164 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



CATTLE SHOW AND FAIR. 



The Jefferson county aiiniiiil CattiR Show and 

 Fair was lield in Watcrtown, N. Y. onFriJay the 

 •3th uU. The nomerous concourse of people that 

 •.issemblcd on this occasion, the quanlity and ijual- 

 il.y of arliolos exhibited, and th.c nuniUor of coni- 

 netitors for premiums, evinced that the spirit of 

 enterprise wliich has heretofore characterised our 

 larmers, so far from liaving declined, continues to 

 Micite them to a laudable couipelilion in the dif- 

 '"erent branches of domestic industry. On no oc- 

 casion since the institution of the Society, have 

 'he articles exhibited been more numerous, and 

 of better quality, or the beneficial effects of the 

 .•Society more apparent, than on this. The stock 

 exhibited, was uncomr.ionly fine, — particularly 

 horses. Tlie improvement in the breed of ih.is 

 •loble and useful animal, within ii few years, has 

 lioen great, and we do not hesitate to say that this 

 county now produces as fine horses as any in the 

 state. In the other animals exhibited, much im- 

 provement was also apparent. In short, the exhi- 

 bition of stock of all kinds was much superior to 

 that of any former year, since the organisation of 

 the society. 



The articles of domestic monufacture were also 

 of a superior quality, and do much credit. to the 

 skill and industry of the manufacturers. 



It affords us much pleasure to be enabled to 

 .state, that the necessary funds were immediately 

 raised to enable the Society to continue its oper- 

 .itions another year. Much credit is due to the 

 individuals by whoso exertions the Society has I 

 tlitis far been kept up, and the facility with 

 ivhich funds wore procured for conlinuinii it, is I 

 •.■ery creditable to tiio liberality and public spirit 

 of its members'. 



REMARKS j 



Of Ml- .T. Lk "ay de C!!AL'.^I0.^T, hifure tne. Jef- 

 ferson County Agricultural Society, at its laic an- ] 

 mial Cattle Show and Fair. I 



I am desired to avail myself of this day of our; 

 public meeting, to make a communication on the j 

 vine. Different experiments which iiave been j 

 •nade, not only by me, but by some other persons 

 in different parts of the country, have convinceil 

 us sufficiently, that wc wpre not mistaken, when i 

 in observing almost every where about us the lux- 

 uriant grov.th of the wild vine and the maturity of| 

 Hs fruit; we eoiicluded tliat the vines of Europe' 

 might be cultivated here with success. I arn con- ! 

 vinced that the greater part of our soli would be | 

 suitable, and produce good fruit if properly attend- ' 

 i?d. Low wet ground and the immediate vicinity j 

 of swamps and marshes, and such of the cbiy lands | 

 where the waters are apt to dwell too lony and j 

 cannot be drained, are not favorable. A liyht and ; 

 somewhat stoney or gravelly soil, as well as a' 

 ground having a. gradual declivity are generally 

 preferable. A southern exposition is to bo chos- 

 en, but a northern one may be tried with success 

 chiefly in a dry warm soil. 



I had in France a vineyard of which the fruit 

 never was destroyed by the frost ; that one w'as 

 m a northern exposition. Some of the best vine- 

 yards in Champaigne are in a similar exposition, 

 ;xnd I have seen many other examples in favor of 

 this opinion. 



It luay be interesting to give a short notice 

 upon the different kinds of European graps vines 

 introduced into this coimtr^ last spring, and which 



I think will be most likely to succeed in this coun- 

 try. They are divided into two classes, the table 

 grape, and the grape the most suitable to make 

 wine. The table grape, or first class, consist of 



The early black July grnve, or eaily Morillon.— - 

 This is a small round berry, replete with a sugary 

 juice; it is an early prolific bearer. 



IFhite jilusradine. — Berry moderately large, 

 thin skin, and delicate juicy llesh ; early grape 

 and great bearer. 



Red Chasselas. — Is very like the white musca- 

 dine in siz-e and shape, but of a dark red colour — 

 Is a very good grape, but ripens later than the 

 white nuiscadino. 



White ['Voiitinac. — A large, high flavored grape. 

 The berries are very closely joined, whereby 

 some of tliem are apt to rot before they are ripe : 

 to prevent which, it would he advisable to thin 

 them out when about the size of a pea. 



Red Frontinat:. — A very esteemed grape ; ber- 

 ries of a brick colour, thin skin, moderate size, 

 and juicy delicate flesli. 



The second class consists of the 



Meunier or Miller's Jiurgnndy grape. — Berries 

 black, and small ; an excellent bearer, and a prin- 

 cipal grape to be cultivated for wine. 



Pineati of Burgundy. — Esteemed one of the 

 best frnit for making wine. The berries are of a 

 fine black colour. 



The Auvernat Mane, ajivernat meunier, gros noir, 

 harbois bltnc, ^leiit blanc, gouoi.'! bUiiie, pincau 

 rouge, pineau blanc, mttlier blanc, soinoriati rouge, 

 are too, tlie different kinds which are preferred in 

 the northern vineyards of Prance to make wine. 



