158 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



Here I wish to add two remarks concerning the culture of the grape vine in 

 the middle and northern States. 



In Germany and France the southern and southeastern hill-sides are con- 

 sidered as best adapted for vineyards. 



The more gradual increase of temperature in spring and the proport!bnately 

 short summer season, with generally warm and but few hot days, render ii 

 necessary that the vineyards should receive sufficient warmth, through the 

 direct rays of the sun, in order to mature the grapes. But it is quite different 

 in this country. The warm temperature sometimes setting in for some con- 

 secutive days as early as January and Febniary, frequently causes the grape- 

 vines on the southern sides of the hills, where the effect of the sun is moat 

 powerful, to vegetate at this early season only to be checked in its growth by 

 later frosts. Thus they freeze and become sickly, and the crop of the year is 

 either destroyed or reduced. On the north or northwest side of the hills, where 

 the ground is less warmed by the rays of the sun, and where the soil remains 

 longer cold in consequence of the action of cold winds, snows, &c., a few warm 

 days in winter will not be able to force the plants, which, therefore, remain 

 inactive until the approach of the regular warm season, when there is no longei 

 any danger of their growth being injured by frosts. There is no danger from 

 the retarded development either to the fruit or to the plant, as the hot summer 

 and the long-continuing fall will always bring the fruit to maturity ; but there 

 is danger from every disturbance after the growth has been started. Thia 

 view receives confinnation from the superior thriving condition of the grapes on 

 the shores of Lake Erie and in the woods. There the north winds and the ice 

 of the lake keep back the development of the grapes until summer. On a 

 northern exposure absence of the effects of the rays of the sun performs the 

 same object. 



In Germany the leaves of the grape vines are partly removed, so as to allow 

 the rays of the sun to act directly both upon the fruit and upon the vine. This 

 method is made necessary by the lower degree of temperature, and there is no 

 danger to the grape vine from the action of the sun's rays, their effects being 

 weaker than here even during the hottest part of the summer. In this country 

 not only the crop, but also the health of the grape vine is frequently destroyed 

 by the removal of the leaves, as I have been assured by many German wine- 

 growers who attempted to apply the method used in Germany. Aside from 

 the practice pursued in warm countries like Italy, nature herself would, in fact, 

 seem to teach us that the grape vine during summer requires protection from 

 the hot rays of the sun, as vigorous, wild-growing grape vines are only found 

 in forests and winding around trees. I would, therefore, recommend to grape- 

 growers the experiment of so putting up their espaliers that the rays of the 

 meridian sun will fall parallel Avith the espaliers, thus striking but a small por- 

 tion of the leaves, and especially those that project furthest, whilst they will 

 heat the soil, which, during the night, will radiate towards the grapes the rays 

 absorbed, thus keeping up a uniform temperature day and night. 



In none of the accounts given by the large number of persons who have 

 travelled over the United States, did I ever meet with observations by which 

 the correctness of my view in regard to both these questions might be deter- 

 mined. In these reports I miss especially the statements whether and in what 

 localities vineyards are planted in positions exposed to the north and northwest. 



