274 



The Grape Culturlst. 



would, even if he had j^et trellised the 

 three acres planted the second year, not 

 exceed $500 in the end, he was, 

 nevertheless, already $2,000 in debt. 

 Nor will the experienced charge him 

 with extravagance or making unneces- 

 sary expenditures. His place had to 

 be fenced ; he soon found how difficult 

 it was to hire oxen, and that he could 

 not get along without at least one yoke 

 of oxen of his own ; besides, he had to 

 have a horse or mule for plowing and 

 cultivating, and one cow at least for 

 his household. To keep these he had 

 to have a little barn and stable, how- 

 ever plain, and had to provide for feed- 

 ing. To buy food, which he had to do 

 the first year, proved very costly ; and 

 as he had the land and had to employ 

 some hands, he felt that he had better 

 grow at least part of his hay and oats, 

 and to make pasture for his stock. A 

 little vegetable garden and some poul- 

 tr}- is also indispensable for a family in 

 the country, and lessens considerably 

 the expense of living. These latter 

 expenses (about $650 a year) may 

 seem too large, perhaps, to other farm- 

 ers, especially to those who do not keep 

 accounts and never lived in a cit}^ 



But while I admit that some very 

 economical, experienced farmers, men 

 who are used to rough it, who do most 

 of the work themselves, and know how- 



to get more work out of their hired 

 men, could have got along with con- 

 siderable less outlay, I can assure my * 

 readers that S was more economi- 

 cal, prudent, and industrious in the 

 management of his place and of all his 

 affairs than the average of persons 

 accustomed to different pursuits ; nor 

 did he lack perseverance. Though re- 

 luctantly, he endeavored to borrow 

 about three thousand dollars, giving a 

 mortgage on his land, house, and vine- 

 yard, which now cost him ten thousand, 

 without calculating interest ; but he 

 found that while there was plenty of 

 money offered on real estate in the city, 

 at a low rate of interest, he could ob- 

 tain none, except perhaps at a ruinous 

 discount, on his land and house in the 

 countrj'. 



It is true, he hoped that the first crop 

 of grapes from the three acres planted 

 the first spring, and the sale of plants 

 which he raised from his cuttings and 

 by layering, might bring him about one 

 thousand doUai-s, but this was not 

 enough to pay his debts ; and he felt at 

 the same time that, to carry on his 

 vineyard successfully, niany other im- 

 provements were yet necessar^^ ; that 

 he would have to build a cellar, with 

 its necessary appendages, to buy more 

 tools, and casks, boxes and bottles, 

 etc., all of which require an outlay — 

 and that thus he failed, as many did 

 before him, and many more will fail 

 after him — from insufficiency of capital. 



We are so crowded with matter for 

 this number that several interesting 

 communications must be laid over for 

 next month. We had also to post- 

 pone the continuation of the article 

 "Can Grape Growing be Overdone?" 

 for the same reason. AVe are glad to 

 see this lively interest on the part of 



our friends. It shows that the Grape 

 Cui/ruRisT is fast becoming what we 

 designed it to be, the medium for in- 

 terchange of experience for the grape 

 growers of our countr}'. Send us your 

 articles ; they are always appreciated, 

 and will find a place some time, if not 

 immediatelv. 



