Grapes Around Rocheport, Boone County, Mo. 



193 



rudely lopped oft' with a kuife when it 

 has already attained the size of a fourth 

 of an inch in diameter, one of the best 

 inventives of rot. Will grape growers 

 never learn that the leaves are the 

 lungs of the plant, and that the true 

 object of summer pruning is only to 

 gently stop and check the 3'oung shoot, 

 and make two leaves grow where there 

 would but have been one before? We 

 endorse every word of what thej'' say 

 about the necessity of growing more 

 grapes for white wine, and think their 

 advice about varieties good. 



Does Mr. Trabue really mean to say 

 that grapes succeeded best with him on 

 icet, poor soil; or is it a bungle of the 



reporters, who sometimes pla}^ sad 

 havoc with our meaning? We can 

 believe him when he saj^s on poor soil, 

 but that they should do best where wet, 

 and rot most on well drained soil, is 

 contrary to all experienced we have had. 

 We think that much of the mischief 

 which our friends ascribe to cultivation, 

 comes from cultivating loJten too toot, 

 and too deep. With us it is a rule to 

 cultivate very shallow, and only when 

 the soil is in fair working order, in wet 

 seasons, and to cultivate deeply and 

 frequently in dry seasons, keeping the 

 vines well supplied with loose earth* 

 We think our readers will find this the 

 best course, if the}' will try it. — Ed.] 



GRAPES AROUND ROCHEPORT, BOONE COUNTY, MO. 



I have read the Grape Culturist 

 with much pleasure and profit since its 

 commencement, and think every man 

 who has as much as twenty-five grape 

 vines, would be greatly benefited by 

 taking it. I have a small vineyard 

 (400 vines) under wa}", of the following 

 kinds : Concord, Norton's Virginia, 

 Herbemont, Hartford Prolific, Dela- 

 ware, Martha, C3'nthiaua, Rogers' Nos. 

 1, 2, 4 and 22, North Carolina Seed- 

 ling. The}' have been out one year, 

 and are making a fine growth. The 

 plants were bought of the Bluftlon 

 Wine Company. My land is not such 

 as is generally considered most favora- 

 ble for the grape, being a black, rich 

 loam, but very elevated, about 250 feet 

 above the Missouri river, and on the 

 apex of a ridge between two large 

 creeks, distant from the Missouri river 

 about three miles. My object in plant- 

 ing so many kinds in such a small quan- 



tity was first, to have a variet}' for my 

 own use, and secondly, to test what 

 kind or kinds will succeed best on m}^ 

 soil. When I arrive at definite results, 

 will report to you. 



I have a few old vines of the '' Cape 

 Grape," the Oporto, Concord, Norton's 

 Virginia, Creveling, and Isabella. The 

 Isabella, grown in the ordinary way, all 

 rotted to nothing, but a vine of this 

 grape planted to a tulip tree bore a 

 fine crop, twenty feet from the ground. 

 There are four or five small vineyards 

 commenced in my neighborhood, some 

 of them on the river and creek bluffs, 

 in exceedingly favorable localities. I 

 will notice them and report progress 

 hereafter. Respectfull}', 



M. P. LlENTZ. 



Rocheport Postoffice, Boone Co., Mo. 



[Thanks for the promise of reports, 

 which we hope you will fulfil in due 

 time. — Editor.] 



