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THE ILLINOIS FA-HMEItl 



On the Coltnre of the Tine in Illinois. 



JFVemtum TreatUt, by H. L. Srutfi, of Ottawa, THinoii. 



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"Every man under his vine and under hia fie 

 tree," ■was an image of luxuriant and peaceful 

 repose, amid surrounding plenty, three thous- 

 and years ago. This language the spirit of in- 

 spiration has chosen to portray the security and 

 aoundance of the world's last best ages. The 

 Boil we occupy, the climate we enjoy, our free 

 institutions, afford us all the requiste conditions 

 for the realization of that ideal good. In our 

 future will the vine form so prominent a feature 

 in the emblem of our enjoyment? We wish that 

 it may. TVe regard it as a precious boon. We 

 prize it for its many beautiful and hallowed as- 

 sociations in sacred story, as the symbol of 

 promised good, but above all, for its bounty to 

 man. 



It is gratifying to observe that the cultivation 

 of our native grapes, and production of choice 

 varieties by hybridization are enlisting such 

 general attention. All nature affords a gener- 

 ous encouragement to such endeavors. 



The vine is a hardy plant, and will grow so 

 far north that it can do no more than blossom. 

 Hot houses and cold graperies are provided in 

 countries where the uncertainty of climate pre- 

 vents any attempt at cultivation with a view to 

 profit. But no such necessity is laid upon the 

 denixens of our western states. 



The vine luxuriates under our warm and ge- 

 nial sun, in our dry even climate and calcareous 

 loamy soil. No exotic grape grown under glass 

 ever surpassed in luxuriance our unrivalled Ca- 

 tawbas, grown in open air and cultivated by the 

 acre, like com. Were we so disposed, we could 

 render the fruit of the vine not only as "plenty 

 as blackberries," but so abundant as to leave 

 nothing further to be desired. And doubtless 

 the day is not far distant, when our farms will 

 be considered incomplete without a generous 

 vineyard. We commenced writing more partic- 

 ularly with the view of speaking of the best 

 methods and the requisite conditions of soil, for 

 the cultivation of the vine in our state; and of 

 the inducements to engage in this work. But 

 before entering upon this topic, it may be well 

 to suggest some reasons for commending this 

 much neglected and much abused fruit. While 

 some would place as first, its rich and delicate 

 flavor, we will refer to its wholesome and saluta- 

 ry properties. In my own judgment it surpas- 

 ses all fruits in its happy combination of acids, 

 mucilage and saccharine matters, and is pecu- 

 liarly fitted as an antidote and remedy to the 

 diseases incident to a malarious climate. 



The use of wine and grapes in certain kinds 

 of fever is, at least, as old as Hippocrates. The 

 Rhine wines are of diuretic quality, and the 

 Germans say "keep off the doctos." They arc 

 not alone in commending grapes and pure wines 

 in the period of convalescence immediately fol- 

 lo" In^' low fevers. According to Redding, "old 

 aick -w'-;!- : > still a remedy in Cypress for ter- 

 1 r.n and quartan agues, common in that and 

 !-y!P" i->tlier Greek i-hinda, where the old wine 

 u-rHl T(» burn like oil." For sanitary and me- 

 licinal purposes, we regard the tartaric acid of 

 Lhis grape as vastly superior to that of any other 

 friul. but particularly to the malic (apple) ac- 

 id. For this reason we would gladly see that 

 which is properly vinegar, vinaigre, or soured 

 wine, substituted for that acidfied cider, which 

 most ungenerously has usruped its name and 

 office; saying nothing of the dangerous counter- 

 feits which are manufactured and sold under 

 the name of cider vinegar. 



Aside from the various applications of its 

 jucies, the grape commends itself to us as a 

 most wholesome fruit, whose luscious richness 

 and delicate flavor may with little care be pre- 

 served fresh through the entire winter, gladden- 

 ing its long chill hours with the products of the 

 burning beams of summer and the golden radi- 

 ance of autumn ; or this fruit may be dried and 



its most valuable and useful properties still pre- 

 served in the form of raisins. 



