316 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
CRAPE CULTURE — LONG AND SHORT 
, Training. 
It will be seen from the following discussion at the 
August meeting of the Cincinnati Agricultural Society, 
that the weight of opinion there is decidedly in favor of 
giving our native Grape vine more room both above and 
below ground. Notice the remarks of Messrs. Addis, 
Wells and Dickinson, which we consider especially 
applicable to Grape Culture in the South. It must be 
remembered that our long season and hot sun are particu- 
larly favorable to the full development of the saccharine 
principle of the Grape, and that, in comparison with ours, 
the wines of the West are at best quite thin and sour : 
“At the request of the President, Mr. Buchanan stated 
that the Grape crop was now quite promising. The crop 
was better than any since 1853, but not quite so good as in 
that year. The wood was beginning to ripen, and there 
was nothing to fear but hail storms. He had found no 
difference on the trellis or in the vineyard — in long or in 
short pruning. He had cultivated some vines much, 
some not at all — no variation as to rot, but those which 
Viiere properly pruned according to general plan, and 
cultivated, were the best with him. The more wood the 
more grapes ; but how would they ripen most suitably 
for wine I He has as much rot on arbors as in the field. 
Mr. Petticolas observed that Grapes touching the wall, 
ne had found, would not rot — attributable to the absorp- 
tion of moisture and emis sion of heat from buildings, &c. 
Mr. Haseltine said that he had noticed Grapes on Dr. 
Smith’s old place, trained and growing in every way — 
long and short pruned— some covering trees, others trail- 
ing the ground— but those immediately against the house 
were the best. Some on trellises adjoining the house had 
rotted badly. 
Mr. Rentz said that he had a good crop, and endorsed 
what Mr. Buchanan had said. 
Mr. Mosher confirmed all that Mr. Buchanan had ex- 
perienced as relating to the Grape on his own place, 
Latonia Springs. He would merely add that he had half 
an acre which had been left late, and not tied up, or trim- 
med properly as he thought, and the Grapes there had 
rotted the worst. 
Mr. Addis said that at Cheviot, of those tied to stakes 
in the old way, one-half had rotted. With his own long 
pruned, and laterals not cut, but tied up, they were not so 
badly rotted. Mr. Whitmore’s, on the trellises, were 
exempt from rot. He considered that probably one of 
the best rnetucds for success would be to distribute viue^. 
on trellises, and long pruned and trimmed on long poles, 
or somewhat in that way, and he believed ten acres would 
produce as much as twenty-five would in the common 
vineyard fashion. But Grapes, particularly in this way, 
must be well fed. Witness the Hampton Court vine, in 
England, which produced two thousand clusters a year, 
and extended over a very large space, and its great bear- 
ing and size was attributable to its roots having run into a 
vault of great capabilities of affording to it nutrition. 
Mr. Wells had trained grapes for twelve years on trel- 
lises, as long as possible, and produced twice the amount 
of the vineyard method on the same space— sixty-five 
clusters on forty feet. They always ripened well. 
Mr. D. L. Dickenson observed that the trimming v/as 
generally too close. He knew a Connecticut vine yield 
fifteen to twenty-five bushels, covering two large porches 
and roof of a house. He thought the vineyard Grape 
should be grown twenty feet apart, and trailed along 
crosswise. They would produce greatly more and heal- 
thier fruit, freer from rot. 
Dr. IVfosher impressed upon the members that pruning 
would not produce fruit of sufficiently fine quality for 
wine. The juice would probably be ten degrees lighter, 
one vine should not produce more than ten or twelve good 
clusters for wine. For sale, for the table, of course would 
be different ; then prune long for quantity, but instead of 
wine you would probably have something more like vine- 
gar, and sugar is not admissible. 
Mr. Wells differed from Dr. Mosher; he never drank 
better wine, and so said his friends than from Grapes 
trained long. In this case, however, he was for giving 
the vines “high living.” 
Dr. Warder stated that Mr. J. Werk, a distinguished 
vine grower, had not found long pruning profitable for 
wine. 
NATIVE VINEYARDS AND CHEAP LANDS OF 
Arkansas. 
A very intelligent gentleman of Arkansas, in a private 
letter to one of the Editors of this journal, says : 
“The lands about which I wrote to you some time since 
are being taken up very rapidly by settlers, under the 
Graduation Law, at 25 cents per acre. This land all lies 
v/ell, and is susceptible of a very high state of improve- 
ment. Lands lying over G miles from Pine Blufif can be 
entered at 12 1-2 cents per acre. As only actual settlers 
can enter this land, and each person can only enter 320 
acres, the land is worth from Sbto’SlOas soon as en- 
tered and secured. On some bodies of this land I can 
gather more grapes on eighty acres than can be gathered 
on any but the very largest vineyards in Georgia. These 
would be almost entirely of the Black Grape, which cor- 
respond very nearly to the Black July, described in your 
pamphlet on Grape Culture, but ripens in August. I re- 
peat my opinion that these hill lands of Arkansas are the 
very best lands for a vineyard in the United States. There 
would be no necessity for importing a single grape for 
the vineyard, as all could be procured on the ground, of 
the best native Grapes. The soil evidently suits the grape, 
as proved by the fact that the grapes do grow all over its 
surface, and bear profusely. These lands are eminently 
accessible, being within a few miles of the Arkansas 
River, and within a few hours of Little Rock and Pine 
Bluff, and a few days of New Orleans by steamboat. 
They are cheap, and can be entered at from 12 1-2, 25 to 
75 cents per acre under the Graduation Act by actual 
settlers.” 
Rhubarb Champagne. — We are indebted to a friend in 
Cincinnati for an opportunity of tasting the celebrated 
J, iiic., uiuLuiwiCiUitd by Mi’, v* . Eshslby, of 
Cincinnati, from the ordinary Rhubarb or Pie Plant. 
In taste and flavor it closely resembles Sparkling Ca- 
tawba, except that it leaves a slightly bitter and astringent 
taste in the mouth, which prevents its being insipid. It 
is very clear and beautiful, and put up in precisely the 
same style as the best French Champagnes. We under- 
stand from our friend, who is entirely disinterested, that it 
commands a ready sale at nearly the same rates as the 
Sparkling Catawba. — Gardener'' s Monthly , of Philadel- 
phia. 
[The Rhubarb, or Pie Plant, grows well in the South, 
on low, moist, rich grounds, and is also very valuable for 
the making of pies and tarts, early in the spring, before 
any of our fruits are ripe. “Cahoon’s Mammoth,” “Lin- 
noeus,” “Downing’s Colossal” and “Victoria,” are all 
choice varieties. See White’s “Gardening for the South,” 
pp, 253-6, where full directions are given for its culture. — 
Eds.] 
