100 GRAPE CULTURE AND 



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The new vineyards at this place, comprising about 150 acres, were 

 planted by me mostly in 1882. The varieties planted were for imme- 

 diate bearing: Lenoir, Herbemont, Cynthiana, Rulander, and Norton's- 

 Virginia, all cestivalis varieties; and for grafting, about 10,000 wild 

 riparia seedlings, 15,000 Clinton, and some few thousand each of other 

 rip<tria varieties, such as Elvira, Missouri Riesling, Taylor, Uhland, 

 Amber, Pearl, Marion, etc. Each variety runs in most instances from 

 one end of the vineyard to the other, thus getting the benefit or disad- 

 vantage, as the case may be, of a variety of soils. In another piece of 

 land we planted rupestris cuttings the same season, which also have 

 about the same diversity of t-o'ils. 1 find a great difference in growth 

 on the different soils, the most vigorous being on the alluvial and adobe,, 

 the poorest on the hardpan alkali. This may be considered applicable 

 to all varieties planted, although the Herbemont seems to grow and 

 succeed best on all soils. A piece of about an acre of the last named 

 variety, planted in 1881, has been in partial bearing for two years, has 

 always set its fruit well, and ripened evenly. The same was the case 

 this year, when it bore a very heavy crop, many of the vines producing 

 40 to 50 pounds each, and ripening their fruit evenly and well, the 

 must showing 24 on Balling's scale on the fifth day of this month- 

 All the cetstibates varieties, however, need a 6-foot stake, and long prun- 

 ing on canes or arms, to show their full bearing capacity. The same 

 may be said of the Rulander or St. Genevieve, which set well and bore 

 a splendid crop on three-year old vines, must showing 2(5 Balling the 

 twenty-eighth of September, when we picked them. The Lenoir, 

 Norton's, and Cynthiana set but a very light crop, owing, as I think, to 

 the high winds which prevailed here all summer. They ripened early 

 in September, Lenoir showing 27, Norton's 30 Cynthiana 32 Bailing* 

 the must being of an exceedingly dark color, purplish black. All 

 promise to make very fine wines, and as the vines are yet too young 

 to show their full bearing capacity, 1 hope for a better yield next year. 



In the spring of 1884 we grafted what was strong enough of the wild 

 riparia, and the riparia varieties, although from the difficulties pre- 

 sented by the soil already mentioned, we had a very uneven stand. 

 Our method was common cleft grafting, and has been described before 

 We grafted on the wild riparia seedlings as follows: Sultana, Green 

 Hungarian, Sauvignon Vert, Marsanne, and Franken Riesling (Syl- 

 vaner). A part of the last two varieties,, five rows, were grafted on, 

 Elvira, running parallel through the blocks with the riparia. The 

 great majority of the grafts took well, made a firm junction and a very 

 strong growth Avhere the vines were on favorable soil, but on the El- 



