57S HOW TO MAKE THE FARM PAY. 



Missouri has realized from two and a half acres the first five 



years after planting $23,305.80 



The plants and trellis for the 2J acres cost .... 1,277.00 



Five years labor at $500 per year 2,500.00 



Interest on capital 600.00 



Leaving a clear profit of $19,028,80 



for the first five years. This is a profit of over fifteen hmadred 

 dollars per year per acre. This is large, but we think, with 

 the information we have given, any farmer can clear an average 

 profit of one thousand dollars per acre from his grape crop. 



The last objection, if a real one, would be fatal to the whole [ 

 scheme. But it is the most absurd of the whole. There is 

 market for one hundred pounds of grapes to every pound that 

 is grown. Even the poorest varieties, picked before they are 

 ripe, bring from fifteen to twenty-five cents per pound, and no 

 one gets enough. As grapes are improved in quality, by the 

 better systems of cultivation, and the introduction of better 

 varieties, the old customers will increase their demands, and 

 thousands of new ones will spring up on every side. Ten years 

 ago, the acres of grapes in this country were not over four 

 thousand, now they are as many million ; but the demand has 

 increased faster than the supply, and never was there such a 

 pressure as now. At the same ratio of increase, ten years from 

 to-day there will be four billion acres of grapes. If such an 

 increase were possible or probable, we say that ten years from 

 now the product of that number of acres would be as surely in 

 demand as the present product; for if every citizen were 

 glutted with fruit, we have still the wine to fall back upon, 

 wliich we can make for home consumption, and even for export 

 at immense profits. The amount paid for imported wines is 

 enormous, and we can make a much better article at home 



II 



