Causes of Faihire in Grape Growing, Again. 



355 



CAUSES OF failurp: in grape growing, again. 



Mr. Editor : Our mutua,! friend, Mr, 

 Isidor Bush, has contributed to 3^our 

 valuable periodical, the Grape Cul- 

 TURiST, three essays on " Causes of Fail- 

 ure in Grape Growing." The two first 

 of these essays contain A'ery valuable 

 advice, and their warnings should be 

 heeded by all those who wish to embark 

 in grape growing, and who are \Qi inex- 

 perienced ; but as the last essa}', pub- 

 lished in 'the September number, may 

 have a tendency to deter men who are 

 in every respect well fitted to succeed 

 in grape growing, but who may not be 

 in possession of an adequate amount of 

 capital in the opinion of our friend, I 

 deem it not improper to ventilate at least 

 a part of the essay in question. 



Mr. Bush introduces to the reader 

 one of his friends, Mr. S., and sets him 

 up as a warning example. Mr. S. had 

 worked in the garden of his father 

 when a boy. Such occupation is con- 

 sidered playing, not working, by men 

 who really know what manual labor is, 

 his studies of horticultural works and 

 periodicals may have given him very 

 good theoretical ideas about horticul- 

 ture and so on, but for practical pur- 

 poses, he just knew enough to hitch the 

 horse behind the car. 



I propose now to inspect the expen- 

 ditures of Mr. S. The amount paid 

 for the land and building a decent 

 dwelling house may not be extravagant; 

 but he paid also S843.75 for stable, 

 barn, and tool house. What use did 

 he have for a barn, when he had no 

 land cleared? Oats and hay keep very 

 well in stacks, and a stable sufficiently 



large for his small stock, with room 

 enough above for storing of fodder, etc. , 

 would not have cost over $200. Here 

 are $352 more for cabin for workmen ; 

 this looks a little aristocratic — because 

 good, honest workmen can, with all pro- 

 priety, sleep with their employer under 

 the same roof. 



A considerable amount of roads and 

 walks around the house and stable 

 would have more prudently' been post- 

 poned until there was a show for rev- 

 enue. 



His tool account is set down with 

 $269, The price of a common wagon 

 may be $100, but farming utensils and 

 tools really necessary should not have 

 cost $1G9 more. 



After accounting for 8312 for fur- 

 nishing the house, $1,925 are set down 

 for supplies, clothing, books, and pa- 

 pers ; 1866-68, fare to town and all in- 

 cidental expenses. I have not been 

 very particular and have not scrutinized 

 all expenses very closely, but how this 

 last account, especially the wide range 

 which is allowed for " fare to town and 

 incidental expenses," can be construed 

 into compatibility with close economy, 

 is rather a mystery to men who are ac- 

 customed to rough it. 



Moreover, it must be inferred, when 

 Mr. S. entered upon his land, that it 

 was uncultivated ; clearing was then the 

 main labor for his two hands, but at the 

 same time heavy amounts are noted for 

 clearing. Are these amounts to be in- 

 cluded in the wageS of the regular 

 hands, or have they been paid for extra 

 labor? If so, it remains to be explained 



