﻿December, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  45i 
  

  

  Raising 
  Grapes 
  for 
  the 
  Suburban 
  Home 
  

  

  By 
  E. 
  P. 
  Powell 
  

  

  fHATEVER 
  other 
  fruit 
  is 
  overlooked 
  in 
  our 
  

   cozy 
  country 
  homesteads, 
  the 
  grape 
  should 
  

   never 
  he. 
  It 
  can 
  always 
  find 
  a 
  place, 
  and 
  is 
  

   not 
  at 
  all 
  particular 
  about 
  ground 
  room. 
  

   You 
  can 
  set 
  a 
  vine 
  into 
  a 
  rockery 
  or 
  into 
  a 
  

   crevice 
  among 
  rocks. 
  A 
  fine 
  lot 
  of 
  Con- 
  

   cords 
  or 
  of 
  Niagaras 
  can 
  be 
  grown 
  on 
  an 
  

   elm 
  tree 
  or 
  over 
  a 
  hen 
  house. 
  Every 
  barn 
  should 
  be 
  covered 
  

   with 
  grape 
  vines, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  an 
  extra 
  good 
  place 
  for 
  them. 
  

   They 
  will 
  do 
  no 
  harm 
  on 
  the 
  house, 
  although 
  that 
  is 
  what 
  

   some 
  people 
  suppose. 
  Fasten 
  wires 
  on 
  your 
  buildings 
  with 
  

   staples 
  or 
  around 
  nails, 
  and 
  tie 
  the 
  grape 
  vines 
  to 
  these 
  wires 
  

   as 
  they 
  clamber 
  up. 
  The 
  foliage 
  will 
  not 
  only 
  do 
  no 
  damage, 
  

   but 
  will 
  preserve 
  the 
  paint. 
  As 
  for 
  creating 
  dampness 
  in- 
  

   doors, 
  that 
  is 
  all 
  humbug. 
  An 
  ivy 
  clinging 
  to 
  the 
  boards 
  of 
  

   a 
  wooden 
  house 
  may 
  work 
  mischief, 
  but 
  a 
  grape 
  vine 
  fastened 
  

   to 
  wires 
  is 
  in 
  all 
  ways 
  a 
  benefit. 
  

  

  The 
  grape 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  oldest 
  fruits 
  mentioned 
  in 
  history. 
  

   The 
  Bible 
  ranks 
  it 
  with 
  milk 
  and 
  honey 
  as 
  essentials 
  of 
  a 
  

   perfect 
  home 
  life. 
  That 
  is 
  about 
  the 
  truth 
  of 
  it; 
  for 
  one 
  may 
  

   live 
  on 
  these 
  three 
  foods, 
  especially 
  when 
  other 
  fruits 
  can 
  

   be 
  added 
  and 
  garden 
  vegetables. 
  Like 
  the 
  peach 
  and 
  the 
  

   pear, 
  the 
  grape 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  originated 
  somewhere 
  in 
  east- 
  

   ern 
  or 
  central 
  Asia, 
  and 
  to 
  have 
  moved 
  westward; 
  while 
  

   other 
  varieties 
  were 
  native 
  to 
  this 
  continent. 
  It 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   few 
  things 
  that 
  has 
  never 
  learned 
  how 
  to 
  create 
  a 
  trunk, 
  but 
  

   always 
  has 
  climbed 
  upon 
  other 
  vegetation. 
  Where 
  the 
  

   superb 
  grapes 
  of 
  our 
  hothouse 
  culture 
  started 
  is 
  hard 
  to 
  de- 
  

   termine; 
  but 
  we 
  can 
  grow 
  these 
  delicious 
  sorts 
  out 
  doors 
  in 
  

   Florida. 
  They 
  like 
  the 
  warm 
  dry 
  soil, 
  and 
  thrive 
  wonder- 
  

   fully. 
  Scions 
  inserted 
  in 
  the 
  Scuppernong 
  grow 
  ten 
  feet 
  in 
  

   a 
  season, 
  while 
  cuttings 
  start 
  quickly, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  seedlings. 
  

