32 MANUAL OF AMERICAN GRAPE-GROWING 



of grape-growing is now well developed in America. Intensive 

 grape-growing for local markets is not well developed. There 

 are, however, many opportunities in America for easy triumphs 

 in fruit-growing in the planting of vineyards for local markets. 

 No other fruit responds to fine art in culture so well as the 

 grape. Given choicely good varieties and a finely finished 

 product, and the grower may have almost w r hat he desires for 

 the produce of his skill. With the grape, too, palm of merit 

 goes with skill in culture; among all who grow plants, only 

 the florist can rival the viticulturist in guiding the develop- 

 ment of a plant to a special end. In cultivating, fertilizing, 

 training, grafting, pruning, spraying, in every cultural oper- 

 ation, the grape-grower has opportunities to sell his skill not 

 given in so high degree to the grower of other fruits. 



Labor. 



A great advantage in the congregation of vineyardists in 

 grape regions is found when labor must be obtained. Skilled 

 labor is required to cultivate the vine, and such labor can be 

 freely secured only in centers of viticulture. Grape-growing 

 is a specialists' business, and it takes more than a day or a 

 season to make a vine-dresser out of a farmer, gardener or an 

 orchardist. Expert labor is most easily obtained and is of best 

 quality where grapes abound. Common labor must be somewhat 

 abundant, also, in good vineyard locations, for such rush tasks 

 as tying and picking. In these two operations, women, chil- 

 dren or other unskilled labor may be employed to advantage. 

 The grape harvest must often be hurried, and to keep it in full 

 swing a near-by city from which to draw pickers is a great 

 asset. 



Vineyard sites. 



Within a grape region, the site is important in determining 

 where to plant. The site is the local position of the vineyard. 



