PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 161 



no species of the Grape has yet been found growing naturally in any 

 Tropical region, and none will flourish there except in high mountain 

 ranges where the atmosphere assimilates to that of the Temperate Zone. 



Without discussing any further the primitive history of " The Vine," and 

 its progressive dissemination during the earlier periods of its history, we 

 will commence with its introduction to Europe. It appears that the Phoe- 

 niceans, who possessed an extensive commerce throughout the Mediter- 

 ranean, introduced the Grape from Syria and Egypt some centuries before 

 the Christian era, into the isles of the Archipelago, and afterwards into the 

 Island of Sicily, and into Greece; and lastly to Italy, Provence, and b}-^ the 

 Phocian colony into the territory of Marseilles (France), and to Spain. 



When the first Vines were brought to France they would scarcely sus- 

 tain the winters of her Mediterranean shores. Gradually, however, by 

 extensive seminal reproduction, under the fostering care of the French 

 Government, it has become acclimated to every part of that country, as 

 well as to Switzerland and Germany. It has required 2,000 years to so 

 acclimate the Vitis vinifera as to render it susceptible of successful cul- 

 ture in the countries where vineyards now exist in Europe. But after 

 attaining this favorable result in the culture of the Persian Grape, the 

 vignerons of northern and middle France, Switzerland, Belgium and Ger- 

 many, find it necessary to prune their vines to the size of a currant bush, 

 and these do not produce one-third the quantity of wine per acre which can 

 be obtained by the culture of the very hardy and robust American species 

 and varieties, natives of the northern and middle sections of our Country. 



A Way to Grow Grape Vines. 



Dr. S. J. Parker. — An advantageous method of getting a large growth 

 in grape vines during the second year, is the following: put your vine, one 

 year from the single eye or bud, in a pot eight inches in diameter at the 

 top, and nine or ten inches deep, about the first of February, which is the 

 best time of the season for starting early tomatoes, vines, etc. Prepare 

 your pot by filling it half full of fresh horse manure; crowd down the 

 manure so as to till one- third of the pot; now put in soil, half rich garden 

 earth, and half sand. Sour leaf rnold or peaty mold will defeat your 

 attempt, therefore use your best garden soil. Spread out the roots well in 

 this soil in the pot. In a warm spot in your grapery, or other spot where 

 the air is warm, the vine will start from the bud at or near the ground, and 

 grow vigorously, according to its strength, from one to five feet, by the 

 middle of May. Now lessen the amount of water and heat and sunshine, 

 and put your vine to rest, so that it shall grow no more while in the pot. 

 Let there be a rest of from four to eight weeks, as perfect as possible, by 

 having the earth almost as dry as powder, and as cool as forty degrees of 

 the thermometer, and putting it where it will not have direct sunlight, 

 watching the leaves so that they do not droop much nor turn very yellow 

 — let them turn a little and look dingy, and the wood of the vine turn dark, 

 or ripen, just as you ripen wood in a grapery in the fall of the year. Now, 

 having rested your vine a month or six weeks, carefully prepare your per- 

 manent site for the vine, by" digging it deeply and manuring it. Take 

 your pot and invert it; shake out the earth and vine in your hand by tap- 



TAm. Ins.1 11 



