240 MANUAL OF AMERICAN GRAPE-GROWING 



Grapes grown on clay lands are said to be firmer and to keep 

 better than those grown on gravel or lighter soils. Some years 

 ago there was an association in Ohio known as The Clay- 

 Growers Association which handled only grapes grown on clay 

 lands. The members of this association believed that their 

 grapes were much more desirable for storage than grapes from 

 regions where the soil was lighter. 



HARVESTING AND HANDLING MUSCADINE GRAPES 



The Muscadine grapes of the South Atlantic and Gulf 

 states are unique in vine and fruit, are used for different pur- 

 poses and go to different markets from the grapes of the North, 

 so that they may be considered almost a distinct fruit. Not 

 only are cultural requirements peculiar to this fruit, as we have 

 seen, but the .methods of harvesting and marketing are quite 

 distinct. These are well set forth by Husmann and Dearing 1 as 

 follows : 



" Rotundifolia vines have been almost entirely grown on over- 

 head arbors in the past, the fruit being made into wine, and 

 under such conditions the general practice of jarring the grapes 

 from the vines is perhaps the most practical method of harvest- 

 ing. If the vines are trained to upright trellises or if the fruit 

 is intended for shipping or table use the grapes should be picked 

 by hand in order to be sound and clean. On account of the 

 presence of leaves, twigs, etc., mixed with the grapes jarred 

 from the vines, wine and grape-juice manufacturers will pay 5 

 to 15 cents a bushel more for hand-picked grapes. The 

 growers who make a practice of hand picking claim that the 

 work can be done at practically no greater expense than is 

 necessary to shake off and clean a crop, and the increased 

 price obtained for the fruit will more than pay the difference. 



1 Husmann, Geo. C., and Dearing, Charles. The Muscadine Grapes, 

 U. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 273 : 33-36. 1913. 



