Feb. 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



19 



For the Weetorn Pomologist. 



Soil and Situation for Grapes. 



BT DR. J STAYMAN, LKATENWORTH, KANSAS. 



la successful yiacyard culture much cle- 

 peiirls upon the soil, location and (•Umate, as 

 may be seen in the quality of wine from 

 different districts and vineyards ; but in gar- 

 don culture we have but little choice to make, 

 for we have to plant our viues where our 

 gardens are or do without them. Although 

 there is a difference in soil, location and 

 climate, yet the grape is adapted to a wider 

 range of country perhaps than any other fruit. 

 We have found it growing wild and bearing 

 profusely on tlie river bottoms overflown 

 by tlie high spring and summer freshets, in 

 the ravines .and clefts of the rocks, on the 

 gentle slopes, on the high hills and mountain 

 ranges varionsl}' exposed, in a humid and 

 arid atmosphere, in the forest climbing the 

 highest trees and in the groves and thickets 

 ruuuing over the brambles and bushes, and 

 on the border of the open prairie without any 

 support except tlie tall grass. 



What other fruit can we find growing wild 

 so luxuriantly and bearing so profusely over 

 such a vast range of country and diversified 

 soil and climate as from Maine to California, 

 and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. — 

 Indeed, it may be said if any fruit is adapted 

 to general cultivation, it is the grape, seeing 

 its extensive natural range. 



Although the grape is adapted to a diver- 

 sified soil and climate, there is much differ- 

 ence found in the quality of the fruit, de- 

 pending upon local conditions. Therefore 

 we should select the most favorable situation 

 we have. Any soil that will grow wheat 

 will grow grape.! within the range of suffi- 

 cient heat, but it should, however, be re- 

 membered that all locations are not equally 

 adapted to the same varieties, for it requires 

 a certain length of season to mature and 

 perfect each variety. For garden culture, 

 plant on dry, well draiued soil, if you have 

 such, if not it will pay to drain it. If flat, 

 elevate the ground about a foot high and 

 four feet wide and plant on top of the eleva- 

 tion. Select an open exposure towards the 

 east, south jr west, if you have such, but if 

 other conditions are favorable any exposure 

 will produce grapes abundantly. 



While we admit garden culture successftil 

 in almo.st any soil or location, it is very 

 different in vineyard culture, either for 

 market or wine, for if we do not select a good 

 location we cannot expect to compete with 

 those who do, in neither fruit or wine. A 

 location that will produce good wine may 

 produce good market fruit, but it does not 

 always follow that a location for market will 

 also be equally good for wine ; for early ma- 

 turity, large size and beauty are more 

 important for market than late maturity and 

 fine quality. In selecting a situation for 

 market, it is nccessarj' that we are in prox- 

 imity to a good and jiermanent market. At 



such points we have not always got good 

 lociitious; but where there is railroad or 

 water facilities for transportation fifty or even 

 one hundred miles from marliet, with a supe- 

 rior location, would bo preferable than near 

 market with a medium location. In planting, 

 particularly for market, we should aim to 

 have a warm situation, that our fruit will 

 mature early, evenly and perfectly, for the 

 earliest good fruit commands the higest price. 

 Therefore a few days in advance will very 

 much enhance the value of our crop, this 

 being a natural advantage will soon pay for 

 the best location and be a permanent value 

 thereafter. 



We should also guard against sudden and 

 excessive changes of temperature, as they 

 subject us to early and late frosts, which may 

 very much injure our crops. By locating in 

 proximity to large bodies of water we obvi- 

 ate excessive changes and are not subject to 

 early and late frosts, therefore our crop is 

 more certain, but it does not mature so early 

 and consequently is not so valuable for 

 market. But if we select high elevations, 

 with east, south or west exposures, in prox- 

 imity to deep and wide valleys, we both 

 hasten the maturity of our fruit and guard 

 against excessive variation of temperature. 

 That there are natural advantages in loca- 

 tions may be seen in the early maturity and 

 superior quality of the same variety of fruit 

 at different situations. 



It is a well established fact that southern 

 slopes of high hills, or elevated benches with 

 a light soil well drained and clay sub-soil, 

 whether the surface is composed of humus, 

 sandy loam or calcareous earth, are the best 

 locations, and if the soil is rich enough to 

 produce good wheat, it is sufiicieutly rich for 

 grapes, and that lime, marl, ashes, bone-dust 

 and leaf-mould are good fertilizers when the 

 land is not rich enough. Very few locations 

 in the West require such applications, and a 

 large proportion would be materially injured 

 thereby, particularly in Kausas, Iowa and 

 Mi.ssouri. 



It may be expected by some that we will 

 point out the best situations to produce good 

 wine, but this subject embraces so many 

 important conditions that we hardly feel able 

 to do the subject justice in a short essay like 

 this. For it should be remembered, to make 

 wine successfully and profitably we should 

 be able to compete not only with our neigh- 

 borhood, but also with the best wine districts 

 of this country as well as Europe. It may, 

 however, be observed, that it requires a 

 specific amount of heat to elaborate and de- 

 velope a due proportion of sugar in the grape, 

 and that whatever tends to the thorough 

 ripening of our fruit will add to the strength 

 quality and aroma of our wine. Ttiat the 

 best conditions are warm soils and dry, ele- 

 vated, sunny hill-sides in a temperate climate, 

 within the zone of sufficient heat and dimin- 

 ished moisture, particularly from seeding to 



the maturity of the grape, arc of more 

 importance than the early maturity of our 

 fruit or proximity to market. It may not be 

 generally understood that the grape requires 

 a mean temperature of 52 degrees before it 

 foliates, and a definite amount of heat from 

 thence to its maturity. That aU the varia- 

 tions in ripening depend upon location and 

 moisture, or, in other words, the difference 

 in the ripening of the same variety depends 

 upon the amount of heat, light and moisture 

 the grape receives; and tliat the richness 

 and quality of the fruit depends upon the 

 concentrated heat and diminished moisture 

 from the commencement of seeding to ma- 

 turitjf. That the Concord grape requires 

 from foliation to maturity about 9,000 de- 

 gree^ of heat. To illustrate these facts, we 

 will give examples of observations made at 

 difl'erent seasons and places for the last five 

 years. We have the Concord grape growing 

 at different elevations, one about 200 feet 

 above the other on a bluff. On this eleva- 

 tion the Concord grape ripened from eight 

 to ten days earlier than below. To ascertain 

 the cause of this difference, we kept a ther- 

 mometer at botlt places and observed the 

 difference in the temperature. We found a 

 daily mean of three degrees, and at sunrise, 

 six degrees higher temperature on the blufl" 

 than below, which the following record will 

 show : 



FROM FOLIATION TO MATtTRITT. 



From the above table it will be seen that 

 in seasons of the greatest rain it required 

 more heat to mature the grape. Had the 

 rain, light and sunshine been the same, we 

 have but little doubt the result would have 

 been very nearly alike. If we examine the 

 temperature from seeding to the maturity of 

 the grape, we find considerable difference, 

 but in the amount of heat for the same 

 period, there is but little difference, because 

 the rain and sunshine during that time was 

 very nearly equal. But the greatest difter- 

 ence was in the quality and perfection of the 

 grape, and in the strength and aroma of the 

 wine, corresponding exactly with the high 

 temperature of that period. 



