First published in 1866, this was among the very first books in America on the subject of wine production. The author, George Husmann, was a German immigrant, civil war veteran, Missouri resident, and one of Americas leading experts on wine. He founded the first national magazine devoted to wine, and believed that good wine could be produced in America. He achieved international renown in the late 1870's when he helped saved vineyards in France devastated by root louse, by shipping his resistant American stock to France. Although many works on the subject of growing wine have been written in recent years, this remains a classic. It was written as a practical how-to guide for anyone interested in growing grapes and creating their own vineyard. Much of the advice is still pertinent and especially relevant to bio dynamic and organic vineyards today. INTRODUCTION GRAPE CULTURE. PROPAGATION OF THE VINE. I.--From Seed II.--By Single Eyes 30 The Propagating House 31 Mode of Operating III.--By Cuttings in Open Air IV.--By Layering V.--By Grafting THE VINEYARD. Location and Soil Preparing the Soil WHAT SHALL WE PLANT? Choice of Varieties, The Concord, Norton's Virginia, Herbemont, Delaware, Hartford Prolific Clinton PLANTING. Planting, Treatment of the Vine, the First Summer, Treatment of the Vine the Second Summer, Treatment of the Vine the Third Summer, Treatment of the Vine the Fourth Summer, Training the Vines on Arbors and Walls, Other Methods of Training the Vine, Diseases of the Vine, Insects Injurious to the Grape, Birds, Frosts, Girdling the Vine to Hasten Maturity, Manuring the Vine, Thinning of the Fruit, Renewing Old Vines, Pruning Saws, Preserving the Fruit, Gathering the Fruit to Make Wine VARIETIES OF GRAPES. CLASS I.--VARIETIES MOST GENERALLY USED. Concord (Description), Norton's Virginia, Herbemont, Hartford Prolific, Clinton, Delaware, CLASS II.--HEALTHY VARIETIES PROMISING WELL. Cynthiana, Arkansas, Taylor, Martha, Maxatawney, Rogers' Hybrid, No. 1, Creveling, North Carolina Seedling, Cunningham, Rulander, Louisiana, Alvey, Cassady, Blood's Black, Union Village, Perkins, Clara, Ive's Seedling CLASS III.--HEALTHY VARIETIES--BUT INFERIOR IN QUALITY. Minor Seedling, Mary Ann, Northern Muscadine, Logan, Brown, Hyde's Eliza, Marion Port, Poeschel's Mammoth, Cape Dracut Amber, Elsinburgh, Garber's Albino, Franklin, Lenoir, North America CLASS IV.--VARIETIES OF GOOD QUALITY, BUT SUBJECT TO DISEASE. Catawba, Diana, Isabella, Garrigues, Tokalon, Anna, Allen's Hybrid, Cuyahoga, Devereux, Kingsessing, Rogers' Hybrid, No. 15 CLASS V.--VARIETIES UNWORTHY OF CULTIVATION. Oporto, Massachusetts White WINE MAKING. Gathering the Grapes, The Wine Cellar, Apparatus for Wine Making.--The Grape Mill and Press, Fermenting Vats, The Wine Casks, Making the Wine, After Treatment of the Wine, Diseases of the Wine and their Remedies, Treatment of flat and Turbid Wine, Use of the Husks and Lees, Dr. Gall's and Petoil's Method of Wine Making, The Must Scale or Saccharometer, The Acidimeter and Its Use, The Change of the Must, by Fermentation, into Wine, Normal Must, The Must of American Grapes, Wine Making Made Easy STATISTICS. Cost of Establishing A Vineyard, ,Cost of an acre of Concord