The soil and the situations being chosen you 

 must prepare the ground very early in the spring. 

 If it is not sufficiently rich, you must give it a 

 good coat of compost or of sosie rich loam, but if 

 possible you must avoid to have recourse to stable 

 manure. In fact, there is very little soil in our 

 country, which uill require nov; much addition of 

 any thing to improve it for the vino : but whatev- 

 er you add to it, plough in as deep as can be done 

 witli four horses or oxen, and a plough sufficiently 

 strong. A mont'i after, cross harrow it and clean 

 it from roots of bad weeds. Stones will do no 

 hurt, and will be rather beneficial unless too big. 

 You'must do the same work in June, August and 

 No-.-cmber, omitting only the harrowing for the 

 last. Next spring as soon as the ground is suffi- 

 ciently dry, you must plough again as deep as 

 possible, in employing for that purpose two plough;;, 

 following one another. Another harrowing will 

 leave you the soil in the desired state for plant- 

 ing ; you may either plant in the fall or in the 

 spring. Tills last season is preferable for us. — 

 We must u'ait till the cold and the great humidity 

 is gone out of the ground. You must not wait 

 'till it is too dry, or else you will run the risk to 

 lose your plants if yon have not sufficient recourse 

 to watering them frequently. Those who will be 

 more in a hurry and would not delay one year for 

 planting, must take from the foregoing instruc- 

 tions whatever can in a shorter timo tend to the 

 effect of cleansing the ground as much as possi 

 bio, and of ploughing deep. They must therefore 

 not omit employing two ploughs in the last opera- 

 tion. 



When your ground is fit lor planting, you must 

 mark it into rows, going north and south, east and 

 west, and put stakes eight or ten feet apart every 

 way, so as to admit the ploughing between, and 

 have roDT. for the sun ami air to pass, freely. I 



.Dec U: 1S27 



wcjld rather the distance be ten than six feet 



Tie holes must be from eighteen incheb* to two 

 fe(|t deep, and from twelve to eighteen inches 

 sqlare. The drier the soil, the deeper must be 

 ihi hole. It would be better to dig it long before 

 hapd whore there is no danger of stagnant waters. 



When you plant the grape vine, you lay down 

 si.-ior eight inches of the plant at the botinm of 

 the hole or trench, and lean the upper part of it 

 onlthe side of the trench, so as to form an angle, 

 observing to cover the plant gradually with pul- 

 veijized earth or some ashes mixed with it, and 

 proceed so till you fill up the trench, leaving only 

 twti eyes uncovered. 



It is very desirable that you plant several spe- 

 cies of the vines, whether you wish to raise only 

 tRble grapes, or have in view at some distant fa- 

 vorable time to nr.aUo wine. In that way you di. 

 vide your chances, and have more right to expect 

 a fegular supply. You must separate as much a.- 

 possible the different kinds. 



You must plough frequently your vineyard, so 

 as to keep it free from grass and weeds, not loss 

 than four times is required the first year. The 

 second year as many ploughings are desirable, 

 and you must be very careful not to hurt the 

 roots. lu the beginning of April yon must strip 

 the stalk bare of earth to the depth of five or six 

 inches, and destroy all the shoots or sprigs and 

 supertlunus roots. The stalk is left in that wav 

 e.^poscd to tlie air, for one week or two in propor- 

 tion to the heat of the sun. A similar operation 

 must take place every year afterwards, observing 

 only to have three inches deeper than the second 

 year. Three ploughings after the second year 

 will be sufficient, observing to make them less 

 d«ep in heavy soil than in a light one. 



I deem that the best time for pruning the vine, 

 in this country, is when the hardest frosts are 

 over, some time towards the end of March. The 

 fall of the year ij also considered as being a fa- 

 vorable season for pruning the vine, and offering 

 great advantages, and it would be well to make 

 tlie trial upon some plants. Then one must 

 choose the moment after the leaves of the vine 

 have fallen, and in both c.tscs you must avail your- 

 self of a fine dry day. You must begin pruning 

 your vines the second year, and even the first if 



the shoots are uncommonly long and vigorous 



!n both instances you leave but one shoot with 

 two eyes, taking care to cut the shoots three 

 inches above the second eye or immediately be- 

 low the third eye, if the distance between the 

 eyes does not exceed three inches. The cut 

 should be made with the sharpest instrument, that 

 it may be very smooth. The following year you 

 may leave two shoots, but no more than two eyes 

 on each shoot. At the fourth pruning you can 

 leave three shoots, and as many at the fifth prun- 

 ing, if the plant is vigorous, for if it was weak 

 yo'.i ought to stop at the fourth pruning to leave 

 more shoots. Your pruning must always be on 

 springs of the preceding year You must rub off 

 ail other shoots but those mentioned above, and 

 for that purpose look over your vines at least once 

 a month during the summer. 



The foresoing instructions are generally given 

 for the culture of the vine the most in use, but if 

 you should prefer to keo: their vines high, or in 

 arbours you must in that case choose shoots or 

 plants of greater length, and employ longer stakes, 

 to which you tie the vine, and follow the same 

 method of cultuf e and ptuning as befofe, cTccejji 



