6 



THE ILLmOIS FAKMER. 



Jan. 



For good advice, as they believe, on wine 

 making, they refer to the extracts from Dr. Lud- 

 wig Gall, translated in the Patent OflBce Report 

 of 1860. 



Their experience in wine making was some- 

 thing as follows : 



In 1850 they made 1,000 gallons from their 

 two and one half acres of three years old vines, 

 and nearly mined tbem by permitting them to 

 bear such a crop. In 1851, a frost on the first 

 of May destroyed the crop. From that time un- 

 til 1857, absence from home and other causes pre- 

 vented them from keeping accurate accounts of 

 the product of the vineyard, except to note that 

 1853 was another favorable year. From 1857 to 

 1862 inclusive, tlie record stands as follows : 



1S57, 668 gallons, 



1878, 120 " (the worst year.) 



1859, 306 " 



1860, 593 " (earliest vintage, began Sept. 4.) 



1861, 1717 " (largest crop and best wine.) 



1862, 446 " of juice. 



Total 6 years 3850 gallons, or 641 gallons per 

 annum, from 4^ acres, which would be an annual 

 product of 142 gallons per acre, usually worth 

 $2 per gallon, which gives $284 per acre each 

 year, gross receipts. 



During three years the vineyard has been rent- 

 ed to a vine dresser from the old country, for 

 half the product. The Messrs. Koepfli have found 

 that they have earned $3 for each day spent in 

 the vineyard. 



They find the loss in fermentation and racking 

 off about ten percent. The vintage of 1861 yield- 

 ed five gallons or more of wine to the bushel of 

 grapes. The best wine is produced in the years 

 when the grapes are most abundant. In 13 years 

 experience four have been remarkable for good 

 crops, viz: 1850, 1853, 1857 and 1861. 



They have experimented Eome with Norton's 

 Virginiaand think it will not blight. It making 

 heavy, red, coarse wine, not nearly so good as 

 the Catawba. Have not experimented with the 

 Delaware. A trial of some wine from the Cataw- 

 ba vintage of 1857 and 1861 confirmed my opin- 

 ion of the judgment of the makers — that 



" There grows no vine 



By the haunted Rhine 

 By Danube or Guadelquiver, 



Nor on island or cape, 



That bears such a grape 

 As grows by the beautiful river. 



"Very good in its way 



Is the Vcrscnay, 

 Or the Sillery soft and creamy : 



But Catawba wine 



Has a taste more divine, i^.:J^M. 



More dulcet, delicious and dreamy.*' 



The example and success of the Messrs. Koep- 

 fli has induced many of their neighbors to plant 

 vineyards ; and there are now from 25 to 30 acres 

 planted in the vicinity of Highland Of their 

 success I did not learn. 



Fakmee Fbseman. 



November 15, 1862. 



— The above is one of the most valuable chap- 

 ters on the grape that we have seen of late. It 

 embraces practical facts that far outweigh all 

 the theories of the visionary. Here we have a 

 steady persevering effort, successful in the ag- 

 gregate. It proves what we have said, that all 

 the light, chalky lands of the basin of Egypt, 

 with fair drainage, are valuable for the grape. It 

 is not necessary to have hill sides for the vine — 

 good drainage and thorough culture will ensure 

 a crop. Will not our correspondent give us more 

 such notes. Ed. 



Training vs. Breaking Colts. 



During several years last past, a clashing of 

 ideas, a conflict of opinion on the best time, as 

 to age, to break colts, has been apparently quite 

 prevalent. As to whether it be of the nature of 

 an "irrepressible conflict" or not, mustof course, 

 be determined by the physiological soundness of 

 the views of those who are making efforts to re- 

 form long practiced habits in the matter of "colt 

 breaking," so called. Oneparty — conservatives,'- 

 in a certain sense — stick to the practice of allow- 

 ing colts to run untrained till three or four year, 

 old, before they are used for any practical pur- 

 pose, or even handled with a view to facilitate 

 their present tractability and future "discipline;" 

 while the other practice and enjoin early hand- 

 liug, as adapted to induce docility and good ser- 

 vice subsequently ; and furthermore because 

 gradual training saves or supersedes much 

 of the severe and frequently dangerous labor 

 of subduing the uatoward or wild spirit of colts 

 that have almost hoises grown before being 

 nitiated into any of the services fcr which 

 horses are domesticated. Some of those that 

 let colts become large and rampant before 

 working or even haltering them, have some- 

 times an abrupt and not over intelligible way 

 of exprfssing their ideas in the phrase, "let 

 her rip," or "let her slide," as it may hap- 

 pen. Others Fay, if you break a colt when too 

 young, say a two-year-old, you spoil the horse; 

 that he never has any spirit afterwards; that 

 his growth is 'checked" or hindered, etc., etc. 

 And the same class of persons talk in much the 

 same strain as to boys and girls They are unfit 

 or unable to do anything till they can do a great 

 deal. ' Tis of no use to "teach the young idea 

 how to shoot," or grow in the direction that is 

 best, but leave it to hazardous chance so far as 

 work or practical training in the business of future 

 life is involved. On the other hand, our reform- 



