plants. NEVER CULTIVATE DEEP AT ANY TIME, three 
inches being the maximum depth. A disc harrow is the 
best tool with which to cultivate vineyards. Enough sum- 
mer growth should be left on the land to control soil ero- ~ 
sion, this may be done by disking lightly so as to control — - 
but not kill grass and weeds. Some hoeing may be needed 
under the trellis to control weeds. A winter cover crop of 
clover is recommended. With the one wire trellis some graz- 
ing can be done in the winter. Do not graze after growth 
starts on the grape vines in the spring. 
SPRAYING—Muscadine and Scuppernong grapes are one 
of the few fruits that can be grown WITHOUT SPRAYING 
for insects or diseases. On all plants of Muscadine grapes 
there will be small black or brown spots on the foliage caused 
by black rot fungus. There is no need for alarm about this 
because the resulting injury is insignificent. 
AGE OF BEARING—lIf vines receive good attention, a 
ton of fruit per acre may be expected the third year. This 
depends entirely on how fast the plants have grown. Only 
a few bunches per vine may be expected the second year. 
Production should increase until vines reach maturity at about 
ten years. Mature vineyards will produce regularly for forty 
or fifty years or longer. Vines one hundred years old are 
quite common. There is a record of one vine more than three 
hundred and fifty years old. CAUTION—A little extra at- 
tention while the vines are young will bring extra production 
in later years. 
HARVESTING—Three methods (shaking, shelling, clip- 
ping) are commonly used in harvesting Muscadine grapes. 
The fastest and most economical method is shaking the 
fruit from the vines onto sheets spread on the ground. Fruit 
harvested in this manner will be badly damaged, however, 
if handled rapidly wine companies will accept it. Shelling 
the fruit by hand into buckets or baskets will give better 
quality. Clipping the bunches with shears is the best meth- 
od when the fresh fruit is to be sold. 
(5) 
