202 



The Grape Culturlst. 



traps and dogs will do good service 

 against them. 



When grapes are to be marketed, 

 they should be packed in small, shal- 

 low boxes, containing from ten to 

 twent}' pounds each. Do not cut them 

 when they are wet with dew or rain. 

 They should be perfectly dry, and all 

 rotten or damaged berries carefully 

 picked out. Cut the stems long, and 

 lay a layer of grape leaves or paper 

 at the bottom of the box, then a laj'er 

 of grapes packed as tight as you can 

 crowd them, then put on another laj'er 

 of leaves or paper, on this another 



layer of grapes, and cover smoothly 

 and nicely with leaves or paper. The 

 boxes should not be deeper than to 

 hold two la^'ers, say about six inches, 

 and the cover slightly pressed on in 

 nailing it down. They will bear 

 handling much better than when 

 loosely packed. 



Get all 3'our casks ready for wine 

 making, your fermenting vats, etc., 

 so that the vintage will not find you 

 unprepared. 



We will give some advice about 

 wine makine; in another article. 



THE CLIFF CAVE WINE COMPANY OF SAINT LOUIS, MO. 



A S K K T C II . 



The organization of the Cliff Cave 

 Wine Company took place in Januar}", 

 1866, under a charter obtained from 

 the Legislature of Missouri just pre- 

 vious to the adoption of the present 

 State constitution. Consequently the 

 stockholders of ttiis company are ex- 

 empt from the double liability clause 

 which bears so heavily upon all cor- 

 porations organized under the exist- 

 ing constitution of this State. 



Soon after its organization, the 

 compan}^ purchased about two hun- 

 dred acres of land, situated on the 

 bluffs of the Mississippi river, thirteen 

 miles below the city and within the 

 limits of Saint Louis count}". An 

 adjoining tract of forty acres was 

 subsequently acquired, making the 

 present domain of the company about 

 two hundred and forty acres. 



About one-half of this whole area 

 is well suited for vineyards, the soil 



being a friable clay loam, having com 

 plete natural under-drainage, and the 

 elevation being high. On the prem- 

 ises is also a natural cave of consider- 

 able extent, a portion of which has 

 already been converted into a two- 

 story wine cellar, having a storage 

 capacity of upwards of 100,000 gal- 

 lons. 



Operations on the ground com- 

 menced in the spring of 1866, and 

 about eight acres were planted in 

 grapes the first season. Subsequent 

 plantings have increased the number 

 of acres of vineyard to twenty-three, 

 all of which will be of bearing age 

 this season. 



The varieties planted are as follows: 

 Concord, - - 8} acres. 



Norton's Virginia, - 8 ^' 

 Ives', - - - 4:1 " 

 Hartford Prolific, - 1^- " 

 Other varieties, - I • " 



Of the fifty-eight varieties now 

 growing on the grounds of the com- 



