GRAPE MANUAL. 



3. Hybrids between Delaware and Vinifera: 

 CROTON, ITHAKA, WYLIE'S DELAWARE HYBRIDS. 



By crossing the Delaware with Diana were produced 

 the ONONDAGA and WALTER, perhaps also RARITAN; 

 by a cross of Delaware and Cordifolia Mr. Rickett pro- 

 duced the PUTNAM, and finally, some crosses between 

 Hybrids were produced. 



So far most Hybrids produced were between Lair. 

 and Vinifera; as the former have a tendency to leaf mil- 

 dew, to fruit rot, and roots subject to the attacks of 

 Phylloxera; the production of a healthy, resisting form, 

 in a Hybrid between these and the here still more un- 

 healthy Vinifera, is highly improbable, especially when 

 some tender, glass- hou?e grown variety is used for 

 that purpose. Only by the selection of the most healthy 

 and hardy varieties of a native and foreign species, or, 

 perhaps still better, by an jntermixture of the best and 

 most vigorous native species, may really valuable re- 

 sults be obtained. 



Most ot the Hybrids which we now cultivate are of 

 too recent introduction to be thoroughly tested; yet it 

 is already apparent that their adaptability to successful 

 culture is in proportion to their affinity to the native 

 parent, specially in roots and foliage. And the re- 

 quirements of Hybrid grapes, as to climate, s< il and 

 aspect, will be found quite similar to the requirements 

 oi one or the other of their progenitors. 



LOCATION. 



The only general rules we can give, to guide 

 us in the selection of a proper, desirable loca- 

 tion for vineyards, are : 



1. A good wine-growing region is one where 

 the season of growth is of sufficient length to 

 ripen to perfection our best wine grapes, ex- 

 empt from late spring frosts, heavy summer 

 dews, and early frosts in autumn. Do not at- 

 tempt, therefore, to cultivate the grape in low, 

 damp valleys, along creeks; low situations, 

 where water can settle and stagnate about the 

 roots will not answer; wherever we find the 

 ague an habitual guest with the inhabitants, we 

 need not look for healthy grape-vines; but on 

 the hillsides, gentle slopes, along large rivers 

 and lakes, on the bluffs overhanging the banks 

 of our large streams, where the fogs arising 

 from the water give sufficient humidity to the 

 atmosphere, even in the hottest summer days, 

 to refresh the leaf during the night and morning 

 hours, there is the location of the grape. 



2. A good soil for the vineyard should be a 

 dry, calcareous loam, sufficiently deep (say 

 three feet) loose and friable, draining itself 

 readily. New soils, both granitic and lime- 

 stone, made up by nature of decomposed stone 

 and leaf mould, are to be preferred to those that 

 have long been in cultivation. If you have such 

 a location and soil, seek no further, ask no 

 chemist to analyze its ingredients, but go at 

 once to 



PREPARING THE SOIL. 



The old system of trenching is no more prac- 

 ticed, except upon very hard, stony soil, and 

 upon steep hillsides, being too costly and of 

 very little, if any, advantage. The plow has 

 taken the place of the spade, and has much les- 

 sened the expense. While we would urge a 

 thorough work in the preparation of the soil 

 before planting the vine, and warn against 

 planting in ditches, or worse yet in square 

 holes, we believe that by careful grubbing (in 

 timber lands) leaving no stumps, which would 

 only be a continual eyesore and hindrance to 

 proper cultivation, and then using a large 

 breaking plow, followed by the subsoil plow, 

 the soil will be stirred as deep (say twenty in- 

 ches) as is really necessary to insure a good and 

 healthy growth of vines. This will require two 

 to three yoke of oxen to each plow, according 

 to the condition of the soil. For old ground a 

 common two-horse plow, with a span of strong 

 horses or cattle, followed in the same furrow by 

 a subsoil stirrer, will be sufficient to stir the 

 soil deeply and thoroughly, and will leave it as 

 mellow, and in its natural position as desirable. 

 This may be done during any time of the year 

 when the ground is open and not too wet. Most 

 soils would be benefited by underdraining; the 

 manner of doing it is the same as for other farm 

 crops, except that for vines the drains should be 

 placed deeper; it is less important on our hill 

 sides, and too costly to be. practiced to a great 

 extent here ; wet spots, however, must be 

 drained at least by gutters, and to prevent the 

 ground from washing, small ditches should be 

 made, leading into a main ditch. Steep hill 

 sides, if used at all, should be terraced. 



PLANTING. 



The soil being thus thoroughly prepared and in 

 good friable condition, you are ready for plant- 

 ing. The proper season for doing this is in the 

 fall, after the 1st of November, or in the spring, 

 before the 1st of May. Most vineyards are 

 planted in spring, and in northern, very cold 

 localities, this may be preferable. We prefer 

 fall planting; the ground will generally be in 

 better condition, as we have better weather in 

 the fall, and more time to spare. The ground 

 can settle among the roots in winter; the roots 

 will have healed and calloused over, new root- 

 lets will issue early in spring before the condi- 

 tion of the ground would have permitted plant- 

 ing, and the young plants commencing to grow 

 as soon as the frost is out of the ground, will 

 start with full vigor in spring. To prevent the 



