34 



The Grape Culturist, 



etc., could get along with considerable 

 less outlay," fi'iend G. G., neverthe- 

 less says : " In conformity with the 

 opinion of Mr. Bush, ten thousand 

 dollai's are not an adequate capital; 

 how much, then, is enough to begin 

 with?" 



I answer, "to begin with" it requires 

 very little, but to carry grape-grow- 

 ing to successful result, it requires 

 much indeed, far more than men 

 usually calculate, my practical friend 

 G. G., not excepted. 



I had also justly apprehended that 



the expenses of my friend S" , as 



stated in the accounts furnished, 

 {Grape Culturist, Sept., 1869, pages 

 273, 274), may seem too large to other 

 farmers, especially to those who do 

 not keep accounts ; and Mr. G. G. has 

 only furnished the proof. A word 

 about those accounts may perhaps be 

 useful, even to such practical, prudent 

 and economical men as mj' friend, 

 G. G. 



He need not have confessed that he 

 did not scrutinize said account of ex- 

 penses very closely ; the fact that he 

 wonders how the wide range which is 

 allowed for " fare to town and inci- 

 dental expenses," can bo compatible 

 with close economy — when this very 

 account shows that the entire cost of liv- 

 ing, the household expenses for three 

 years, 1866, 1867 and 1868, including 

 supplies, clothing, books and papers, 

 besides tare to town and other in- 

 cidental expenses amounted to $i925, 

 or to about $650 per 3'ear, — proves 

 that he has, indeed, not been very par- 

 ticular in scrutinizing said accounts. 



Is it still a mystery to friend G., 



how Mr. S , with his wife, and who 



formerly used to live in the city, could 



even with proper economical manage- 

 ment spend that amount ? 



Had friend G. scrutinized more 

 closely before he attempted to ven- 

 tilate, he would have calculated that 

 two hands for three ^ears at 830 per 

 month (including Ijoard) come to 

 ^2160, and that the amounts noted by 



S for clearing and all vineyard 



labor does not exceed two thirds of 

 that amount ; and he would then not 

 have asked : "Are these amounts to 

 be included in the wages of the regu- 

 lar hands or have they been paid for 

 extra labor ? " They arc not only all 

 included in these wages, but nearly 

 one third of them form part of the 

 amounts noted as expenses under the 

 various other accounts. 



ISTor can Mr. G., have built and 

 kept account of the cost, especially in 

 the years 1866 — 1868, if he supposes 

 that " a stable sufficiently largo for 

 his small stock with room enough 

 above for storing of fodder, etc., 

 would not have cost over $200." 



Those who do not merely note 

 their expenses, but keep book and 

 projierly distribute or classify their 

 expenses and charge each to its pro- 

 per account will better understand 



the statement of Mr. S , and will 



scared}' charge him with extrava- 

 gance. 



Those who calculate the cost of 

 vinej'ards ]jer acre, make an allow- 

 ance for the labor required just so far 

 only as the planting and the cultiva- 

 ting may necessarily engage your 

 time or that of j^our hands. But you 

 hire your regular hands by the month 

 if not by the 3'ear, and 3'ou have to 

 pay and board them even if there be, 

 for short intervals, no work to be 



