492 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



The mean temperature of the first week of April has been 6.3° centigrade, or 

 ^.SO'^ Fahrenheit; that of the second week of April, S.S*^ centigrade, or 46.99^ 

 Fahrenheit; and of the thud week, 9.15"^ centigrade, or 48.49° Falirenheit — 

 numbers which agree very closely with those observed in France and Belgium, 

 as demanded by the vine before and at the commencement of vegetation. 



An examination of the table of leafing, blooming, and ripening of sundry 

 American vines, as observed at Waterloo, New York, favorably situated a few 

 miles distant from Cayuga lake, exhibits the fact that the Diana and Clinton 

 began the leafing process at the temperature of 51.40° to 51.66° Fahrenheit 

 for ten to twelve days previous, or from the 1st of May, and that the other 

 varieties opened their leaves under a mean of from 52.41° to 53.13°, beginning 

 from the same date. The leaves did not, however, expand until a day had 

 been experienced having a mean temperature of 60° or upwards ; and the same 

 has been our observation to-day, when the first leaves of the Clinton appeared. 



De Candolle, in order to determine the possibility of vine culture at various 

 places, employs a table of aggregate temperatures derived from the date when 

 the daily means of 8° and 10° centigrade above freezing first appear, respect- 

 ively, until the day when the same mean heats are last experienced in autumn. 

 This is based upon the assumption that the entire term is required for the 

 maturation of the various kinds of grapes that will grow and ripen in the lati- 

 tude noted. Such has not been observed to be the fact in America. Several 

 varieties of native vines ripen their fruit in August or early in September, 

 when the high summer means prevail, and this even near the northern border 

 of grape culture, as we find by the foregoing table. Several mature from the 

 middle to the last of September, while the temperature of this month at Water- 

 loo, New York, for 1862, was 63.04°, being 13*^ above the mean at which vege- 

 tation commenced, and which mean was not reached until the middle of Octo- 

 ber, when the first frost occurred. 



By deducting the average temperature during the period from leafing to 

 blooming from the mean temperature at and prior to leafing, we obtain the 

 available heat necessary to advance the plant to the era of bloom. Taking the 

 Delaware as an example, we find that it commences vegetating at about 52.41° 

 Fahrenheit for 14 days previous, and blooms at a mean of 59.52° Fahrenheit, a 

 difference of 7.11° for 45 days, (the time required,) giving us an average of 

 319.95° available degrees of heat, according to Fahrenheit's scale, necessary to 

 conduct the Delaware vine to this condition. The average temperature from 

 blooming to maturity is 68.17°, and the difference between this and the initial 

 temperature of 52.41° is 15.76°, which continued for 77 days, the time required, 

 gives us an aggregate from blooming to maturity of 1191.52° Fahrenheit. The 

 latter sum, added to that required from leafing to blooming, 319.95°, exhibits 

 a final aggregate of heat demanded by the Delaware above 52.41° of 1533°. 47. 

 This is equal to a mean of 12.57° above the initial for 122 days, the entire 

 period required, or a mean temperature for the season of growth of 64.98°, or 

 65° nearly. 



Waterloo, New York, appears to be very favorably situated for vine-grow- 

 ing, though near the northern border of successful cultivation. Its summer 

 temperature being 66.05°, and the mean for the season from foliation to ripen- 

 ing of the earlier varieties 64.98°, and for those which require a longer season, 

 and yet mature there, a mean of 64.37°. These means accord very closeF^ 

 with those determined as necessary in Europe for the growth and maturation 

 of the hardier varieties of the wine grape ; for, says Boussingault, " any 

 country which has not a summer mean of at least 64.4° to 66.2° Fahrenheit, 

 can have but indifferent vineyards." An indispensable requisite to perfect 

 maturity is adequate heat during the later stages, and this is received at 

 Waterloo in September, which enjoys a mean heat of 63° Fahrenheit, But the 

 most important epoch in the life of the vine is that which follows the appear- 



