Reports on Grapes. 



9 



There is no doubt in my niind that 

 Catawba did better here this year tlian 

 Norton's even, but as such favorable 

 weather is not to be looked for often, 

 all Catawbas over three years old were 

 grafted with Hcrbemont, Norton's, etc., 

 during the month of November. 



The grapes of nearl}^ all the varieties 

 were pressed three weeks too soon, 

 which was necessitated by inroads made 

 by ants. This pest showed itself as a 

 small yellow variety, and before dis- 

 covered at it their work was charged to 

 wasps. Perhaps some reader of the 

 Grape CuLXUPasx knows of something 

 better to extirpate them than careful 

 tillage ? 



So far, we have but a few acres here 

 in bearing ; two j'ears hence, we will 

 have in this immediate neighborhood 

 at least 50 acres in bearing, Delaware 

 predominating. 



Kespectfully, 



Fred. Hildebrand. 



Charlotte&ville, Dec. 9, 1869. 



St. Joseph, Mo. , December 25th, 1869 



Dear Editor : 



I have been reading the " Culturist " 

 during the last year with great interest. 

 It appears that j'ou have no corres- 

 pondent from this portion of the State ; 

 hence I have concluded to give you the 

 result of the last season's efforts in this 

 part of the State, in the culture of 

 grapes. 



From the best information that I can 

 gather after considerable inquir}', there 

 must be over one hundred thousand 

 grape-vines planted within six or eight 

 miles of St. Joseph — the greater part 

 near the city. Here, as elsewhere 

 some of them are well cultivated, some 

 half cultivated, and others scarcely cul- 



tivated at all ; and, also, some are in 

 full bearing, some only commencing the 

 last season to bear, and others only 

 planted the last season. 1 may add 

 that more would have been planted, but 

 for the reason that the grasshoppers or 

 locusts have been so destructive of 

 young vines in this vicinity for the last 

 few years, that most persons were de- 

 terred from planting. No eggs having 

 been deposited by the grasshoppers 

 during the last fall in this country, the 

 prospects are that planting will be more 

 largely engaged in during the coming 

 spring. 



It is needless for me to tell you that 

 the past season has been unfavorable 

 to grape culture, except in favored lo- 

 calities, and as to the most healthy 

 varieties. 



The Catawba here generally rotted to 

 some extent — in some localities worse 

 than others. I suppose that, upon an 

 average, not more than a half crop was 

 obtained, and that was rather late ma- 

 turing, so that the quality was not gen- 

 erally first-rate. "We think, however, 

 that we have discovered here the Ca- 

 tawba can be cultivated with a fair 

 prospect of success upon some of our 

 river hill lands, the soil where they suc- 

 ceed best being of a light ashy color, 

 very light and porous, with an inter- 

 mixture of particles of limestone and 

 sand ; and, in elevated and warm situ- 

 ations, a southeastern exposure being 

 preferred. In all other kinds of soil 

 and localities, I think it to be unsafe to 

 rely on the Catawba for a full crop in 

 this part of the State. 



The Hartford Prolific is entirel}^ hardy, 

 and, notwithstanding the abundance of 

 wet weather during the last season, the 

 vines and foliage were perfectly healthy. 



