Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 210, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1916 — Grapes for the Home Garden [ARTICLE]

Grapes for the Home Garden

Grapes require rather a long hot season and well drained soil for their best development. There seem to be only a few places where they grow to perfection and where they are commercially profitable. By taking a little - care, however, and by selecting early maturihg varieties and planting them in sunny locations they may be made to grow for home use in almost all sections where apples do well. In regions of short cool summers it is necessary to give them the advantage of as much sunlight as possible. This c’an best be done by planting them on the south side of a building or wall and training them against it, first seeing that the soil is well drained and fairly though not excessively fertile. In such regions also ’t is necessary to prune the vines heavily so that they will not set too much fruit. Grapes, like tomatoes, will ripen a few bunches of fruit quickly, but if they are allowed to set too much none will ripen unless the summer is long and hot. 1 In unfavorable climates full grown vines should not be allowed to set more than 15 or 20 bunches and even then dt is better if the leaves which shade the bunches are picked off -or tied back so that the sun can shine directly on the fruit. This should not be done, however, until the berries are nearly full grown. There are hundreds of varieties of grapes but only a few that are grown commercially and but few more that have any special qualities to recommend them for the home garden. The following are some of the old standard sorts: Moore’s Early, a large black grape of good quality and one of the earliest. Campbell’s Early, a variety similar to the above which will do well on heavier soils than will Moore’s. Worden, a black graph of medium

sizs and excellent quality ripening a week or ten days after Moore’s. Delaware, a small pink grape of excellent quality. The vine is not as vigorous as some but is hardy. Concord, the standard commercial black grape. It is a mid summer variety which will ripen In most sections where grapes can be grown. Niagara; the standard commercial white grape. It Is a seedling of the Concord and ripens about the same time. Salem, a medium, sized red grape of good quality. Catawba, the principle commercial red grape, but so late In maturing that it cannot be ripened successfully except under the most' favorable conditions. i