The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and Manufacture of American Wines Part 11

And it is here again where only experience can teach us _how far_ we can go with a certain variety. It must be clear and apparent to any one who is ever so slightly acquainted with wine-making, how widely different the varieties are in their characteristics and ingredients.

We may lay it down as a general rule, however, that our native grapes, with their strong and peculiar flavors, and their superabundance of tannin and coloring matter, will admit of much more gallizing, than the more delicately flavored European kinds.

I have thus tried only to give an outline of the necessary operations, as well as the principles lying at the foundation of them. I have also spoken only of facts as I have found them, as I am well aware that this is a field in which I have much to learn yet, and where it but poorly becomes me to act the part of teacher. Those desiring more detailed information, I would refer to the Patent Office Reports of 1859-60, where they will find valuable extracts from the works of DR. GALL; and also to the original works.

If we look at the probable effect these methods of improving wines are likely to have upon grape-culture, it is but natural that we should ask the question: Is there anything reprehensible in the practice--any reason why it should not become general? The answer to this is very simple. They contain nothing which the fermented grape juice, in its purest and most perfect state does not also contain. Therefore, they are as pure as any grape juice can be, with the consideration in their favor, that everything is in the right proportion. Therefore, if wine made from pure grape juice can be recommended for general use, surely, the gallized wines can also be recommended. DR. GALL has repeatedly offered to pay a fine for the benefit of the poor, if the most critical chemical a.n.a.lysis could detect anything in them, which was injurious to health, or which pure wines ought not to contain, and his opponents have always failed to show anything of the kind.

I know that some of my wine-making friends will blame me for thus "letting the cat out of the bag." They seem to think that it would be better to keep the knowledge we have gained, to ourselves, carefully even hiding the fact that any of our wines have been gallized. But it has always been a deep-seated conviction with me, that knowledge and truth, like G.o.d's sun should be the common property of all His children--and that it is the duty of every one not to "hide his light under a bushel," but seek to impart it to all, who could, perhaps, be benefitted by it. And why, in reality, should we seek to keep as a secret a practice which is perfectly right and justifiable? If there is a prejudice against it, (and we know there is), this is not the way to combat it. Only by meeting it openly, and showing the fallacy of it, can we hope to convince the public, that there is nothing wrong about it. Truth and justice need never fear the light--they can only gain additional force from it. I do not even attempt to sell a cask of gallized wine, before the purchaser is made fully acquainted with the fact, that it has been gallized.

It is a matter of course, that many, who go to work carelessly and slovenly, will fail to make good wine, in this or any other way. To make a good article, the nature of each variety and its peculiarities must be closely studied--we must have as ripe grapes as we can get, carefully gathered; and we need not think that water and sugar will accomplish _everything_. There is a limit to everything, and to gallizing as well as to anything else. As soon as we pa.s.s beyond that limit, an inferior product will be the result.

But let us glance a moment at the probable influence this discovery will have on American grape culture. It cannot be otherwise than in the highest degree beneficial; for when we simply look at grape-culture as it was ten years ago, with the simple product of the Catawba as its basis; a variety which would only yield an average of, say 200 gallons to the acre--often very inferior wine--and look at it to-day, with such varieties as the Concord, yielding an average of from 1,000 to 1,500 gallons to the acre, which we can yet easily double by gallizing, thus in reality yielding an average of 2,500 gallons to the acre of uniformly good wine; can we be surprised if everybody talks and thinks of raising grapes? Truly, the time is not far distant--of which we hardly dared to dream ten years ago--and which we _then_ thought we would never live to see; when _every_ American citizen can indulge in a daily gla.s.s of that glorious gift of G.o.d to man, pure, light wine; and the American nation shall become a really _temperate_ people.

And there is room for all. Let every one further the cause of grape-culture. The laborer by producing the grapes and wine; the mechanic by inventions; the law-giver by making laws furthering its culture, and the consumption of it; and _all_ by drinking wine, in wise moderation of course.

WINE MAKING MADE EASY.

Some of my readers may think I did not look much to this, which I told them was one of the objects of this little work. To vindicate it and myself I will here state, that our object should always be to attain the highest perfection in everything. But, while I am aware that I have generally given the outline of operations on a large scale, I have never for a moment lost sight of the interests of those, who, like myself, are compelled, by bitter necessity, to commence at the lowest round of the ladder. And how could I forget the bitter experience of my first years, when hindered by want of means; but also the feelings of sincere joy, of glad triumph, when I had surmounted one more obstacle, and saw the path open wider before me at every step; and I can, therefore, fully sympathize with the poor laborer, who has nothing but his industrious hands and honest will to commence with.

