice — which often proved to be tlie 

 fact instead of having it bottled as all good wines should be. Add to this the natural, 

 however absurd, prejudice of foreigners — our new made citizens, against drinking 

 anything in the shape of wine that is native, preferring their own, often adulterated 

 wines, simply because they are French, Grerman or Italian wines; and our own 

 people being sufficiently foolish to believe that no wine is good or fashionable unless 

 it be European, preferring tea or coff"ee, the products of foreign climes, for a table 

 drink, and common and poisonous corn whisky for a stimulant — and you have some 

 of the many drawbacks which have caused thousands of acres to be returned to 

 grass or corn. The picture is not certainly exaggerated. Let us quietly enquire 



