218 



The Grape Culhirist. 



■\vine, Avhich is go Avell adapted to fur- 

 nish the 'masses with a cheap, pleasant 

 and exhilarating drink. Not even 

 the Ives will do it. We are glad to 

 see that friend Thompson has changed 

 his views about adding water and 

 sugar. \Ye always thought he would 

 come to it. Better reform late than 

 never, 



AVe are afraid Crrape Growers will 

 be too busy with their crop to permit 

 those from a distance to attend an 

 exhibition in September. We know 

 it will be next to impossible to us, 

 and we ^^ judge of others by our- 

 selves/' although nothing would give 

 us more pleasure than to meet our 

 many Cincinnati friends on so happy 

 and interesting an occasion. Editor.] 



Baden, St. Louis Co., Mo., .July i;5, IhTO. 



Mr. George Husmann, Editor Grape 



Culturist : 



Dear Sir : Reading the ditierent re- 

 ports in your Grape Culturist with 

 great interest, I shall endeavor to uive 

 you my experience in grape culture. I 

 have about two acres in vines; the sit- 

 uation is rather low, soil heavy and 

 rich loam ; the vines were planted in 

 the spring of 1<S65, 6 by 6 feet apart. 

 I would now plant them 6 b}' 10 feet. 

 The principal varieties are Concord, 

 Virginia Seedling, and Catawba, be- 

 sides about twelve more varieties on 

 trial. In 1867 I ougiit to have had ni}' 

 first crop, but got hardly Viwy on ac- 

 count of too short pruning. In 1868 I 

 had an enormous crop, i. e. , of Concord 

 and Norton's ; the Cunningham had 

 plenty of fruit but did not ripen it. 

 Last year ('69) I had the prospects of 

 a splendid crop, but lost fully nine- 

 tenths by rot, mostly from the effects 



of the wet weather, but also from my 

 own negligence in summer pruning too 

 late. In this summer pruning, accord- 

 ing to my experience, the vintner can 

 hardl}- be prompt enough. This 3'ear, 

 so far, the prospects are, in spite of the 

 late frosts, for an enormous crop. I 

 have worked my ^•ine3'ard well, and am 

 satisfied it will pay. 



Now, a little more about the varieties 

 of grapes. I have rooted out this year 

 as worthless on my place, the Catawba, 

 Herbemont, Rulander, Cunningham, 

 Blood's Black, Cassady, Allen's Hy- 

 brid, .'Ndirondac, Taylor, Rogers' 15, 

 and Ion a. The Delaware really don't 

 pay, but as yet I cannot part with that 

 delicious fruit. The Ives are bearing 

 with me for the first time, and are really 

 making a beautiful show ; they seem 

 to be hardy, healthy, very productive 

 and prolific ; the bunches are also larger 

 than I expected them to be, for they 

 are full}' the size of Hartford. The 

 Martha also has a few bunches, but the 

 spring fiost nipped it rather severe. 

 Maxatawny is with me a very slow 

 grower ; have not yet been able to fruit 

 it. Cynthiana is doing rather slovv, but 

 1 am confident it is all right, for I have 

 known it for the last ten j^ears, and it 

 has always done well, especial h^ at the 

 vineyard of the late Wm. Poeschel. 



Now to my favorite grape, the Her- 

 mann. I put out one plant of it in the 

 spring of '08 that has now about sev- 

 vent}' perfect bunches, and twelve 

 strong layers (the bunches on the lay- 

 ers were cat off), and as rampant and 

 fine a growth as any in the vineyard. 

 If that vine will bring its fruit to ma- 

 turity, and if the wine will, with chap- 

 talizing, retain that fine and peculiar 

 flavor, I sincerely believe that it will 



