The Grape Culturist. 



different sections, who are able and 

 willing to observe, exchange in your 

 paper their experience. Grape grow- 

 ing will then in a few years be differ- 

 ent from Avhat it is now — a speculative 

 business, with more or loss uncertainty. 

 I give 3'ou, therefore, the report of 

 this year's crop in this section, and 

 remark that ni}' three different experi- 

 mental vineyards are situated on a 

 ridge ascending from east to west, 

 sloping gentl}^ to north and south; the 

 lowest (eastern part) fronts with its 

 north side to a branch bottom, and the 

 ground there is rather rich and moist 

 (second bottom) ; on the top of this 

 ridge I consider both soil and situation 

 a real paradise for the grape; the 

 ground looks deep red, and is as mel- 

 low as flour ; decayed limestone, per- 

 oxide of iron, magnesia, and sufficient 

 vegetable matter, are the composition 

 of the soil^ which has been cropped 

 with wheat and corn for thirty years. 



The cold spell in spring damaged 

 some of the Clinton vines, and caused 

 the dropping of a good deal of the 

 Hartford and Cassady forms — quite 

 plentiful for their time of bearing (the 

 third 3"ear). I consider this not much 

 damage, as the superabundance of 

 fruit, if allowed to matux-e, would have 

 injured such young vines. About the 

 middle of June we had for weeks hot, 

 sultry weathei*, which caused more 

 mildew than I ever saw here, I ob- 

 served it hanging on oak leaves; that 

 it caused much rot on some of the 

 grapes, who can be surprised ? Here 

 are the different results on the diffei-- 

 ent varieties : 



Hartford (in the third year on high 

 ground). The rot did not affect the 

 grape much, but the berries drop too 



easily from the bunch to bo here a 

 profitable market grape. Very much 

 attacked by birds, who have at that 

 time no fruit in the woods. Seems to 

 be extremely productive, the laterals 

 even setting fruit as soon as they ap- 

 pear. I commenced gathering on the 

 7th of August, and had to keep on for 

 some Aveeks, as they ripened very un- 

 even I3'. 



Concord was, on high ground, not 

 much injured, say one-sixth, on three 

 years old vines; but on the lowest 

 part of the ridge, on five _ycars old 

 vines, the rot was terrible, man}' vines 

 giving fewer berries than the}- showed 

 bunches. At the end of June we got 

 very pleasant Aveather; the time of 

 hardening the seed being over^ the 

 remaining fruit (say one-fourth) looks 

 now very luxuriant. 



North Carolina rots worse than 

 Concoi'd on low ground, but showed 

 so much fruit here that I think it is 

 the most enormous producer of all the 

 fox grapes, where it will succeed. It has 

 not so rich a flavor this year as last. 

 This grape, doubtless, is valuable for 

 Muscatel wine. 



Goethe, Rogers" No. 1. If any vine 

 is able to withstand a hard trial, it is 

 this, which — and not the Concord — 

 will be the grape for the million here. 

 On only one vine did I see the effect 

 of mildew to an}" noticeable extent, 

 the others producing an astonishing 

 quantity of largo, healthy bunches. 



Cassady (third year, on the highest 

 ground). The forms were damaged 

 by cold weather before blooming ; no 

 rot on the remaining bunches. Grows 

 very luxuriant this year on a southern 

 exposure ; no blight on the leaves. 

 Delaware. As usual healthy and 



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