678 



GKAPE 



GRAPE 



The training of tlje vinifern ( Irape is very imlike that 

 of the native Grapes. The stdcks are kept to low, strong 

 stumps, and the bearing slioots are not trained or are 

 tied to stakes. Trellises arc not used. Fig. 974 shows 

 3 epochs in the eonnnon stylo of pruning, the right-hand 

 figure representing the mature vine. 



Though huudreils of varietius of vinifera have lifcn 

 introduced from Europe and Asia diu-ing the last half 

 century, only a few have survived cultural and couiiuer- 

 cial tests and are now planted. For raisins the prevail- 

 ing varieties are White Muscat of Alexandria, and the 

 Muscatel Gordo Blanco and the Malaga, with the Sultana 

 and Thompson Seedless for seedless raisins : for table 

 Grapes, in addition to the foregoing, the Flame Tokay, 

 Emperor, Cornichon, Black Malvoise, Rose of I-'eru. 

 Black Hamburg, Chasselas varieties and Verdal are 

 chiefly grown, though, of course, a miich larger list pre- 

 vails for local uses. In wine Grapes there is naturally a 

 larger list to meet local reciuirenients of soil and climate 

 and to produce the various kinds of wine. 



Acceptable varieties for dry wines are: 



Red (Claret and liurijundii) .—?Ant[i.nde\, Cariguan, Mataro, 

 Mourastel, Petite Sirali, Petit Bouscliet. Alicante Bouschet, 

 Grenaehe, Valdepeuus, Cabernet Simvignoii, St. M.icaire, Be- 

 clan, Mondeuse, Blue ElbUng, Refoseo, and Barbera. 



White iSavterne. Hock, etc.).— -SemiUon, .Sauvignou Blanc 

 and Vert, JohaunisburK Riesling. Franken Riesling, Tr.-tnnner, 

 Chasselas Dore{tiutedel), Chaucbe Gris, Burger, Folle Blanche, 

 Feller Szaeos, tTreen Hungarian, Palomino, "Wliite Pinot, 

 Thompson Seedless. 



Varieties for sweet wines are : 



Ports. — JXission, Jlalvoisie, Grenaehe, Trousseau. 



Sherry and Madeira. — Mission, Palomino, West Wliite Pro- 

 liiic, Verdelho, Feher Szagos, Sultana, Thtmipson Seedless. 



Antjclicn, Muscat, etc. — Muscat of Alexandria, iMiiscatella, 

 Furmint (Tokay wine). 



In regions of the Pacific coast north of California, 

 vinifera varieties are less widely grown, and locations 

 meeting their requirements must be selected with much 

 care and circumspection. The ntimber of varieties i.s 

 much smaller than in California, as there is no ju-oduct 

 of wine or raisins, but of talde (4rapes only, and they are 

 almost wholly early ripening kiritls, which can mature in 

 the shorter growing season at the North. On the other 

 hand, the American varieties are widely grown, the 

 Concord, Delaware, Moore Diamond, Bloore Early, Niag- 

 ara and Worden being most favoraldy reported. 



E. J.WlCKSON. 



Grapes Under Glass. — Under glass, the European va- 

 rieties alone are used. This species, ('//os vinifenr , is 

 the vine of the ancients, and is indigenous to the more 

 salubrious parts of eastern Asia and southern Europe. 

 It is referred to in the earliest mythological w^ritings of 

 ancient Egj'pt and thence on nuinberlcss occasions, no- 

 tably in the Bible and the Now Testament. The story 

 of the spies from the promised land, with its generous 

 illustration, has excited the admiration and perhaps 

 questioned the credulity of many of us. It is only faij-, 

 however, to state that the size of the clu.ster there rep- 

 resented has been amply borne out in recent years. 

 The type i'ifis vinifera, if there ever was a tyyte. has 

 become so merged and modified by cultivation in differ- 

 ent climates and countries tliat it is difiieult to trace it 

 at the present day. Over 2,000 varieties have lieen de- 

 scribed, covering the widest range in size, color, texture 

 .and flavor, general appearance and quality. 



