Reports on Grapes. 



273 



and vigorous growth, and is especially 

 the case with Norton's, Cynthiana, 

 Herbemont, Concord, and other 

 strong growing varieties. I think I 

 will not plant any more of them less 

 than sixteen feet apart, nor have trel- 

 lises less than six feet high. This 

 does not apply of course to weaker 

 varieties, such as the Delaware — 

 although it certainlj- does to the 

 Catawba on fresh gi'ound while the 

 vines are young. 



I have written this in the way of 

 gossip, and to keep mj-self en rapport 

 with the Grape Culturist, although 

 I am not conscious that my observa- 

 tions this year can add much to the 

 common stock. Calculating upon 

 our usual summers, I think we must 

 look for profit to the later varieties of 

 grapes. Give ample room in planting 

 and prune longer than we have been 

 heretofore taught, and in view of this 

 season we must make up our minds 

 to abandon all prejudices against 

 using sugar in our must, or be content 

 occasionally to look to the vinegar 

 market for returns, and (where shall 

 I say ?) for our wine to drink. 

 Eespectfully, 



Jno. E. Eakin. 



P. S. — I receive inquiries from 

 many of your readers in this country 

 regarding trellises. Please allow me 

 to say to them all, that I have tried 

 stakes ver}' extensively, and every 

 sort of trellis. With present prices 

 of labor, even with wood at our doors, 



a wire trellis, of No. 10 wire, ordered 

 from St. Louis, and freight included^ 

 is cheapest and best. More is saved 

 in posts and laths and nails than will 

 pay for the wire. Our Scuppernong 

 raisers, who require horizontal trel- 

 lises, about ten feet above ground, 

 are also adopting wires, as cheaper 

 and more easily repaired, E. 



[ Thanks for your very interesting 

 "gossip." Wish we had had some of 

 your showers in due time. We agree 

 with you about -wider distances and 

 longer pruning, but think ten to 

 twelve feet of trellis room amply suf- 

 ficient. We also agree with you about 

 the value of Norton's and Cynthiana. 

 for wine, but you also want ichite 

 wine, and for this 3'ou should grow 

 Herbemont, Cunningham, Eulander,. 

 Louisiana, Goethe, Martha, Maxataw- 

 ney, and above all, the Hermann. We 

 can learn to blend these so as to make 

 each supply deficiencies in the other. 

 Think you will be better pleased with 

 Goethe on closer acquaintance. 



Your experience about trellis agree* 

 exactly with ours. We have long 

 advocated wire trellis as cheapest and 

 best, but we use No. 12, which is- 

 amply strong enough, and will reach 

 much farther. 



Glad to see that your prejudice 

 against gallizing is wearing off. It is- 

 the same story everywhere, and all 

 rational wine-makers will jQi come to 

 adopt it. — Ed.] 