While, therefore, it is most advantageous to follow grape-growing and wine-making with all the conveniences of well prepared soil, substantial trellis, a commodious wine cellar and all its appurtenances; yet, it is also possible to do without most of these conveniencies in the beginning, and yet succeed. If the grape-grower has not capital to spare to buy wire, he can, if he has timber on his land, split laths and nail them to the posts instead of wire. He can layer his plants even the first summer, and thus raise a stock for further planting; or dispose of them, as already mentioned in the beginning of this work. Or he can lease a piece of land from some one who wishes to have a vineyard planted on it, and who will furnish the plants to him, besides the necessary capital for the first year or so.

I have contracted with several men without means in this manner, furnished them a small house, the necessary plants, and paid them $150 the first two years, they giving me half the returns of the vineyards, in plants and grapes; and they have become wealthy by such means. One of my tenants has realized over $8,000 for his share the last season, and will very likely realize the same amount next season.

And if he cannot afford to build a large cellar in the beginning, he can also do with a small one, even the most common house cellar will do through the winter, if it is only kept free from frost. One of our most successful wine-growers here, commenced his operations with a simple hole in the ground, dug under his house, and his first wine press was merely a large beam, let into a tree, which acted as a lever upon the grapes, with a press-bed, also of his own making. A few weeks ago the same man sold his last year's crop of wine for over $9,000 in cash, and has raised some $2,000 worth more in vines, cuttings, etc. Of course, it is not advisable to keep the wine over summer in an indifferent cellar, but during fermentation and the greater part of winter, it will answer very well, and he can easily dispose of his wine, if good, as soon as clear. Or he can dispose of his grapes at a fair price, to one of his neighbors, or take them to market.

But there is another consideration, which I cannot urge too strongly upon my readers, and which will do much to make grape-growing and wine-making easy. It is the forming of grape colonies, of grape-growers' villages. The advantages of such a colony will be easily seen. If each one has a small piece of suitable land, (and he does not need a large one to follow grape-growing), the neighbors can easily a.s.sist each other in ploughing and sub-soiling; they will be able to do with fewer work animals, as they can hitch together, and first prepare the soil for one and then for the other; the ravages of birds and insects will hardly be felt; they can join together, and build a large cellar in common, where each one can deliver and store his wine, and of which one perhaps better acquainted with the management of wine than the others, and whom all are willing to trust, can have the management.

If there should be no such man among them, an experienced cooper can be hired by all, who can also manufacture the necessary casks. An a.s.sociation of that kind has also, generally, the preference in the market over a single individual, and they are able to obtain a higher price for their products, if they are of good quality.

There are thousands upon thousands of acres of the best grape lands yet to be had in the West, especially in Missouri, at a merely nominal price, which would be well adapted for settlements of that kind; where the virgin soil yet waits only the bidding of intelligent labor--of enterprising and industrious men--to bring forth the richest fruits.

There is room for all--may it soon be filled with willing hearts to undertake the task.

And how much easier for you to-day, men with the active hand and intelligent brain, to commence--with the certainty of success before you--with varieties which will yield a large and sure return _every_ year; with the market open before you, and the experience of those who have commenced, to guide you; with the reputation of American wines established; with double the price per gallon--and ten times the yield--compared with the beginner of only ten years ago, with nothing but uncertainty; uncertainty of yield, uncertainty of quality, of price, and of effecting a sale.

It took a brave heart _then_, and an iron will; the determination to succeed,--succeed against _all_ obstacles. And yet, hundreds have commenced thus, and have succeeded. Can _you_ hesitate, when the future is all bright before you, and the thousand and one obstacles have been overcome? If you do, you are not fit to be a grape-grower. Go toil and drudge for so many cents per day, in some factory, and end life as you have begun it. G.o.d's free air, the cultivation of one of His n.o.blest gifts, destined to "make glad the heart in this rugged world of ours,"

is not for you. I may pity you, but I cannot sympathize with nor a.s.sist you, except by raising a cheap gla.s.s of wine to gladden even _your_ cheerless lot.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 38.

MAXATAWNY.--_Berries 1/2 diameter._]

STATISTICS.

COST OF ESTABLISHING A VINEYARD.

In this, of course, allowances must be made for soil, locality, cost of plants, cost of timber, etc., which will vary with the locality. The estimation given here is about what it would cost _here_, with the leading varieties.

COST OF AN ACRE OF CONCORD.

Preparing ground by ploughing, laying off, etc., $ 50 00 700 first-cla.s.s yearling plants, to be planted 610, $12 per hundred, 84 00 450 posts, 15 feet apart, 10 cents each, 45 00 450 intermediate stakes, 3 " 13 50 600 lbs. No. 12 wire, 16 cents per lb., 96 00 Cost of erecting trellis, 50 00 Attendance, labor, etc., during first year, 50 00 Interest on capital, 20 00 ------ $408 50

The following year the vineyard can be made to pay all expenses, by layering, etc.

