COMMUNICATIONS 



Made to the American Institute, in relation to Agriculture, 

 and its Products. 



On the Culture of Grapes and Manufacture of Domestic Wine. 



By H. LoNGWORTH, Cincinnati. 



I have selected for the cultivation of the grape for wine, hills on 

 the Ohio river, or within a few miles of the river, planting the vines 

 on the tops and the sides of the hills, without particular regard to 

 the exposure. The tops and sides of our steepest hills are rich, and 

 little or no stone near the surface. The north sides of our hills are 

 the richest, and as our seasons are long and warm, I consider the 

 north sides equally favorable to the cultivation of the grape, as the 

 other points of the compass. Where the sides of the hills are so 

 steep as to occasion washing of the soil, I trench the ground from 

 18 inches to two feet deep, and lay it off in benches, usually sodding 

 the benches, but where in trenching, stones are thrown up I give 

 them the preference. The cost of benching is about $50 per acre, 

 done in the best manner. The depth to which I trench, depends on 

 the depth of the soil. The substratum is usually clay, and I trench 

 deep enough to bring from four to six inches of the poor soil on 

 the surface, wishing to keep the roots that far below the surface. 

 "When I first commenced my vineyards, to meet the views of my 

 tenants, w^ho must do it as they were accustomed to do it in Germa- 

 ny, the ground was trenched three feet deep, even where the good 

 soil was less than a foot in depth, and the stiff clay thrown on the 

 top. The consequence was, the vines did not flourish, for the roots 

 are generally inclined to keep near the surface, and never reached 

 to the good soil, two feet below the surface. Where the ground is 

 not so steep as to wash, deep plowing is all I deem necessary. 



On the benches on the side hills, I usually place the rows from 

 four to four and a half feet apart. I leave a distance of three and a 

 half or four feet between the plants, and tie them to the stakes, gen- 

 erally of locust, from five to six feet high. On the benches we ne- 

 ver use the plow. On level ground, I should plant the rows five or 

 six feet apart, and leave four and a half feet between the plants. 

 Our soil in general, requires little or no manure. We use occasion- 

 ally, all kmds of manure, but always have it well rotted before we 

 apply it. 



