183 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
kept in so low and even a temperature that 
they will remain perfectly fresh until Christ¬ 
mas. 
2, Another method is, after gathering 
them in the careful manner above noted, to 
cover the cut ends of the stems with sealing 
wax, and then pack the clusters in cotton 
wadding. They say wadding instead of bat¬ 
ting, because the glazed surface of the form¬ 
er prevents the fibres of the cotton from ad¬ 
hering to the stems. To be more particu¬ 
lar, the process is as follows: Procure 
small boxes, about the size of candle-boxes, 
(but do not get candle-boxes, unless you 
wish your grapes flavored with the extract 
of candle,) see to it that they are dry and 
sweet, cover the bottom with a double thick¬ 
ness of wadding, and put in a layer of 
grapes. To prevent the clusters from press¬ 
ing on each other, lay a small roll of cotton 
between each of them. Next, add a layer 
cwadding, and then one of grapes, as first di¬ 
rected, and so on, alternately, until the box 
is filled, covering the whole with cotton, and 
ding down the lid. The box should then 
je set away in a dry, cool place, and kept as 
cool as possible without freezing. We have 
practiced this method for several years, 
with considerable success. A portion of our 
grapes mold, and others shrink, but out of 
several boxes we contrive to get very eata¬ 
ble desserts until after New Year’s, and 
later. 
This method is varied by some, thus: 
They use for packing, soft paper shavings, 
the trimmings found at all book-binders’ es¬ 
tablishments, in place of cotton. Dried ma¬ 
ple leaves are a favorite packing material 
with others. Sand, washed clean of all ve¬ 
getable matter, and thoroughly dried, has 
been successfully used. Certainly, it can 
impart no flavor to the fruit, and it envel¬ 
opes the berries so perfectly that the 
air cannot penetrate to injure them. Some 
of our neighbors have used hemlock saw¬ 
dust, thoroughly dried ; but they report 
many of their grapes moldy, and the rest too 
highly seasoned with hemlock. We do not 
see why dry bran or oats would not answer 
a good purpose. A writer, in an early vo> 
ume of the Horticulturist, recommends ash 
saw-dust, as the very best article for pre¬ 
serving grapes. He bakes it, then sifts it to 
get out the fine powder, which would other¬ 
wise adhere to the grapes. He packs in 
boxes holding about a peck each, with a lay¬ 
er of saw-dust an inch thick between each 
layer of grapes. They are stowed away in 
the garret of his wood-shed until Winter 
sets in ; then they are moved to his cellar. 
In this way he keeps them fresh until March. 
With the above suggestions and facts, we 
leave this subject for the present, hoping 
that between this and the time for packing 
grapes, some of our readers will send us in 
contributions on this important topic. 
Gibbon truly said that the best and most im¬ 
portant part of every man’s education is that 
which he gives himself. 
In the mouths of many men, soft words are 
like roses that soldiers put into the muzzles of 
their muskets on a holiday. 
GRAPE CULTURE-NO. V11J. 
BY WILLIAM CHORLTON. 
OUT-DOOR CULTURE. 
Those cultivators who have taken our advice 
with regard to early removal of superfluous 
shoots, and shortening in of the fruit branches, 
will now see the advantage in the promising 
fruit, and the thick solid texture of the leaves. 
Instead of leaves hidden from the light, and sun, 
by the too common overcrowded growth, they 
are elaborating and concentrating the crude 
juices from the roots, and carbonizing the previous 
fluid material; thus forming sugar and aromatic 
flavor in the berries, and solid buds and woody 
fibre for next year’s development. It is true that 
our native varieties are usually of more rampant 
habit when in the open air than most of the exot¬ 
ics, but the rule holds good, nevertheless, and is 
only subject to a modification in practice. In¬ 
stead of allowing the plant to extend over a great 
surface, and perhaps elongate its branches until 
they would overtop the loftiest trees, and push 
beyond into the light, where the centralizing ac¬ 
tion goes on, more beneficial results are accom¬ 
plished within required limits, and a greater 
amount of fruit, of even better quality, obtained 
from a smaller superficial area. Were this more 
generally attended to, we should not hear of so 
many instances of decay and falling off of the 
fruit, or so much respecting the deficiency in 
ripening. 
Continue to keep the ground free from weeds, 
and when the hoe only is used, let the ground be 
deeply and well stirred. 
Notwithstanding all the care that can be taken 
there may occasionally be some diseased berries, 
and now is the time to remove such by cutting 
them out with the scissors. A little care be¬ 
stowed in this way will more than repay the la¬ 
bor. It can be done with little expense, even 
though it be over a large vineyard. 
COLD ORAPERY. 
