Southern cultivator. (Augusta, Ga.) 1843-188?, April 01, 1867, Page 120, Image 36

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120 xanc sott*piiit\ON<; gk,ife. 11 A writer in the Southern Cultivator , advises the far triers of the State of Georgia to cultivate largely the Seup pernong grape. He estimates that one hundred vines, planted on three acres, will yield 5,250 gallons of wine annually, at the end of ten years. At 40 cents per gallon, the crop would amount to *2,100 00—a greater profit, he argues, than has ever been made annually by cultivat ing 100 acres oi cotton. A yield of 1,750 irallonsof wine per acre ! May the common sense of the farmers of Geor gia, or any other Stale, deliver them from operations bus ed on such wild-goose est mates.” So says the Rural New m Yorker. The writer probably never saw aScuppernong vine, or tasted its fruit. The article criticised, was one by our well known cor respondent, Mr. Van Huron. We are* in the habit of watching the statements of our correspondents like the good woman at church did a strange clergyman ; but as she knew all was right when her own minister .vas in the desk and dropped off soundly to sleep, so with Mr. Van Huron's communications in our case. We are satisfied that they are all right, and let him say what he pleases in our par ish. We did not closely observe the amounts of product he gave. If we had, we should have remembered a state ment of the late Dr. Neisler, made to us some years ago, when wc asked the product of his largest vine that year, and were told 35 bushels. This single vine would have made from 85 to 105 gallons of wine that year, and yielded from 33 sueh vines about double the product claimed by Mr. Vanßuren; now half or two thirds this product yearly, would not be an exorbitant crop for one of these large vines. Moreover, here follows an article in which the writer, an intelligent and perfectly responsible gentleman, over his own name, claims that Mr. Van Buren’s estimates are too low. Editors Southern Cultivator : —ln your January number of the Cultivator , I notice a very interesting arti cle on the culture of the Scuppernong Grape, which 1 en dorse in every particular except one where the writer lays down the axiom “ that wine from this grape can be made of superior quality to any in the world, and cheaper than from any other grape. The latter statement is true ; but the former assumption is certainly a mistake, from the fact that all grapes in Southern climates, where a humid atmos phere obtains, contain a much larger per cent, of tartaric acid than the same grown in a drier climate; hence the wines of Astraean, and all the provinces north of the Cas pian Sea, and the Upper Rhine, are superior to the wines grown where there is more moisture. The quantity of rain which falls in St. Petersburg, 124 inches ; in the wine districts of France, 28; in Philadelphia, 36; in Charleston, S. C., 48 ; and in N. E. Geo., (Dahlonega) 79 ! This immense difference is produced by the prevalence of east storms during the fall, winter, and spring months— their number varying from 20 to 25, and lasting from two to three days—rarely six to seven. The vapor from the Atlantic is condensed as soon as it reaches the elevated plateau, and falls in rain when it reaches the mountain slopes of the Appalachian chain, where the altitude varies from 3000 to 6000 feet. The great vine region, from its base southwards for 100 miles, embraces every variety of soil, being most deficient in lime, which can be artificially supplied. The vast belt of itaeolumite, which is destined soon to yield countless millions of diamonds forms the SOUTH ERN CU LTIVATOR. central portion of this great vineyard, and I think will produce a wine of superior quality to any other in tho Southern States. Alternating 1 with this rock are Mica ceous, Talcose Cloritie and argillaceous slates, together with Hornblende and Granite rock. That Mr. Va.fl Buren is correct in his conclusions rela tive to the production of the Scuppernong Grape, as well as its exemption from disease, there can be no doubt; but his estimates are certainly too low. One hundred vines at ten years old, will yield twice as much as he calculates, and will bring, in market, five times as much. All the poor wine growers in the Ohio valley express and sell tho juice to the wine makers at from $1 to $1 50 per gallon, and they bottle it up and sell it at ten years of age, at from 2to $3 per bottle. The producer of crude wine can al ways count on *1 50 per gallon. The Scuppernong re quires the addition of one pint of good brandy to each gallon of juice; consequently the former can certainly calculate on making at least SB,OOO from three acres of vines, besides furnishing sufficient light wines for family use as a beverage, which will prevent thousands from sink ing under the numerous intestinal diseases incident to a sudden change of temperature. In May, June and July, the system is prostrated by excessive debility which super induces inflammation of the mucous coating of the stomach and bowels which in dry, hot seasons becomes epidemic, and sweeps off thousands, and is known as bloody Jinx. A glass of wine at dinner during that season, will effectu ally prevent the disease, and serve to establish habits of temperance, which is so conspicuous a feature in the wine distiicts of Europe and Asia; and should be encouraged by all well wishers of the human race—instead of the puritanic and pharisaical course pursued by the temper ance societies of Massachusetts, who advised that all the orchards should be cut down to prevent making eider ! thus depriving themselves of one of the most essential requisites of health, and also a great luxury. I hope yon will urge on the people of Georgia to engage in the Grape culture, and not only make five times as much money with the same labor as they do with cotton, but secure an ex emption from disease, which will save hundreds and thou sands from an untimely death. Yours, M. F. STEPHENSON. There' let our critic in the Rural New Yorker, “ put that in his pipe and smoke it.” Our friend Moore, it seems is not exactly posted on Southern products. He is a clever gentleman, and the Rural Neio Yorker is really a first class family and agricultural paper, which, if not quite reliable on Seuppernongs, is first rate author ity on sheep. Our advice therefore, to him is “qu il re vienne a ses moutons .” Let him go back to his sheep.— Ed. So. Cult. Superi’hosphate FOR Irish POTATOES. —Our friend Jos. Harris, of Rochester, late editor of the Genesee Farmer , a good authority, says in that paper for July, 1864, in his “ Walks and Talks on the Farm” :—“ I have one crop that I feel proud of; some early June and Six weeks’ potatoes. The ground is very warm and light, and I planted in good season, and manured them in rows, at the rate of four hundred pounds to the acre, with Baugh’s Raw Bone Su per-Phosphate. “ Better potatoes I never saw. Os all the manure I have used the present season, this Raw Bone Super-Phos phate, so far, has done the most good. For garden vege tables it is certainly an excellent manure.”