The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and Manufacture of American Wines — John Shaqi
The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and Manufacture of American WinesHusmann, George
Science
The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and Manufacture of American Wines
Husmann, George
Viticulture -- United States; Wine and wine making -- United States
When the plants have made about six inches of growth they can either be
placed in another house, or in hot-bed frames, if they are to be kept
under glass. The usual manner of keeping them in pots during summer,
shifting them into larger and larger sizes, I consider injurious to the
free development of the plants, as the roots are distorted and cramped
against the sides of the pots, and cannot spread naturally. I prefer
shifting them into cold frames, in which beds have been prepared of
light, rich soil, into which the young plants can be planted, and kept
under whitewashed hot-bed sashes for a while, which, after several
weeks, may be removed, and only a light shading substituted in their
place, which, after several weeks more, can also be removed. Thus the
young plants are gradually hardened, their roots have a chance to
spread evenly and naturally, without any cramping; and such plants,
although they may not make as tall a growth as those kept under glass
all the season, will really stand transplanting into the vineyard much
better than those hot-house pets, which may look well enough, but
really are, like spoiled and pampered children, but poorly fitted to
stand the rough vicissitudes of every-day life.
The young plants should be lightly tied to small sticks provided for
the purpose, as it will allow free circulation of air, and admit the
sun more freely to the roots. In the fall, after their leaves have
dropped, they should be carefully taken up, shortened to about a foot
of their growth, and they are then ready either to sell, if they are to
be disposed of in that way, or for planting into the vineyard. They
should, however, be carefully assorted, making three classes of
them--the strongest, medium, and the smallest--each to be put separate.
The latter generally are not fit to transplant into the vineyard, but
they may be heeled in, and grown in beds another year, when they will
often make very good plants. Heeling in may be done as shown in Figure
2, laying the vines as close in the rows as they can conveniently be
laid, and then fill the trench with well-pulverized soil. They can thus
be safely kept during the winter.
[Illustration: FIG. 2.]
I have only given an outline of the most simple and cheapest mode of
growing plants from single eyes, such as even the vineyardist may
follow. For descriptions of more extensive and costly buildings, if
they desire them, they had better apply to an architect. I have also
not given the mode of propagating from green wood, as I do not think,
plants thus propagated are desirable. They are apt to be feeble and
diseased, and I think, the country at large would be much better off,
had not a single plant ever been produced by that method.
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