PREFACE 



TO THE FOURTH EDITION. 



Three editions of this little treatise, within a year, being 

 required to supply the demand for it, would seem to indicate 

 that the public interest in Grape Culture is on the increase. 

 The author therefore deems it his duty to give the result of his own 

 experience, and that of his fellow-members of the " Wine-growers' 

 Association," in vineyard culture during the past year. It was found 

 that the severe frosts of January and February, 1852 — 8*^ to 12° below 

 zero — killed many of the grape buds in warm exposed situations, and 

 several vineyards in Kentucky, a few miles south of this city, scarcely 

 produced any fruit. The hard frosts of the 18th and 19th of 

 March did not injure the grape buds, although many apples, such as 

 the yellow Belleflower, were killed in the opening bud ; all the 

 peaches, many of the pears, and most of the cherries were destroyed. 



The frosts of the middle of April and second week in May injured 

 the young shoots of the vine, especially in low situations or near 

 moisture, and in the rows near gi-ass ; but with all these visitations 

 from frosts, the grape crop was a very promising one until attacked 

 by the rot, the second week in July, and subsequently the first week 

 in August — the latter but slight. This disease appeared to affect 

 those vineyards most, that were in low situations, or not fully ex- 

 posed to a free circulation of air, either from close planting or 

 otherwise. 



High manuring, deep hoeing or plowing, and a want of summer 

 pruning at the right time, it was thought, increased the liability 

 to rot. This disease, or something like it, prevailed in many parts 

 of Europe, last year, where it had scarcely been known before, and 

 in the island of Madeira caused an almost entire failure of the grape 

 crop. 



In this vicinity it cut off about half of the average crop, reducmg 

 the product of the whole county to about one hundred gallons per 

 acre. Some made more, but many less than that average. It was 



(iv) 



