114 



The Grape Culturid. 



THE INFLUENCE OF PREPARING THE SOIL ON DIFFERENT 



VARIETIES. 



The old adage, that " g.ood i.s good, 

 and better is bettor," is not ahvayn 

 applicable. For instance : A neigh- 

 bor of mine, in planti)ig a vineyard, 

 had his gi'ound trenched from twenty- 

 four to thirty inches deep ; his Nor- 

 ton's Virginia grow excellently and 

 iind bear finely, hut his Concord and 

 Ilefbemont have never done well — 

 at least, not as well as mine, where 

 the ground was only plowed eighteen 

 inches deep, soil and location being 

 the same in either case. This year 

 his Herbemont vines are not only 

 killed, but the wood is diseased, and 

 he thinks he M'ill have to cut them off 

 at the ground, Avhile mv Herbemont 

 vines are perfectly healthy. Now, 

 who can and will explain the phe- 

 nomena ? I have read a great many 

 books and essays on the preparation 

 of the soil for grapes, and have never 

 heard or read of anybody making a 

 distinction or exception in the differ- 

 jcnt varieties planted. I 



If wo take into consideration that 

 there are fourteen hundred different , 

 •distinct varieties of grapes grown 

 >on the globe, and such a vast num- i 

 Ijcr of different and distinct brands 

 of wines made, it is evident, at ' 

 least, that there must be a dif- 

 ference in the preparation of the , 

 soil. Manuring, and the different 1 

 kinds of manure to be used for each 

 peculiar grape, and for the perfection . 

 of its ai'oma and bouquet, as well as j 

 the healthfulness and productiveness I 

 of the vines, arc questions of prime im- i 

 portance. We are too much inclined ! 

 to nationalize evervthing here ; and I 



what is right and proper must not only 

 j be supported, but extended. Oar sys- 

 tem of weights and measures must be 

 made more uniform, in all of the 

 Stfites alike ; nay, more, the French 

 decimal system should be adopted as 

 soon as possible. 



But this branch of American in- 

 dustry — viz : '^ Grape Culture" — will 

 • require, perhaps, as much special and 

 different treatment as there are local- 

 ities. It is strange, but true, that 

 along the banks of the Rhine, on 

 either side thereof, there are different 

 methods and treatments of the grape 

 every mile or two. While ^Vw Wil- 

 der, Avhen visiting the vineyards of 

 Germany, was shown the cow stables 

 belonging to the celebrated Johannis- 

 bcrg vineyards, with the remark that 

 ''there is where Johannisberger is 

 made," Messrs. Jourdan and Buhl on 

 this side of the Rhine, at Deidesheim, 

 would have pointed to those hard, 

 basaltic stones found in that volcanic 

 region, which they use in their cele- 

 brated vineyards, for the production 

 of a superior aroma and bouijuet. 



These experiments we will all have to 

 make here; hence^ we must encourage 

 the shedding abroad of "more light 

 on grape culture." As yet, I know 

 but one vineyard where white grapes 

 are not only successfully, but very 

 successfulh' raised. AVhile jNorton's 

 Virginia and Concord may perhaps 

 bo cultivated on general principles, 

 other varieties may prove more valu- 

 able under different treatment, form- 

 ation and preparation of soil, etc. 



I am glad that the Grape Cultur- 

 IST is taking a step in the right 

 direction. May it shed light and 

 bring information on all the vital 

 subjects of grape culture and wine- 

 making. Yours, truly, 



G. C. ElSfiN MEYER. 



i 



