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 flourishing 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 surpass 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 assist them in
developing the natural advantages of their lands. The grape can only
flourish on _free_ soil, and by _free_ intelligent labor.