For disparity of size, we have the diminutive Black Cor- 

 inth, from which the Zante currants are prepared, and 

 the giant Gros Colraan, now extensively grown for com- 

 mercial purposes under glass in England; and for con- 

 trast in color we have the beautiful Rose Chasselas and 

 the pink and white Frontignans and Muscats, with 

 their superb qualities and flavors, growing by the side 

 of the blue-black Alicante of thick skin and coarser 

 texture, but valuable for it.s late-ki-einng quality ; and 

 worth more than all the others put tngrther, we have 

 the Black Hamburg, coml>ining all tlic good qualities, 

 and easy of culture. 



Probalily in no branch of horticulture is the garden- 

 ers' skill more generously rewarded than in Grape- 

 growing under glass. In Engl.-md it has been an essen- 

 tial fe.aturo of horticultural work for more than a cen- 

 tury, resulting in fruit of a finer qualilv aiol flavor than 

 tJlat grown in tlie ,,],eu air. and very nrten enornien^ 



clusters, weighing from 20 to ,10 pounds. Started there 

 as a matter of luxury, it has become of late years a 

 matter of profit, and vineries of large extent have been 

 erected for commercial purposes. Probably this work 

 has been retarded hero by the introduction of the many 

 very excellent varieties of our native Grapes, so easily 

 grown in the open air and so constantly improved by 

 hybridizing with the European, and undoubtedly this 

 work will yet result in a much closer approach to the 

 standard of European quality. 



The essential difference between American and Euro- 

 pean kinds is that in the American the pulp separates 

 from the skin, is usually tough and more or less acid, so 

 that it is disagreeable to remove the seeds, while in the 

 European the pulp adheres to the skin, is tender and 

 sweet throughout, and the seeds are easily removed. 

 European C-irapes, when wfU grown, are valuable and 

 agreeable for the uso of invalids, and, undoubtedly, in 

 the judgment of tlie majority of people, surpass in 

 (quality an.v other fruit gro^vn. 



The subject of Grape cultivation under glass may be 

 ilivided under several heads, as follows : The, Houses- 

 The Bonier; The Vines; The Fruit. 



The IToK.';,'.';. — These are mainly of two forms, span- 

 roof and lean-to, with occasional modifications between. 

 Unless one has ample time and a desire to study their 

 construction, it is better to have plans and estimates 

 furnished by professional builders. 



Span-roof houses are adapted to large places with 

 spacious grounds, and particularly when an ornamental 

 effect is desired. On account of their exposure on all 

 sides, they reciuire very careful attention, especially if 

 used for early forcing of Grapes. Where early work is 

 not desired, or for use without artificial heat, their dis- 

 advantage is not so apparent. Houses without artificial 

 heat, known as cold graperies, were in earlier years in 

 more general use than tliose with heat, but have about 

 disappeared with the introduction of the modern eco- 

 nomical heating apparatus, and the very great ad- 

 vantage in the use of "the same, if only 'to a limited 

 extent. 



Lean-to houses, on account of their snug construction 

 and protection from northerly or prevailing winds, are 

 especially desirable for early forcing of Gr.apes (Figs. 

 97.J, DIG). Often a stable or other building can be 

 utilized for the north side, but generally a wall of brick 

 .u- stone is erected for this purpose. Such a wall can be 

 covered on the outside with Ampelopsis tricuspidata, or 

 Crimson Rambler roses, producing a beautiful and or- 

 namental eflect. A good house, on a small scale, can be 

 made of hotbed sash (Fig. 9/GI. 



Foundations for the other three sides or for a 

 span-roof vinery can be constructed of ma- 

 sonry or wood. Masonry is preferable, 

 tho conditions of requisite heat and 

 moisture are very destructive to wood 

 work, especially near the ground 

 With masonry, piers are 

 erei.'ted, starting from solid 

 ground and up to near 

 the surface. They 

 should be about 2 ^ , , ..^ 



feet ■" i»«^+i. //^^ 



with . , ,, ., ^ .,, 



975. A good lean-to Grape house. 



The roots run through the wall to an outside border. 



