46 VITIS, OR 



yards, give S50 at least neat yearly income, becoming 

 worth B500 or more an acre, at a small expense of a few 

 years. A single million of acres of vines mio-ht produce 

 yearly 200 millions of gallons of wine, worth S50,000,000 

 at only 25 cents, and affording from 10 to 20 gallons 

 yearly to each individual for beverage. 



26. In the choice of vines, select those that grow best 

 near you or bear the best fruit. If you find in the woods 

 any vine bearing plenty of good grapes, mark it, and 

 cut it up into cuttings in the winter for your use. It is 

 essential with our wild grapes to see them in fruit, in 

 order to ascertain if they are worth cultivation, and that 

 the mother vine is a fruitful one, there being many ste- 

 rile with us. 



27. If we raise our vines from seeds, we are never 

 sure to have the same kind, a variety will often spring 

 up : besides half of those thus raised are sterile or male 

 vines with us, which does not happen with the exotic 

 grapes. Moreover, a seedling vine (unless grafted) will 

 not bear fruit till 10 or 15 years old, while cuttings bear 

 in 3 to 5 years. Therefore seeds ought never to be sown 

 except for experiments. 



28. Whether for gardens or vineyards, let us select 

 none but the best kinds of exotic or American vines. 

 The ample account given of them may serve to guide 

 the choice. The very best of our vines being V. blanda, 

 V. prolifera, V. mtiscadina, V. ciliata, V. dimicUata, V. 

 labruscoides, V. longifoUa, V. acerifolia, &c. 



29. All vines may be cultivated alike, and bear very 

 different treatment. When allowed to grow over trees, 

 or on the sides of a house, or in bowers, without much 

 trimming they last several centuries! and a ^ngle stock 

 may produce 150lbs. of grapes, giving 10 gallons of 

 wine. 



30. The very best mode would be to cultivate the 

 vines together with mulberry trees, as in Italy, allowing 

 them to mingle and hang in festoons. This saves the 

 great expenses of poles for support, and afford silk and 

 wine on the same spot. One acre produces as much in 

 this way as if it was a solitary vineyard. 



31. Our Anjerican grapes are impatient of control, 

 and thrive best when left to climb aloft without much 



