THE QUALITY OP PLANTS AS AFFECTED BY AGE, ETC. 



13 



In Plat f 3 Nos. 5 to 9 may be seen five Jlfferent grades of plants. A 

 Delaware cr Diana vine like that represented at No. 9, will, when four 

 years old, if indulged in its productive disposition, produce from eight 

 to sixteen pounds of excellent grapes. At the same time No. 5 might 

 be expected to produce one pound of very poor ones ; but to do that it 

 will have required, during its two first seasons, a much greater nicety 

 of attention in guarding and preserving it from drouth and injury. If 

 WT5 go on to the age of ten years, the disparity in produce will not be 

 nearly as great as at four years, but it will not be less than twenty-five 

 per cent in quantity, with probably an equal difference In the qualitj', 

 •s exhibited in size, beauty, and flavor. In pursuing the matter to the 

 tad of the tenth year, we shall find, that while one vine has produced 



upward of one hundred pound"", the other has produced but Httle 

 more than fifty. The present wliolesile price of Delaware ^fapcs, of 

 fine quality. Is from thirty to thlrty-fiTe cents per pound, sliowing a 

 difference in favor of the large vines, all expenditure Included, c.vcepi 

 cost of vines, of from twelve to ei^liteon dollars. Tliis estimate is In- 

 tended to apply to the size of vines as limited to the Thoraory i>lan — 

 that is, with arms four feet each. If carried out into a larger plan, 

 with arms six or ten feet each, the disparity will be much greater in 

 favor of such a vine as shown at No. 9. The plan for a single vine Is 

 shown by Plate No. 18, wliore the vine is three years old, to be extended 

 at c, c, and in a vine four years old by Plate No. 17. 

 There is another consideration that is important to be remembered • 



Plate No. 11. 



the degree and kind of attention under which the one shown at No. 9 

 will thrive during the two first seasons, may not be sutBcient to keep 

 Buch as shown at No. 5 from dying when planted in vineyard or gar- 

 den. 



The reader will have no difficulty in applying the same rule to the 

 Intermediate grades. Another calculation is required for estimating 

 the value of vines for the vineyard, based upon the same principles, 

 and leading to similar results. It will be given in another publication 

 called VINET.IRD Cat.iix)gub; and the subject will be found still more 

 thoroughly treated In Lasduihks, and also in the Manual of the 



VlNB. 



The difference in the vineyard is equally gi-eat In favor of the best 

 Tines from lingle eyes, but does not appear so striking when we tiike 

 only a single vine, because the amount is small, the vines being made 

 to occupy but a small space ; and the produce must be nearly in pro- 

 purtiou to the space occupied. At three years old Delaware vines of 

 the class "extra," like that represented in Plate No. 9, In the vinej-ard, 

 will bear and fully mature four pounds each, and leave the vine in per- 



i-late No. 12. 



feet health, with increased ability for next season's crop. The frnll 

 will be of such quality and beauty as will bring the best price and build 

 the reputation of the producer. A vine rating as No. 4, if well pro- 

 duced, may, at the same time, begin to bear, but not sufficiently to 

 yield any thing of value. 



The grapes from the former, if used for wine, will be worth fifteen 

 cents per pound, making sixty cents for each vine. At four years nl(!, 

 the vine will be able to bear more, but extreme prudence for the health 

 and longevity of the vineyard may restrict the crop to that amount. 

 The sum earned by these two years will be one dollar and twenty cents. 

 The crop at two years old, which has not been named, may be reckoned 

 sufficient to pay for the cost of cultivation up to the time of gathering 

 the crop of the fourth year. At four years old, one of the class. No. 3 

 or 4, such as represented in Plate No. 9, may be expected to yield a 

 profitable crop half equaling in value that of the extra at three years, 

 or approaching in value that of the extra at two years. But to do this, 

 much more careful attention, both in the preparation and planting, and 

 also in tillage, will be required then by the " extra." At five years the 



