PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 231 



twenty inches deep; if there is a gravel subsoil, common plowing will do. 

 He is certain the roots descend three or four feet at least. All grapes rot 

 with them, but none so bad as the Catawba. Thinks Norton's Virginia 

 will make a valuable red wine; but a white wine, such as the Catawba, 

 sells best. When I told him the Virginia brought twice the price of the 

 Catawba at St. Louis, he said it is because it was something new. He said 

 that vines having half a dozen bunches are just as likely to rot as if they 

 were loaded. Sulphur in greenhouses is a preventive — in the field it is 

 useless. Volcanic regions are always good for grapes. Such are the notes 

 I took from Mr. Buchanan. He is the author of the best work on the vine 

 in this country. It needs a new edition, with his conclusion about close 

 planting and pruning inserted. I know of no work on the vine in this 

 country which is satisfactory. Mr. Husmann of Hermann has a valuable 

 pamphlet. The Agricultural Report of the Patent Office, for 1861, contains 

 much that is very valuable. 



Mr. J. Williamson has a vineyard of 17 acres at New Richmond, Cle- 

 ment Co., some twenty miles above the city. He has a wine-house in the 

 city for the purpose of selling his own wine. I find it has a first rate repu- 

 tation. He also makes Catawba brandy, which ought to be valuable. I 

 might call it first quality, if I were to judge. Some of Mr. William's 

 views struck me as sound. He says Norton's Virginia does well in that 

 region, and that it will make excellent port wine. After long experience 

 he has become opposed to the system of pruning as established. He 

 would let the vine grow pretty much as nature designs, and that there 

 may be shade for the fruit, in which case it always is sweetest, and that 

 there may be room for the sap to circulate. He would, however, keep the 

 vine within certain bounds. During the summer their German vine-dress. 

 ers go through the vineyard and tear down the laterals with harsh jerks 

 and make quick work. Of course, many of the eyes are injured. I believe 

 they call this business " kiteing." Mr. W. had a bitter experience, which 

 I give. On his place he had a fine arbor of Catawbas. It was the pride of 

 the place. It bore well; he would have it do better. He set a German to 

 work at it; he spent two days in getting it right. Then there was great 

 lamentation among the women; their arbor was destroj'ed. This was 

 several years ago The vines have not done any good since. He says, 

 decidely, a vine must be treated in a uniform manner, or it will be ruined. 

 It will not do to make a dwarf vine run on a trellis, nor to dwarf one which 

 has been extended. As it has been trained the first four years, so should 

 it ever afterwards be trained. " Train up a vine in the way it should grow, 

 and when it is old it should not depart from it." Mr, W. gave an instance 

 of a German at Sandusky who pruned close, and whose grapes were the 

 only ones in that region which rotted. The German said the ground was 

 too rich. Does it not seem that the richer the soil is, the more room in and 

 out of the ground, does the vine require ? Does it not seem that in prun- 

 ing, particularly in the summer when the sap is abundant, that the fruit 

 receives more sap than it can possibly use, and that it is the sap more 

 than the grapes which rot ? There is no grape which makes a more vigor- 

 ous, overwhelming growth, than the Catawba. 



