272 



Tlie Grape Gulturist. 



aware that the jji'ice of lal)or declined 

 materially since 1861. 



In the same book the cost of an 

 acre of Delaware is estimated (in 1866) 

 at S871.50, of which amount SI 25 is 

 the figure for cultivation during the 

 first years. And again, a few pages 

 later, Mr. Husmann says, respecting 

 a calculation of ]Mi-. J. E. Mottier for 

 one and a half acres Delaware, in 

 which the latter deducts 8200 for an- 

 nual expenses : " It would seem to me 

 that our Cincinnati friends have hard- 

 ly estimated lalior and expense high 

 enough. We cannot begin to cultivate 

 our vineyards at as low an expense." 



All who know my esteemed fi-iend, 

 Mr. Husmann, as I do, will have the 

 fullest confidence in what he says. In 

 honest truthfulness and sincerity he 

 cei'tainly has no superior ; but never- 

 theless, these contradictions Mill not 

 tend to give a clear insight into the 

 cost of grape-growing. Mr. Husmann 

 is evidentl}" mistaken if he thinks 

 others could make the vineyard pa}' 

 the second year, by layering, as much 

 as the expense of its cultivation 

 amounts to ; but even if some could, 

 the receipts for the layers would come 

 in after the second season, and we 

 must have the money to ])ay for labor, 

 etc., beforehand. 



Shall I give you now my estimate 

 of the capital required ? If so, I must 

 tell you first and foremost that, unless 

 you have already paid for your land, 

 have built your house, stable, etc., 

 have bought your working stock, and 

 your fences made, and unless you de- 

 sire and can afford to leave them and 

 the inteieston their cost altogether 

 out of calculation, the mere cost ot 

 j)repari)ig your vineyard-patch, of 



plants and planting, of trellising, cul- 

 tivation, and attendance, do not form 

 a sufficient basis of calculation for the 

 cost or the capital required. 



As an illustration, let me give 3-ou 



the experience of S . Names are 



immaterial, and there may be found 

 hundreds of similar and, by far, worse 



cases. S went into grape growing 



with high expectations ; it was said to 

 be a pleasant and a most profitable 



business. 8 had about eight 



thousand dollars of his own, parti}- in 

 cash, partly coming in within the next 

 year. He had lost a good position, 

 and, although highly recommended and 

 well liked by all who knew him, he 

 could not find another suitable one. 

 He was willing to work, and had some 

 knowledge of farming ; at least, he 

 thought so, having worked as a boy in 

 his father's garden, and having studied 

 horticultural works and periodicals for 

 some time past; and above all, he had 

 an ardent love of nature, and preferred 

 to live in the countiy, by far, to city 

 life. The idea to change it for the 

 charms of ruial life grew on him ; his 

 wife consented with delight, and thus 

 he concluded to try his fortune at grape 

 growing. 



He bought 40 acres of land, excel- 

 lently located for fruit, accessible to 

 market, for but 81,600. He had a com- 

 fortable little house built on it for but 

 81,400 more. With balance left to 

 him (about 8;"', 000) he "calculated that 

 he (.'ould gradually plant about ten 

 acres of vineyard, but he would be 

 careful and go sure, planting rather but 

 three acres every year. It is true, 

 thought he to himself, the first of these 

 will not pay before tlu'ee years ; in tlie 

 meantime, lie would have to be very 