COST OF AN ACRE OF HERBEMONT.

Preparing ground, 50 00 700 first cla.s.s plants, 610, $25 per hundred, 175 00 450 posts, 10 cents each, 45 00 450 stakes, 3 " 13 50 600 lbs. wire, 16 cents per lb., 96 00 Cost of erecting trellis, 50 00 Attendance, labor, during first two years, 125 00 Interest on capital during first two years, 66 00 ------ $620 50

COST OF AN ACRE OF NORTON'S VIRGINIA.

Preparation of soil, etc., 50 00 850 plants, first cla.s.s, to be planted 68, $25 per hundred, 212 50 450 posts, 10 cents each, 45 00 450 stakes, 3 " 13 50 600 lbs. No. 12 wire, 16 cents per lb., 96 00 Cost of erecting trellis, 50 00 Attendance, labor, etc., during first two years, 125 00 Interest on capital during first two years, at 6 per cent. per annum, 70 00 ------ $662 00

COST OF AN ACRE OF DELAWARE.

Cost of preparing ground, 50 00 1,200 first-cla.s.s plants, planted 66, 400 00 450 posts, 10 cents each, 45 00 450 stakes, 3 " 13 50 600 lbs. No. 12 wire, 16 cents per lb. 96 00 Cost of erecting trellis, 50 00 Cost of cultivation two first years, 125 00 Interest on capital two years, 92 00 ------ $871 50

COST OF AN ACRE OF CATAWBA.

Preparing ground, 50 00 Cost of 1,200 plants, 66, 45 00 450 posts, 10 cents each, 45 00 450 stakes, 3 " 13 50 600 lbs. wire, 16 cents per lb., 96 00 Cost of erecting trellis, 50 00 Attendance during two years, 125 00 Interest on capital two years, 39 00 ------ $463 50

PRODUCT.

The following has been the produce of a vineyard of Catawba, now under my management, since 1849:

Bearing Vines Gallons of Yield per season. bearing. Wine. Price. acre.

1849, 1st year, 1,500 750 $1.25 $600 00 1850, 2d " 2,000 150 1.25 95 00 1851, 3d " 2,000 500 1.25 300 00 1852, 4th " 1,800 210 1.25 120 00 1853. 5th " 1,500 580 1.25 500 00 1854, 6th " 2,500 750 1.50 600 00 1855, 7th " 3,000 230 2.00 150 00 1856 8th " 4,000 150 2.00 75 00 1857 9th " 4,000 2,000 1.20 600 00 1858, 10th " 4,000 210 1.20 60 00 1859, 11th " 4,200 1,200 1.20 360 00 1860, 12th " 4,200 1,300 1.25 405 00 1861, 13th " 4,200 150 1.00 37 50 1862, 14th " 4,200 20 2.00 10 00 1863, 15th " 4,200 150 2.00 75 00 1864, 16th " 4,200 150 2.00 75 00 1865, 17th " 4,200 500 2.00 250 00

Which will show the average yield per acre, to have been somewhat over 250 00 Deduct from this cost of labor per year, per acre, 50 00 Interest on capital, 40 00-90 00 Would leave a clear profit, per acre, of 160 00

The poor returns were nearly all occasioned by mildew and rot, with the exception of 1862, when a very destructive hail-storm swept away almost the entire crop; and in 1864, when the vines were all killed down to the snow line by frost the preceding winter.

The following is the cost of a vineyard planted by me in May, 1861, containing about 3,000 vines, on 2-1/2 acres of ground. The ground could not be made ready until late in the season, consequently many of the vines failed to grow, and had to be replanted the second season:

1700 Norton's Virginia, $20.00 per hundred, 340 00 400 Concord (small), 25 " 100 00 350 Delaware, 50 " 175 00 150 Herbemont, 25 " 37 50 50 Cunningham, 50 " 25 00 Other varieties a.s.sorted, 100 00 Cost of clearing, ploughing, and planting, $50 per acre, 125 00 Putting up trellis, $150 per acre, 375 00 Interest on capital, 100 00 -------- $1,377 50

PRODUCT.

For layers and cuttings made 1st year, 339 00 " " 2d " 1200 00 " " 3d " 2500 00 Concord grapes sold, 2,000 lbs., net 16 cents, 320 00 Plants and cuttings fourth year, 4000 00 2,040 lbs. of grapes (Concord), marketed at 24 cents per lb., net 489 60 -------- $8,848 60