SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
r 
85 
lortiraltttittl Itpaitment. 
GRAPES AND GRAPERIES. 
There is no fruit-bearing plant, adapted to temperate 
climates, at once so available and useful as the grape ; 
and now that cultivators seem to be settling down to a 
unanimity of opinion with regard to the culture of both for 
eign and native varieties, it may safely be predicted that 
the grape is to take the first rank among American fruits. 
The recent valuable additions to our list of hardy and 
native kinds, has given an impetus to their cultivation, 
and awakened an interest in the production of seedlings 
of further excellence, leaving little room to doubt that we 
will at no distant day, possess varieties equal to the best 
of any climate, and produce abundant crops with as much 
success and facility as we Indian corn. 
The first requisite in grape culture is a sufficient depth 
of porous soil, A free percolation of water through the 
soil is indispensable. Mere richness of soil is only of 
secondary importance, no amount of surface manuring 
will secure profitable crops on a retentive sub-soil. 
A sandy loam is the most suitable, although proper 
draining and trenching will render even clayey loams 
adapted for their profitable growth. The soil should be 
broken up at least 18 inches in depth, so that the roots 
may ramify in a medium somewhat exempt from external 
influenoes, and ensure a uniform healthy growdi from the 
opening buds to the ripening of the crop. Having thus 
prepared the soil we would commend the following gene- 
ral routine of management. Procure plants not more than 
one year from the cutting, prune them down to a couple 
of eyes when planted. The treatment during the first 
season will consist in simply securing them to their sup- 
porting trellis. In winter prune down according to vigor; 
if the canes have grown to 10 or 12 feet, prune down to 
about half of that length. Most of the buds will produce 
a ^fruiting shoot ; allow not more than two bunches on 
each shoot. Tying up to the trellis is all that will be 
necessary until the period for winter pruning arrives. 
During August and September, it may be necessary to 
dust the vines with sulphur in order to prevent or check 
the spread of mildew. The great secret in gro wing is to 
preserve the foliage healthy and unimpaired until the crop 
US gathered. 
Let the winter pruning be directed to the securance of 
young growths ; the renewal system of pruning best en- 
courages the growth of young strong shoots, which inva- 
riably produce the best fruit. 
Ihere is no danger of the plants overbearing, if pruned 
understandingly during winter, and “ let alone most 
severely” during the period of growth. Summer pinching 
and pruning weakens and retards growth, and diminishes 
the foliage necessary to ripen the fruit. 
Graperies. — Glass houses for exotic grapes are now 
built for reasonable prices, and their culture is extending 
accordingly. Here again the requisites of a properly pre- 
pared soil are paramount. A free, sandy loam is the best 
for a basis; if manures are applied let them be well de- 
composed and thoroughly incorporated. Bone dust and 
charcoal m ly be freely mixed with the soil, but these lat- 
ter are not indispensable. Neither is it necessary to make 
an extensive border at the outset A border 6 or 8 feet 
wide and 2 1-2 or 3 feet in depth, will afford a sufficient 
nourishing medium for a number of years : and additions 
can be made from time to time as circumstances seem to 
indicate its requirement This gradual addition to a bor- 
der is preferable to making it larger at first, as in the lat- 
ter many of the principal advantages of a good border are 
lost before it is reached by the roots. 
In choosing plants, select young healthy stocks ; one 
yeai from the cutting is preferable to older — plants ; cut 
them down at planting to a couple of eyes, and when 
they push into growth disbud all shoots but the strongest. 
Let them grow at will; do not remove a healthy leaf or 
twig until g»owth is completed for the season. If th« 
plants have done moderately well they will have grown 
from 15 to 25 feet. In November prune down to 8 or 1® 
feet lengths. This much for the first season. The second 
year’s growth will show a portion of fruit; leave but one 
bunch to a shoot. If any of the shoots indicate an exu- 
berance of growth over the others, check it by pinching 
out the point, but only equalize growth ; the more foliage 
the-betier the crop. Do not be deterred from taking a 
slight crop the second year by any fear of destroying the 
future health of the plant. To form rich composts for 
borders, and stimulate, and pinch and prune and cut back 
a grape vine for 4 or 5 years before allowing it to fruit, is 
a waste of time and means, altogether unjustifiable, and 
no one having the slightest pretensions to culture would 
find it profitable to do so. Those who are less fortunate, 
or less skillful than their neighbors, sometimes find it 
convenient to make a virtue of necessity, by decrying the 
results which they cannot attain. It is only the ordinary 
practice of good gardeners to fruit grapes the second year 
after planting, and continue fruiting each succeeding year 
W't.'iout fear of losing a crop or weakening their plants. 
The growth during the third and following years, re- 
quires the same general treatment. The greater the amount 
of foliage, provided it is under the influence of light, the 
healthier the plant and the greater the crop which it will 
mature. Close pruning during summer is more frequent- 
ly the cause of badly colored grapes, than all others com- 
bined. 
Wm. Saunders. 
\in Horticulturist. 
ANGELICA.* 
Editors Southern Cultivator— The term ‘'angelica,” 
used in California, took me by surprise. I think it must 
mean the choicest “must,” or first pressed, or drawn juice 
of the grape — if one gallon of it produces, as it is stated, 
fifteen pints of wine, to obtain this quantity there 
must, of necessity, be something added to it. The true 
meaning of the word cannot be ascertained without ap- 
plying to the editors of the Southern Vineyard, of Los 
Angelos county, California. 
Later accounts from California continue to give reports 
of sundry vineyards. At one vineyard they have made 
this season 38,600 gallons of w^hite wine, and 8000 gal- 
lons of red — the latter to be converted info brandy. 
The largest vineyard is said to contain 58,000 vines. 
Generally, the vineyards are young, and have not conae 
to full bearing. In most of the vintages, angelica is men- 
tioned as a part of the product. From all accounts it may 
be inferred that California, taking climate into considera- 
tion, is to take the lead in wine making. It would be 
desirable that experiments should be made with some of 
the most approved vines from California. We need to 
make experiments with different varieties to ascertais 
which are best suited to our climate, and, indeed, almost 
every locality has its peculiar favorite — the Constantia 
wine can only be produced within a limited compass oa 
the table lands of the Cape-of Good-Hope. P. 
*You have it angellica ; the California papers have it aEg©U«a 
See February number of the South rn Cultivator. 
Tobacco leaves put around the body of peach trees, just 
beneath the surface of ground, are recommended as a pr«- 
ventive of the borer. 
