GRAPE GROWING 
By O. B. WHIPPLE 
Grape growing has not been attempted in any large way by 
Colorado fruit growers, but it has been proven that the industry is 
profitable, even when attempted in an amateur way. It is an in¬ 
dustry that offers quick returns and it appeals to the man who is 
waiting for his young orchard to come into bearing, also to the 
grower who likes to have a variety in fruit growing. Men who 
have followed grape growing persistently enough to have become 
practical grape growers are rare. In western Colorado, at least, 
grape-growing has been carried on in rather a haphazard way by 
the majority of the growers; or possibly we could express the sit¬ 
uation better by saying, in a half-hearted way. The grower has 
not been altogether to blame; he has been at a loss to know what 
varieties to plant, how to grow them, or how to market the fruit 
after it has been grown. In the western part of the state the grow¬ 
ers have been planting largely foreign grapes, those of the vinifera 
class. Many perplexing problems have come up and many growers 
have become discouraged. In the eastern part of the state the 
growers have been growing native American varieties and, possibly, 
with better success. 
Vinifera grapes were introduced from California and the 
grower has naturally tried to adopt California methods of growing 
them. It has been necessary to modify these methods to suit Colo¬ 
rado conditions. In adapting their methods of pruning to our 
conditions several bad features have been developed and these, with 
an abundance of irrigation water, have caused the Colorado grape 
grower much grief. Yet there is no reason why these difficulties 
may not be overcome and the return will warrant a more careful 
study of the methods of growing. 
Soils and Locations .—The grape must be planted upon a soil 
where the moisture conditions may be well controlled during the 
ripening period if it is to be expected to ripen its fruit properly. 
To ship well, and to keep well, a grape must be thoroughly ripened, 
it is hardly possible to get them overripe. A well drained, sandy 
soil is best, one that will dry out quickly as soon as the irrigation 
water is withheld. A gravelly hillside is an ideal location as far as 
the grape is concerned, but sometimes the grower objects when it 
comes to covering the vines for the winter. Any amount of gravel 
in the soil makes the covering more difficult. The grape must have 
plant food just the same as any other plant and it cannot be ex¬ 
pected to thrive where other plants will not grow. A southern 
exposure will probably ripen the fruit a little better than a northern 
