98 



The Grape Culturist. 



GEAPE GKOWING IN PHELPS COUNTY, MO. 



NearRolla, Phelps Co. , Mo. , Feb. 17, 1870. 



George Husmann, Esq. — Editor 

 Grape Culturist. — Dear Sir: Wishing 

 to draw the attention of the grape 

 growing public to our county, I send 

 you a few notes, of which 3'ou may 

 publish such as you think fit for publi- 

 cation. Ours is a new county, but fast 

 settling up with emigrants from the 

 Eastern States and German}', and al- 

 though four years ago there was hardly 

 a grape-vino planted, there are now 

 about 25 acres growing, and about 

 12,000 more grape-vines will be set 

 out this spring. The varieties mostly 

 planted are Concord, Catawba and Nor- 

 ton's Virginia. Last year ihe first 

 crop was gathered by Mr. Neumann 

 and Mr. Stahr Concord was more 

 than an average crop, Catawba^ only 

 about half, it having suffered badl}' with 

 the rot. No rot in Concord or Nor- 

 ton's Virginia. Mr. Neumann's must 

 of Concord weighed 79 and 84 on 

 Oechsle's scales, the latter being gath- 

 ered a few days later than the first. 

 Our soil on the hills is mostly decom- 

 posed limestone and contains a great 

 deal of iron, iron ore being found on 

 almost every hill. We set out a vine- 

 3'ard last spring — 1,100 Concord and 

 100 Norton's ^'irginia — receiving the 

 plants from Mr. Isidor Bush. We only 

 lost nine Concord, but our Norton's 

 did badly ; we lost a great deal more 

 than the average. Our Concords made 

 canes from three to six feet in length, 

 some three-fourths of an inch in diam- 

 eter. Do 3'ou think it would be safe 

 to let these fruit next year, without 

 hurting the vines? In subsoiling our 

 vinej'ard Ave plowed up in one place 

 iron ore, and the grape-vines showed in 



this place much better than an3'where 

 else. Good grape land can be bought 

 in our county at from $2.50 to 15.00 

 per acre. Timber is plent}'. The land 

 lies rolling ; Ave are about 700 feet 

 higher than St. Louis, and the climate 

 is very healthy. We have several Avild 

 grape-vines groAving on our land, the 

 foliage of which resembles that of the 

 Delaware, but l)iinch and berry is like 

 Norton's Virginia, only the berry is 

 much sweeter. It ripened last year 

 from July 25th to August 1st. We 

 could make no test of the must, as the 

 birds stole nearly all the grapes, and 

 we only got a few berries. It seemed 

 to be very productive. If you think 

 it Avorth trying, Ave Avill send you one 

 or two vines by mail. 



In conclusion, I wish you better suc- 

 cess Avith the GuArE Cultuuist than 

 you had last year. I think it as indis- 

 pensable to ever}' grape grower as a 

 plow, for one single item may save the 

 subscriber a hundredfold the amount 

 of subscription. We had ordered last 

 year 1,000 2-year old plants at 860 per 

 1,000, saw 3'our note on choosing plants 

 for setting out a vineyard, revoked our 

 order, and took best 1-year old plants 

 instead, thus saving •520 cash. You 

 may count us as subscribers for life. 

 Yours respectfully, 



Conrad E. Soest. 



[Thanks for your kind wishes. We 

 are glad to hear that grape culture is 

 progressing in your county. We would 

 mucli like to try the wild grape you 

 speak of. If you Avill send us a few 

 plants, Ave Avill gladi}' exchange with ! 

 an3'thing you may desire from our col- I 

 lection. — Ed.] 



