126 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
ence in introducing Muscadine grape 
products indicates an abundant and lucra¬ 
tive market for fresh fruit, unfermented 
grape juice, jelly and perhaps other prod¬ 
ucts. 
In summary I would advise against 
general commercial grape growing of any 
description in South Florida. In North 
Florida I can recommend the Muscadine 
grapes as a promising basis of commer¬ 
cial grape growing. Certain well in¬ 
formed growers not solely dependent on 
the investment might find it profitable to 
grow a limited acreage of bunch grapes, 
but such grape culture does not seem to 
possess those attributes of stability to war¬ 
rant large investment or recommend it as 
the sole reliance of individuals without 
surplus capital. All kinds of grapes may 
be grown in North Florida for home use 
if one desires and is willing to go to the 
necessary trouble and expense, but cer¬ 
tainly the Muscadines will prove the more 
satisfactory if a choice must be made be¬ 
tween types. They will produce more 
fruit, yield more crops, and do it with less 
effort and cost. Their vines will make the 
more attractive arbors and their fruit will 
prove equally satisfying as fresh fruit and 
adaptable for the production of delicious 
home jellies, jams, sauces and fruit juices. 
It is not my purpose to discourage those 
who are at present engaged in bunch grape 
ventures in the State, but to caution 
against the general undertaking of such 
ventures without due consideration of the 
risks involved and the nature of the in¬ 
vestment. 
-: I would like to ask Mr. Dear- 
ing what effect does a type of soil have on 
a variety of grape and does a variety dif¬ 
fer under high and low soils ? 
Dearing: The type of soil affects the 
behavior of a variety decidedly. One of 
the most fundamental principles of suc¬ 
cessful grape growing is that one should 
maintain a balance between wood and 
fruit production. The nature of a soil 
will affect the grape variety by either in¬ 
creasing or decreasing the vigor of 
growth. Low heavy soils will cause more 
growth on the vine than would be secured 
by placing the same variety on high sandy 
land. Other means of regulating this bal¬ 
ance of wood and fruit production are 
pruning, training, the use of commercial 
fertilizer, etc. If a vine is placed on the 
fan system of training its fruiting arms 
are vertically placed and this tends to stim¬ 
ulate wood growth. It is better for weak 
growing varieties that tend to set an over¬ 
load of fruit. The horizontal arm system 
on vertical trellis or on an overhead sys¬ 
tem is better for the variety that is very 
vigorous. Such a variety is made more 
fruitful by placing the fruiting arms in 
horizontal position. Severe pruning stim¬ 
ulates wood growth and by heavy appli¬ 
cation of nitrogenous fertilizer a vine may 
be thrown into vigorous wood growth at 
the expense of fruitfulness. 
C. A. Curry: I would like to ask what 
effect the rainy season has on the harvest¬ 
ing grapes. I understand in California 
that is their greatest trouble. 
Zimmerman: We have not been trou¬ 
bled with rain at all. Sometimes within 
one hour we have packed grapes and have 
not had any bad results. 