   Before 
  long 
  we 
  shall 
  have 
  originated 
  a 
  new 
  and 
  wonderful 
  

   race 
  of 
  grapes, 
  possibly 
  hardy 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  the 
  Ohio 
  River. 
  

   Our 
  native 
  grapes 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  half 
  dozen 
  general 
  classifica- 
  

   tions. 
  The 
  Concord, 
  and 
  grapes 
  of 
  that 
  sort, 
  have 
  come 
  

   from 
  Vitis 
  labrusca, 
  which 
  is 
  common 
  all 
  over 
  New 
  Eng- 
  

   land. 
  Worden 
  and 
  Moore's 
  Early 
  are 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  very 
  best 
  

   for 
  general 
  culture, 
  and 
  are 
  both 
  brothers 
  of 
  the 
  Concord. 
  

   The 
  very 
  best 
  grapes 
  for 
  general 
  culture 
  are 
  crosses 
  of 
  our 
  

   native 
  sorts 
  with 
  European. 
  There 
  are 
  half 
  a 
  hundred 
  of 
  

   the 
  Rogers 
  hybrids, 
  and 
  a 
  lot 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  Rickets 
  seedlings, 
  

   only 
  the 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  are 
  not 
  hardy 
  north 
  of 
  New 
  

   York. 
  The 
  grandest 
  work 
  done 
  lately 
  is 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Munson, 
  of 
  

   Texas. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  presumption 
  abroad 
  that 
  grapes 
  originat- 
  

   ing 
  in 
  the 
  Southern 
  States 
  will 
  not 
  prove 
  hardy 
  in 
  the 
  North- 
  

   ern. 
  This 
  is 
  not 
  true, 
  for 
  I 
  find 
  Brilliant, 
  Headlight, 
  Wapa- 
  

   nuka, 
  and 
  several 
  more 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Munson's 
  superb 
  produc- 
  

   tions 
  are 
  all 
  right 
  when 
  growing 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  vineyard 
  with 
  

   Mr. 
  Moore's 
  Diamond 
  and 
  Mr. 
  Hoag's 
  Niagara. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  suburban 
  home 
  may 
  grow 
  bushels 
  and 
  bushels 
  

   of 
  grapes 
  all 
  over 
  its 
  buildings, 
  its 
  fences, 
  and 
  its 
  stone 
  

   heaps, 
  if 
  there 
  be 
  room 
  enough 
  it 
  will 
  still 
  pay 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  

   small 
  vineyard, 
  because 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  family 
  can 
  use 
  up 
  profit- 
  

   ably 
  at 
  least 
  a 
  ton 
  of 
  grapes 
  each 
  year. 
  I 
  would 
  place 
  the 
  

   vineyard 
  right 
  along 
  side 
  the 
  orchard 
  or 
  the 
  small 
  fruit 
  

   garden, 
  and 
  run 
  the 
  trellises 
  north 
  and 
  south, 
  if 
  possible. 
  

   These 
  trellises 
  may 
  profitably 
  be 
  about 
  half 
  as 
  far 
  apart 
  as 
  

   the 
  apple 
  rows. 
  Then 
  between 
  the 
  trellises 
  you 
  may 
  grow 
  

   rows 
  of 
  gooseberries 
  or 
  currants. 
  These 
  will 
  not 
  mind 
  a 
  

   modicum 
  of 
  shade. 
  At 
  all 
  events 
  have 
  the 
  little 
  vineyard 
  so 
  

   arranged 
  that 
  you 
  can 
  work 
  it 
  with 
  a 
  horse 
  — 
  only 
  be 
  sure 
  

   that 
  you 
  do 
  not 
  use 
  tools 
  that 
  rip 
  up 
  the 
  grape 
  roots. 
  Good 
  

  

  stout 
  feeding 
  will 
  keep 
  these 
  roots 
  pretty 
  well 
  in 
  line 
  with 
  

   the 
  trellises, 
  and 
  the 
  spreading 
  roots 
  can 
  stand 
  a 
  little 
  abra- 
  

   sion. 
  I 
  prefer 
  to 
  only 
  cultivate 
  among 
  the 
  currants 
  and 
  

   gooseberries, 
  and 
  have 
  a 
  heavy 
  mulch 
  for 
  the 
  grape 
  vines. 
  