"The only vineyards in America are those of 

 American grapes." — [Dovming.'\ Longworth 

 says, "If we intend cultivating the grape, we 

 must rely on our native varieties, and new va- 

 rieties raised from seed." 



The vine, as we have said, is a hardy plant. 

 It will grow both in cold and warm latitudes, 

 but flourishes best between 35 and 42 deg. of 

 latitude. With us no outlay of capital is need- 

 ed, for green houses, cold graperies, or expensive 

 borders. Our clear, warm sun, and dry atmos- 

 phere, insure the full maturity of our richest and 

 latest varieties. The vine may be successfully 

 cultivated in any soil that is not wet. It flour- 

 ishes most in a dry and light soil of a calcareous 

 or loamy nature. A rich, light, sandy loam, on 

 a porous or rocky bottom is congenial. "A black, 

 rich, loamy soil is favorable, from its absorbing 

 heat." Grapes grown on rich deep soils, are 

 fittest for the table. But the best table grapes 

 do not make the choicest wine. The dry sea- 

 sons, so characteristic of our climate, increase 

 the quantity of sugar in grapes, which contain a 

 larger proportion of saccharine matter than other 

 fruits. "That soil which, from dryness and 

 lightness, is scarcely fit for any other culture, is 

 best adapted for grapes designed for wine" — be 

 it calcareous or volcanic. Any light, mixed, 

 friable soil, in which water will not lodge, is 

 congenial to this plant. A hillside, or mound, 

 or ridge, or table lands, with a loose subsoil, 

 present choice locations for the vine. Wines of 

 first character ai-e usually made from vines that 

 flourish among stones or rocky soil. "No wine 

 of tolerable quality is grown on rich, highly 

 dressed lands." From this it will appear that 

 our high, rolling prairies with gravelly ridges, 

 our bluffs, the banks of our creeks and rivers, 

 where the declivities are gentle, afford the re- 

 quisite condition for choice vineyards. We have, 

 in a word, almost every kind of soil and climate 

 to meet the demands of nature, or the wishes of 

 those who desire a pure wine, or a varied supply 

 of fruit. 



/ 8 respects the methods of propagation, vines 

 may be produced abundantly either from cuttings 

 or layers. "Vines raised from cuttings live 

 longest and hear most fruit." [Redding, p. 

 42. 1 The readiest way and much the cheapest 

 to start a vineyard, is to procure good cuttings 

 in the fall, if possible. The process is then very 

 simple. Having plowed and subsoil-plowed your 

 land, mark off your vineyard carefully with line 

 or stakes, that the rows shall be straight both 

 ways, offering no obstruction to future cultiva- 

 tion. Holes are made with the spade from three 

 to four feet apart in the row, in rows six feet 

 apart. Two cuttings are planted in each hole 

 in a slanting direction, with their tops inclined 

 to each other, and the lower ends ten inches 

 apart. Press the soil firmly at the base of the 

 cuttings and have the upper eye just covered. If 

 both cuttings grow, remove one of the plants in 

 autumn. Cuttings are made from sound last 

 year's wood, and should have four or five eyes, 

 with a clean smooth cut near the lower eye. If 

 not planted out at the fall pruning they should 

 be tied up in convenient bundles and buried in 

 the ground, where they will remain moist and 

 protected from the severe frosts of winter. They 

 will strike root with great certainty. The culti- 

 vatit)n of vegetables the first and second seasons, 

 between the rows, will facilitate in keeping the 

 ground light and clean. The young plants 

 should not be pruned the first year. The second 

 year, before sap starts, cut the young vine down 

 to one or two '-yes, force the growth into one 

 main shoot, or cane, breaking off suckers and 

 su[)erfluoii8 shoots. Stakes of any durable wood, 

 six or seven feet long, and two or three inches 

 square, should be firmly planted to each -tine. 

