The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and Manufacture of American Wines Part 13

1864--FROM SAME VINEYARD.

200 gallons of wine, at $6 per gallon, $1,200 00 Sold roots from layers, 1,835 00 Sales of cuttings, 2,360 00 --------- 5,395 00 Deduct expenses, 200 00 -------- Leaves net, $5,195 00 Or $3,562 per acre

Mr. MOTTIER says he might have obtained a larger yield of wine, but his vineyard being young, he would not allow it to overbear.

Your committee, therefore, take pleasure in submitting the foregoing facts, in refutation, in part, of the loose and reckless statements of Mr. YEATMAN, and take this method of entering their protest against the same.

(Signed), E. A. THOMPSON.

JOHN E. MOTTIER.

The foregoing contains some valuable facts, but it would seem to me that our Cincinnati friends have hardly estimated labor and expenses high enough. We cannot begin to cultivate our vineyards at as low an estimate.

The following is a rough estimate of the last season's crop around Hermann. It may be rather inaccurate, but it is about as near as I could come to the result. There are now, I suppose, something like 1,000 acres planted in grapes, of which about 400 may be in bearing.

Unfortunately, nearly all the old vineyards are planted with the Catawba, which was almost an entire failure this season, the average crop being only about 75 gallons to the acre. Most of the later planting has been done with the Concord and Norton's Virginia, but these vineyards are not bearing yet. Of the Norton's Virginia, the average crop the last season may have been about 600 gallons to the acre; of the Concord, 1,000 gallons per acre. The Herbemont may have yielded about 800 gallons to the acre.

Grapes marketed, mostly Concord, 20,000 lbs.

average price, 15c. per lb., $3,000 00 Catawba wine made, about 25,000 gallons; average value, $1.50 per gallon, 37,500 00 Norton's Virginia wine made, about 10,000 gallons; average value, $4 per gallon, 40,000 00 Concord wine made, about 5,000 gallons; average value, $2.50 per gallon, 12,500 00 Herbemont wine made, about 1,500 gallons; average value, $3 per gallon, 4,500 00 Other varieties made, about 1,000 gallons; average value, $3 per gallons, 3,000 00 Grape roots, cuttings, etc., grown and sold, 50,000 00 ---------- $150,500 00

I think the above is rather below the real amount; and the value of the crop may come up even as high as $200,000.

Although grape culture is followed to a larger extent around Hermann than anywhere in the State, yet there are also a great many grapes grown and wine made around Boonville, in Cooper County; and Augusta, St. Charles County; also, Hannibal, on the Mississippi river; and St.

Joseph, on the Missouri; and there is hardly a county in the State now but has some flouris.h.i.+ng vineyards.

The above facts may serve to give my readers a clearer insight into the cost and profits of grape-growing, and also the comparative varieties.

In every case, the figures given can be relied on as actual facts.

In our neighboring States, Illinois and Iowa, grape-growing is progressing rapidly. There are already a number of vineyards established in the neighborhood of Alton, Belleville, Mascoutah, Warsaw, and Nauvoo, in Illinois; and in the neighborhood of Burlington and Davenport, in Iowa. I am told that in the neighborhood of Makanda alone, in Jackson County, Illinois, at least 70,000 vines of the Concord will be planted the coming spring.

Our sister State, Kansas, is also progressing bravely in the good work; and I do not think that, although our propagators throughout the country have done their best, there will be half the number of vines for sale that are wanted to meet the demand.

But, while I am fully aware of the importance of grape-culture _everywhere_, I cannot help but believe that the southwest will take the preference in grape-growing over the eastern and northern States. We have the advantages of longer seasons and a warmer climate, generally of richer soil, of cheaper lands; we can cultivate varieties which cannot be grown by our eastern brethren, and therefore all the chances are on our side. The mountainous regions of Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas, and Alabama may, perhaps, rival and even surpa.s.s us in the future, but their inhabitants at present are not of the clay from which grape-growers are formed. They still cling to the demon of slavery, and their hatred of northern industrious _freemen_ seems to be stronger than their love of prosperity. Let us hope that a better spirit may prevail, that they will in time begin to see their own interest, and welcome with open arms every one who can a.s.sist them in developing the natural advantages of their lands. The grape can only flourish on _free_ soil, and by _free_ intelligent labor.