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About Southern cultivator. (Augusta, Ga.) 1843-188? | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1869)
96 Horticultural Department. 02P” The lengthening days, the increasing warmth of the sun, uuu the soft south wind, invite now to continued and active work in the garden. Winter—the night of plants, wherein the trees, with a supply of material gath ered during the preceding summer, rest from their labors, as if to prepare for still stronger and more vigorous growth, and the seeds lie dormant, as if afraid to expose the ten der plantlings they contain, to the ice king’s breath—win ter is over ! The earth is about to change its suit of grey, for one of green, and instead of the whistling and howling wind, the “ voiee of the Turtle is heard in the land.”— All over the sunny South, the daughters of Eve are busy, each in her own paradise, seeking to give embodiment to the graces of her thoughts and feelings, in forms of vines and flowers, winding walks and shaded bpwers. Even in deepest poverty, woman clings to flowers, as if an instinct too deep to be eradicated, ever urged her back to the fir»t occupation of her sex. How often is the heart touched by the sight of a vine trained at the door of a scarcely tenantable cottage, or a few common flowers here and there in front of it, planted and nursed in moments may hap stolen from labor and toil. We pray the husbands and fathers of the South to place at the disposal of then wives and daughters ample means for gratifying and de veloping this beautiful and holy instinct, so that in the place of one Eden lost, we may have countless, Paradises scattered over the land. THE KITCHEN GARDEN. The weather will be warm enough now for starting full crops of the hardier vegetables—as Irish Potatoes intend ed for a late crop, Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, Salsify, & c . &c. We have found it difficult to get a good stand of beets in this locality, when planted after Ist of April. Towards the last of the month, Bush Beans, Squashes Tomatoes, &c., will bear planting. They may be cut off by a late frost, but the loss of labor and seed thereby is small, and almost every gardener would take this risk rather than forego the chances of having those vegetables a week or two earlier in the spring. As the geedsmen of the country now send packages by mail, (and the cost is only 2 cents for 4 oz.) each of our readers—even those living in most retired localities—can have a seed store so to speak, at their own doors. Get the best of seed—the cost is small, the satisfaction very great. For early veo-e --tables particularly, obtain seed from Northern localities Where the shortness of the season forces on plants an early habit. Be sure not to mulch Irish Potatoes until the spring frosts are over. Mulching increases decidedly the proba bility of their being killed. After rains also, when indi cations point to a cold spell, delay working the soil about tender vegetables, until it has passed. Where the soil has been pulverized, plants are more liable to be killed by frost than where it is compact. Begin a war upon insects,' by putting hens and chick ensin the garden, as soon as the first brood of the latter are hatched. Secure the hens in coops, in different parte of the garden, and let the chickens run free. SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. shall we plant more grapes. Editors Southern Cultivator: —ln the November No. of your valuable journal, page S3B, appears an arti cle from Mr. Van Buren, under the caption of the Seup pernong vs. other grapes. I propose to offer a few re marks on the different points contained in the aforesaid communication, not in a spirit of controversy, but purely as a subject of inquiry and discussion, hoping it may in duce others to give experience and facts connected with the past, in various localities, in order that a comparative estimate may be made of the capacity of different locali ties of the South, for successful grape culture—believing as I do, that a fair discussion by those interested, will elicit information of a practical character, that must ter minate favorably to the cause of grape culture in the South. I had hoped that some person more competent and interested than myself, would have taken the initia tive in this important discussion. With these prefatory remarks, I will give a resume of the subject under con sideration : Ist. There are several old vineyards in this State that were planted before the war, that are still in bearing. Your humble servant ran one of them the past season, and made several hundred gallons of wine (will send the Editor* samples, as soon as it matures,) from the same, and shipped thousands of pounds of grapes North and West. My views in relation to old vineyards are clearly set forth in the January No. of the Cultivator. Some points of the connection were unavoidably left out, which I may resume in this communication. 2d. Climate and Soil.—No doubt exists in the minds of practical and successful grape cultivators, that the mal adies the author complains of, are the effects of atmos pheric causes—the writer has embodied his views on this subject, in the September No. of this journal, page 274, where he has recommended the covered trellis as a pro tection against both mildew and rot. Healthy vines that have never been diseased, properly managed and cultiva ted, grown in suitable soils and manured as recommended in the January No. p. 21, provided with covered trellises, and the soil well drained, will never mildew, and if they contain a sufficient amount of alkaline and phosphate equivalents, will be but little if at all troubled with rot. Selection of sites is one of great importance. A slight declivity is desirable, with open oT under-drains, to carry off the super-abundant water and to prevent washing. Shelters are also of vast importance—intermediate hills belts of timber or double rows of evergreens or deciduous trees, to break the force of dry and cold chilling winds, to prevent too rapid evaporation, and to keep the vines as near as possible from all disturbing influences. We can not control the elements, but we can modify these influ ences on the vine by mechanical and other appliances in such manner as to insure the intelligent vigneron’s suc cess. The same result may bo obtained by adopting Dr. Schoeder’s plan, of layering the vines, as described in the January Mo. p. 21. Bd. “We have fairly tested the most celebrated North ern varieties, and find them, without exception , subject to the aforesaid maladies,” (i, e. mildew and rot.) It is possible such may be the ease with the author at Gloam ing. Habersham is not all of Dixie. Mr. Van Buren