   A 
  man 
  can 
  very 
  rapidly 
  turn 
  this 
  mulch 
  over 
  and 
  work 
  out 
  

   the 
  weeds 
  once 
  or 
  twice 
  in 
  the 
  year. 
  

  

  I 
  grow 
  over 
  a 
  hundred 
  varieties 
  of 
  grapes, 
  but 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  

   recommend 
  anything 
  of 
  the 
  sort 
  to 
  one 
  who 
  is 
  planting 
  a 
  

   country 
  home. 
  If 
  you 
  have 
  room 
  for 
  a 
  dozen 
  varieties, 
  take 
  

   Herbert, 
  Worden, 
  and 
  Moore's 
  Early 
  for 
  black; 
  Agawam, 
  

   Brighton, 
  Lindley, 
  and 
  Goertner 
  for 
  red; 
  Niagara, 
  Dia- 
  

   mond, 
  Hayes 
  for 
  white. 
  Then 
  I 
  find 
  it 
  difficult 
  to 
  omit 
  

   from 
  my 
  own 
  list 
  Barry 
  and 
  Mills 
  for 
  black; 
  Iona, 
  a 
  most 
  

   perfect 
  grape, 
  that 
  must 
  be 
  covered 
  winters 
  ; 
  Duchess, 
  an- 
  

   other 
  delicious 
  white 
  variety, 
  which 
  also 
  needs 
  covering, 
  and 
  

   Goethe, 
  one 
  of 
  Rogers' 
  hybrids 
  that 
  needs 
  petting. 
  Lady 
  I 
  

   should 
  place 
  almost 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  list, 
  as 
  ideal 
  in 
  quality, 
  

   only 
  that 
  with 
  me 
  it 
  will 
  not 
  give 
  satisfactory 
  crops. 
  In 
  this 
  

   list 
  of 
  select 
  varieties 
  we 
  have 
  to 
  bear 
  in 
  mind 
  that 
  some 
  

   of 
  them 
  will 
  not 
  self-pollenize, 
  that 
  is, 
  they 
  must 
  be 
  planted 
  

   alternately 
  with 
  other 
  sorts. 
  Brighton, 
  if 
  grown 
  by 
  itself, 
  

   is 
  absolutely 
  barren; 
  Lindley 
  and 
  Herbert 
  are 
  not 
  much 
  

   better. 
  Moore's 
  Early 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  admirable 
  home 
  

   grapes 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  yet 
  discovered. 
  It 
  does 
  not 
  bear 
  heavily 
  

   when 
  young, 
  but 
  is 
  as 
  hardy 
  as 
  a 
  fence 
  post, 
  and 
  gives 
  splen- 
  

   did 
  crops 
  later. 
  Hayes 
  is 
  another 
  ideal 
  home 
  grape. 
  Not 
  

   much 
  known, 
  it 
  is 
  delicious 
  in 
  quality, 
  bears 
  very 
  heavily, 
  in 
  

   color 
  is 
  white, 
  and 
  is 
  not 
  very 
  seedy. 
  Massasoit 
  should 
  go 
  in 
  

   the 
  list 
  only 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  subject 
  to 
  black 
  rot. 
  

