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Pruning Grape Vines. April 20, 1828 By spring of 1828 Nicholas Herbemont’s writings on wine in manuscript and print were circulating widely. The first three installments of “An Essay on the Culture of the Grape Vine and Making of Wine” (January–July 1828) had appeared in the Southern Agriculturist . J. S. Skinner, editor of the American Farmer, printed a rumor from a correspondent from Alabama in volume 10, no. 4 (April 11, 1828), 31, that Herbemont’s method of pruning (contained in his discussion “Cuttings” that appeared in the March issue of Southern Agriculturist ) had led to the ruin of a crop: since 1815 a rather lively wine making community had existed in Alabama, with a contingent of ex-Bonapartist French officers at Demopolis leading the effort.1 It was unlikely because late-pruning frost-damaged vines during the spring sap bleed does not injure the plants. If the vineyard failed, there were other causes at work. Pierce’s disease was endemic in Alabama, where vine culture proved extremely difficult. Herbemont’s response was apologetic, encouraging, and informative. The latter half of the letter complies with a request by the editor to comment on the reasons for the failure of so many grape-growing projects. Published in American Farmer 10, no. 7 (May 2, 1828), 52–53. Columbia, S.C., April 20, 1828 J. S. Skinner, Esq. Sir,—I noticed in the American Farmer of the 11th inst. a short article in which you state, having “been warned by a correspondent in Alabama, that what I observe in relation to the pruning of vines, after they have put out in the spring, will not hold good previous to their putting out after the sap is rising freely,” &c. I should exceedingly regret that any person should be led by any thing I have written on the subject, to so serious an injury as this which your correspondent mentions to have been the case with a gentleman who lost “all he had by late pruning.” I wish your correspondent had referred to the particular part of my writing, whether in private correspondence or in publication, that I might have it in my power to judge more 1. John Charles Dawson, “The French in Alabama: The Vine and Olive Colony,” French Review 18, no. 2 (Dec. 1944), 92–95. 145 accurately of the extent of the mischief I may have done. I do not recollect ever having positively advised late pruning, except in cases of necessity; such as, after the ill effects of a frost. I may have expressed an opinion, that late pruning might prevent this bad effect, by retarding the putting out of the vine,2 which it certainly does; for, in the case of a vine which has been pruned early, the efforts of the sap are exerted on very few buds, which are by this means pushed out sooner than they otherwise would; for the buds which put out first in an unpruned vine, are those which are generally suppressed by the pruning. Whatever may be the effect of late pruning, I can assert that I never have seen an instance of the death of a vine for having been pruned at any particular time; and the gentleman above mentioned may have lost his vines by some other cause that he is not aware of. It is pretty generally said that late pruning ought to be avoided, lest the vines are injured by bleeding. This effect is so generally believed, and the appearance of a vine while it bleeds profusely, is so alarming, that I dislike very much to see it; but yet, I never have witnessed any ill effect from it. It is very possible that some kinds of vines may not bear it as well as others, and if your correspondent’s remedy of tallow and finely powdered charcoal stops the bleeding, it ought to be resorted to whenever practicable. I generally prune as early as I can, but it is not for fear of the bad effects of late pruning; but because by so doing I have cuttings to plant earlier, and also more time to attend to the other necessary work. Several very severe frosts having the first week of this month done more injury to my vines than I ever have witnessed before, I have just finished pruning off the injured parts; and this operation was so severe, that it might be called amputating ; for I have cut off all the last year’s...

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