During the early part of the month be on the 
look-out for mildew, more particularly in damp or 
foggy weather. The sporules are now in the 
greatest abundance, and will most readily germi¬ 
nate under favorable circumstances. Counteract 
the liability to this fungus by a dry atmosphere, 
impregnated with the fumes of sulphur under slow 
combustion, which the warm air inside the house 
will afford during a fine day. When the grapes 
begin to color, or soften to the touch, there is 
very little further danger from this pest, but wa¬ 
ter should be discontinued overhead, and a grad¬ 
ually dryer air maintained in the house. It is 
possible to have ripe fruit in the cold grapery on 
the first of the month lrom the earliest varieties, 
but this is not usually accomplished until the 
middle or latter part of the month. As the ripen¬ 
ing progresses omit the use of water entirely, and 
give more air, gradually opening the lower venti¬ 
lators if the weather is favorable. The object 
now is to ensure a continued steady action in the 
circulating medium, and prevent sudden checks, 
which would arrest the chemical changes going 
on at this critical period, and injure both the col¬ 
oring property and the flavor of the berries. 
When the fruit is nearly ripe the upper ventila¬ 
tors may be left open at all times, but it is well 
to close the lower ones at night to keep out mice 
and currents of damp air. 
FORCING HOUSE. 
In this house as much air should be admitted as 
possible. All the doors and movable windows 
may be constantly open, excepting during windy 
or stormy weather, and then they ought to be 
only so far closed as to ensure safety to the 
house. Were it not that our glass roofs are 
somewhat permanently fixed, it would be better 
when the grapes are all cut, to take off the glass 
es and leave the vines entirely exposed, as the 
rains would wash out many insects, and the birds 
assist in destroying the remainder, which would, 
in many instances, save much labor in artificial 
cleaning without injury to the vines, as the wood 
is now, or ought to be, pretty well ripened. It 
seems to be still a disputed point, with many, 
whether the cultivation of exotic grapes, grown 
in glass houses, will pay as a commercial product, 
when the expense and required care are taken 
into consideration. Now I wish to record only 
what is strictly reliable, and the result of long ex¬ 
perience and actual calculations, with no motive 
to mislead or to hold out encouragement that may 
not be realized. Conclusions should not be drawn 
from individual extremes of success, but taking 
the account below there is enough margin left, af¬ 
ter full allowance for reasonable mischances, to 
show that a large per centage of profit ought to 
be made. In proof of this, I append the amount 
of produce and wholesale market price of the 
grapes from a house planted by the writer in 
1853. It is possible that some persons will not 
obtain the same results, as successful practice 
can best be obtained by long experience. There is 
nothing extraordinary in the vines here spoken 
of, or beyond the permanent capabilities of others 
in well-managed houses. 
The house was planted with 52 one-year-old 
vines during the Spring of 1853. 
June 21, 1854, commenced to cut the first ol a '—m 
consisting of. 252 bunches. 
June 15,1855, commenced the first of a crop of. 396 bunches. 
June 10, 1856, commenced the first of a crop of. '06 bunches. 
June 7, 1857, commenced the first of a crop of.... of 6 bunches. 
Total.2.«0 buuches. 
These grapes, taken together, would iverage 
li pounds to the bunch, which gives 2,525 'ounds. 
The retail selling price, at the time they vight 
have been taken to market, would be abo-1 $2 
per pound, consequently it. is certain that $1 ould 
have been obtained for them at wholesale. How 
the expenses for fuel and care, reckoning tin ? a- 
bor at $2 per day, have been, during the wh le 
time, as follows: 
Care and labor 1st year. $50 
Care and labor 2d year. 100 
Care and labor 3d year.200 
Care and labor 4lh year.200— $5: r 
Fuel 1st year.$io 
Fuel 2d year. 60 
Fuel 3d year. go 
Fuel 4th year.100— $2S* 
Total expense. gold 
Which taken from.$2,525 
The value of the crop for the four bearing years, leaves a 
surplus of.$1,685 
The original cost of this house was about 
$1,200, to which we may add some $500 for ma¬ 
nure, vines, and other requirements, and still the 
results show, after making allowances for all con¬ 
tingencies, that the whole has cleared the first 
cost and subsequent expenses, leaving us in pos¬ 
session of a house with the vines included, in full 
bearing for future profits. In this case expense 
was no object, and the best method of heating 
was adopted. A less costly structure, but still 
quite as effectual, would answer every purpose, 
showing still further that there is money to be 
made out of grape forcing. We will speak in like 
manner of growing without artificial heat in a fu¬ 
ture number. 
RETARDING HOUSE. 
The operations of last month in tne cold grapery 
will now apply here, with the exception of main¬ 
taining a temperature some 5° lower than there 
recommended, and using a comparatively less 
quantity of water. Unless the weather proves very 
dry, it is best not to use any water at all inside 
the house, more particularly if mildew makes its 
appearance. 