  

  If 
  you 
  must 
  limit 
  your 
  planting 
  to 
  about 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  

   varieties, 
  take 
  Hayes 
  for 
  early, 
  followed 
  by 
  Brighton, 
  fol- 
  

   lowed 
  by 
  Niagara 
  and 
  Worden, 
  while 
  Herbert 
  and 
  Goert- 
  

   ner 
  will 
  fill 
  up 
  later 
  autumn. 
  If 
  you 
  must 
  come 
  still 
  closer 
  

   to 
  a 
  single 
  variety, 
  take 
  Moore, 
  Niagara, 
  Worden, 
  and 
  Her- 
  

   bert. 
  You 
  will 
  notice 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  left 
  out 
  Mr. 
  Munson's 
  

   new 
  cross-breds. 
  I 
  recommend, 
  however, 
  that 
  every 
  one 
  

   write 
  for 
  his 
  catalogue, 
  and 
  test 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  his 
  hardier 
  sorts. 
  

   I 
  am 
  myself 
  particularly 
  fond 
  of 
  Duchess, 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  so 
  

   near 
  seedless, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  tender, 
  and 
  will 
  prove 
  unsatis- 
  

   factory. 
  A 
  first 
  rate 
  table 
  grape 
  is 
  Eumelan 
  ; 
  and 
  Pockling- 
  

   ton, 
  a 
  seedling 
  of 
  the 
  Concord, 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  hardiest, 
  most 
  

   vigorous, 
  and 
  productive 
  grapes 
  in 
  the 
  whole 
  list, 
  and 
  should 
  

   be 
  planted 
  by 
  everybody 
  who 
  lives 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  

   line. 
  Campbell's 
  Early 
  is 
  a 
  fine 
  thing, 
  but 
  not 
  in 
  my 
  judg- 
  

   ment 
  equal 
  to 
  Moore's 
  Early. 
  Delaware 
  is 
  a 
  frail 
  grower, 
  

   and 
  not 
  suitable 
  for 
  people 
  who 
  are 
  liable 
  in 
  any 
  way 
  to 
  

   neglect 
  their 
  vines. 
  I 
  have 
  just 
  planted 
  McKinley, 
  and 
  it 
  

   bids 
  fair 
  to 
  be 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best. 
  

  

  Grapes 
  will 
  do 
  fairly 
  well 
  under 
  neglect, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  far 
  bet- 
  

   ter 
  to 
  trim 
  them 
  back 
  to 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  eyes, 
  each 
  fall, 
  and 
  lay 
  

   them 
  down 
  for 
  the 
  winter. 
  The 
  best 
  trellis 
  for 
  a 
  common 
  

   garden 
  is 
  a 
  row 
  of 
  posts, 
  about 
  twenty-five 
  or 
  thirty 
  feet 
  

   apart, 
  to 
  which 
  you 
  hitch 
  wires, 
  three 
  in 
  number, 
  by 
  staples. 
  

   Tie 
  the 
  vines 
  to 
  these 
  wires 
  in 
  as 
  home-like 
  a 
  way 
  as 
  you 
  

   please. 
  If 
  you 
  are 
  willing 
  to 
  pay 
  some 
  special 
  attention 
  to 
  

   your 
  grape 
  crop, 
  I 
  advise 
  you 
  to 
  learn 
  some 
  method 
  of 
  svs- 
  

   tematic 
  trimming 
  and 
  training. 
  You 
  can 
  find 
  out 
  more 
  about 
  

   this 
  in 
  mv 
  book 
  on 
  "The 
  Orchard 
  and 
  Fruit 
  Garden," 
  or 
  in 
  

   the 
  "Cvclouedia 
  of 
  Horticulture." 
  Mr. 
  Munson's 
  method 
  is 
  

   original 
  with 
  him, 
  and 
  exceedingly 
  good. 
  You 
  can 
  learn 
  the 
  

   gist 
  of 
  it 
  from 
  his 
  catalogue, 
  issued 
  from 
  Dennison, 
  Texas. 
  

   At 
  any 
  rate 
  plant 
  grapes, 
  even 
  when 
  you 
  find 
  a 
  spot 
  on 
  a 
  

   steep 
  hillside 
  or 
  among 
  rocks, 
  where 
  nothing 
  else 
  will 
  grow. 
  

  

  