1380 



GRAPE 



GRAPE 



leading the growers to be more cautious and to some 

 extent drop the variety for the more satisfactorj' 

 Campbell and Moore Early. These varieties are 

 later, but please the purchaser. For wine purposes the 

 fruit is left on the vines as long as possible so that it 

 becomes fully matured. Grapes, unUke apples and 

 especially pears, do not ripen off the vines and must be 

 left until fully mature if the highest quality is expected, 

 especially for dessert. 



Of late years large acreages have been planted 

 especially for the markets of the Canadian West. 

 Cooperative associations have been organized to han- 

 dle all varieties extending over the season; but, in the 

 case of one large company, one variety only, Worden, 

 is handled. This ripens before Concord and conse- 

 quently brings a high price. The location of the vine- 

 yards of this particular company is ideal; the fruit is 

 of good quality and ripens early and it seems that under 

 those particular conditions the Worden is the most 

 profitable grape to grow. 



The forming of cooperative associations for the pur- 

 pose of marketing the fruit has the distinct advantage 

 of improved distribution. It has also cut down the 

 handUng expenses. Very few baskets, except special 

 orders, are sent great distances by express. The coopera- 

 tive associations have enabled the growers to secure 

 car rates, and though prices have been comparatively 

 low, even as low as 10 cents for an eight-pound basket, 

 f.o.b. shipping station, the cheap and rapid methods of 

 handling have made the industry profitable. 



Returns. 



Grapes, as grown at the present, might be considered 

 a long-term investment with every prospect of regular 

 dividends. The cost of planting, posting and early 

 cultivation is comparatively high, but the vines bear 

 early. Good crops are produced the third and fourth 

 years after planting and the following year the vines 

 should be in full bearing. The cost of planting and grow- 

 ing an acre of grapes to three years of age can only be 

 estimated. Men, methods and conditions vary so 

 much that no figures can be taken as absolute; but 

 the figures and calculations serve as a guide and as 

 such they are given here: 



FiB.sT Year. 



Land $125 00 



Fall preparation of land 3 00 



Spring cultivating and marking furrows 1 50 



Cost of 435 vines at 4 cents 17 40 



Planting 3 00 



Cultivating 3 00 



Fall plowing 2 00 



Total expenditure for first year $154 90 



.Second Year. 



Working soil in spring $1 50 



Cultivating 3 00 



Pruning and tying 1 00 



120 posts at 20 cents 24 00 



120 posts (including digging and setting) at 5 cents a 



post 6 00 



Staples, wire and wiring 22 00 



Total $57 50 



Third Year. 



Pruning $1 50 



Tying 50 



Cultivating and plowing 5 50 



Fertilizing S 00 



Spraying twice 1 00 



Average crop for third year 435 baskets an acre. 



435 baskets at 12 cents $52 20 



Cost of 435 baskets at $34 a thousand 14 79 



Picking 435 baskets at 1 cent a basket 4 35 



Covering 1 00 



Delivery 75 



Total expenditure for third year $37 39 



Total revenue $52 20 



Net revenue $14 81 



Total expenditure for first three years; 



First year $154 90 



Second year 57 50 



Third year 37 39 



$249 79 

 Third year revenue $52 20 



Net expenditure for three years $197 59 



Fourth Year. 



Pruning $3 00 



Tying 2 25 



Gathering and burning brush 50 



Spraying 1 40 



Plowing and cultivating 5 SO 



Fertilizing 8 00 



800 baskets at 12 cents $96 00 



Cost of 800 baskets at $34 a thousand 27 20 



Picking 800 baskets at 1 cent a basket 8 00 



Covering 2 00 



Delivering 1 00 



$58 85 $96 00 

 Profit $37 15 



The late J. W. Spencer, in his article in Cyclopedia 

 of American Horticulture, on "Grapes in the North," 

 gave the following as submitted by A. B. Clothier, 

 Silver Creek, N. Y.: 



Plowing and marking an acre of land $3 00 



Number of plants. 8x9 feet, 605 cost 12 10 



Cost of planting 1 50 



Number of cultivations first season, seven; cost 7 00 



Cost of cultivation second season 7 00 



Number of pounds of wire for two-wire trellis, 600 pounds; 



staples, 6 pounds: cost 22 80 



Number posts for trellis. 202; number braces, 20; cost 14 14 



Cost of putting up trellis 3 00 



Cost of acre of grapes, exclusive of land $70 54 



Varieties. 



The prospective planter will do well to consider 

 carefully the best-known and most popular varieties 

 before planting. More than 75 per cent of the grapes 

 planted in the commercial sections of Canada are 

 Concords and Wordens. The same is true of New 

 York State. The Concord almost alone is used in the 

 grape-juice industry. It is the leading fermented wine 

 grape also. Worden is in second place, being a Uttle 

 earlier, and although a smaller yielder, is cutting into 

 the Concord market for ordinary purposes. Lindley, 

 Wilder, Vergennes, Agawam, Catawba and some 

 related varieties all hold a place for general market 

 purposes and the plantings are increasing. When 

 quality is expected, these are the varieties to grow, but 

 the yield will not be so heavy as for the Concord. 

 Delaware is in good demand because of its quality 

 when well grown. Moyer and Brighton are giving 

 way to better varieties. 



The Niagara, in spite of its many drawbacks, is 

 still a favorite, and although a few years ago it suffered 

 somewhat from over-advertising, it has again found 

 its proper place and is in steady demand. The newer 

 varieties have not been tested long commercially and 

 it is well for the new grower to plant them only in 

 limited numbers until they have proved they are 

 worthy of a larger place. 



All the commercial varieties grown out-of-doors are 

 Labrusca or Labrusca-vinifera hybrids and seedlings, 

 and no attempt is being made to grow the pure vinifera. 



F. M. Clement. 



Grapes in the South. 



The region south of the 38th degree north latitude 

 has in it more native species of grapes than all the 

 world besides. This alone would lead one to suppose 

 the South naturally adapted to vineyard culture. Yet 

 New York, Ohio and California up to the present far 

 excel it in vineyard area, although only three or four 

 species are native in these states. The cause of this is 

 that diligent experimenters and originators have pro- 



