CHAPTER II 

 VARIETY TRIALS 



As previously mentioned several settings of grapes were made 

 on the land of the Nashville Agricultural Normal Institute at 

 Madison, Tennessee (ten miles from Nashville) previous to 1918. 

 In 1917 a plot of yellow clay soil lying adjacent to the latest 

 planting already made, and only about three or four hundred 

 feet from the other plantings was selected on which to plant a 

 rather extensive trial vineyard. This site was selected because 

 it was so near the dozen or more varieties already planted that 

 it would be unnecessary to plant any of them again. The land 

 was fairly well drained, lying on the crest of a ridge, sloping to 

 the west and southwest. The soil was poor, but being clay could 

 be built up. It was underlaid with strata of carbonate of lime and 

 carbonate of magnesia at a depth varying from sixteen inches to 

 six feet from the surface, but this fact was not known when-the site 

 was selected. 



In 1917 this land was planted in corn for early roasting ears 

 and in August was planted to Irish potatoes, no commercial 

 and but little stable fertilizer being used. The potatoes were 

 dug late in October -and the land was sown to rye and crimson 

 clover. During the winter sixteen tons per acre of stable manure 

 were spread over this land. Early in March, when the cover 

 crop was four or five inches tall, the land was plowed about eight 

 inches deep and in April the grapes were set. The rows 

 were placed eight feet apart, and the plants seven to 

 twelve feet apart in the row, according to variety. Most 

 varieties were planted eight feet apart in the row. Varie- 

 ties such as Brilliant, and Deleware that were known to be weak 

 growers were set only seven feet apart while some of the Munson 

 varieties were planted twelve feet apart. No fertilizer was used 

 at setting time. 



Beans, soybeans, or cowpeas were grown between the rows 

 the first summer, and after most of the pods had been picked, 

 the tops were plowed under and the land again sown to rye, with 

 a little crimson clover. 



The first season was very dry, the drought coming in 

 June. In July there were heavy rains, and then extreme drought 

 again in August, lasting till November. As a result many of 

 the vines died either before or during the winter of 1918-19. 



In April of 1919 a cover crop was plowed under and most 

 of the dead vines were replaced. Some that could not be re- 

 placed were reset with wholly new varieties. 



They suffered even more from drought this second season, and 

 the following winter was equally hard on the vineyard. In the 