 The third year, before the buds swell, cut last 

 year's shoot or cane 'jack to two eyes, let both 

 grow, tying tliem to the stake, as they advance, 

 with rye straw ; the laterals or auxiliary branches 



on these canes should be rubbed out as high as 

 eight or ten eyes. As soon as weeds get fairly 

 started in tbe spring, throw the earth from the 

 vines with a single plow, and keep the ground 

 clean and light with the cultivator, piestrov 

 every rosebug and ^en worm, which if not sed- 

 ulously watched, will so increase in a few sea- 

 sons as to devour the blossoms of the entire 

 crop. 



The fourth year you have two good shoots or 

 canes eight or ten feet lon^. Spring pruning 

 this year is usually done in February. Some 

 prune in November previous, which we consider 

 as the proper time. Cut back the best and clos- 

 est jointed cane to ten or twelve eyes; the other 

 cane cut down to a spur of two or three eyes, to 

 make bearing canes for next season. When the 

 sap begins to flow the long cane is bent round 

 in the form of a hoop or bow, and secured to the 

 stake with willow ties or twigs— one at the bot- 

 tom, one at the top of the circle, and the third 

 fastens the end to the stake, or to the vine below. 

 The vine bears its fruit on shoots of the current 

 year, starting from eyes of the previous year's 

 wood. One bearing shoot, or bough, having 

 from ten to twelve eyes, will throw out as many 

 bearing branches. From these ten or twelve 

 bearing branches select from fifteen to twenty 

 bunches; break off all the others. A larger 

 number overtasks the vine and impairs the 

 quality of the fruit. If the vines occupy more 

 room than 3 by 6 feet, then each vine may pro- 

 duce, proportionally, more grapes. The most 

 experienced vignerons, where vines are planted 

 3 by 5 feet apart, do not suffer their vines to 

 produce more than fifteen or sixteen fine bunches 

 at a bearing. When the grapes are the site of 

 small shot, pinch off the ends of the bearing 

 branches two or three eyes beyond the upper 

 cluster, and every brancn of the bough that does 

 not show fruit should be taken away. Train 

 the two canes which start from the spur to the 

 stake; break out laterals and suckers. The 

 fifth year, and all subsequent years, cut away 

 the old bearing wood. The uppermost cane is . 

 selected from the fruit bough, as in the preced- 

 ing year. The lowest cane is cut back to two 

 or three eyes, forming the spur. The vine is 

 annually renewed with two ^ood canes, starting 

 from this spur; which require the same man- 

 agement every year ; thus keeping the old stock 

 within a foot of the ground. Should a vine be 

 lost, it can be replaced by a layer from the ad- 

 joining vines. The layer may be put down as 

 late as August, but spring is preferred. The 

 vineyard should be kept in good tilth with the 

 plow and cultivator. Where the slope of the 

 hill or bluff is so steep as to require benching, 

 the cost of a vineyard is much increased. Dig 

 or trench the ground all over to the depth of l| 

 to 2 feet, turning the top soil under. The ground 

 is formed into level platforms of earth, as wide 

 as they can be made conveniently, supported by 

 a bank of sod or stone walls. Rows of vines, 5 

 or 6 feet apart, occupy these platforms or ter- 

 races, and require the same culture. 



Great inducements to enter upon the cultiva- 

 tion of the vine may be found in the utility and 

 enjoyment of a fruit so delicious and wholesome 

 in its properties. But inducements, still greater 

 with some, may be discovered in the marketable 

 value of its products. The expense of cultivation 

 is so small as to bring it within the reach of all 

 classes. 



The labors of the vineyard, as contrasted with 

 those incident to the culture of cereal crops, can 

 hardly be compared, in point ofpleasure or profit. 

 This is all cheerful work. The gathering of 

 the fruit and the season of vintage are alikejoy- 

 ous occasions. It is the time of dance and song; 

 the great epoch in wine growing countries. — 

 Both sex 68 and all ages mingle together to gather 

 nature's profusion, and make still more light 

 life's burden. We welcome such toil, because 

 of its enlivening influence on the mind and heart. 

 Such an era of faithfulness and joy is beginning 

 to dawn already in our country. Four years 



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