Grape Growing in Florida.


 SUMMARY
 AMERICAN BUNCH TYPE
 Of the large number of varieties of this type tested in Florida
only a few are now being grown commercially and, of these,
Florida Beacon, Carman and Niagara make up the larger per-
centage of the total.
 A limited number of Bailey, Lamonto, Muench, Fredonia, R. W.
Munson and Portland are being grown, but with varying and
often unsatisfactory results.
 None of the Vinifera varieties are satisfactory in Florida.
 Varieties used for rootstocks include Florida Beacon, R. W.
Munson, Vitis Champini, Marguerite, Herbemont and Lukfata,
of which the first three are most important.
 Vigorous one-year-old planting stock is most desirable, the
vines being set eight feet in rows 10 feet apart.
 Propagation is by hardwood cuttings, grafting and layering.
 Correct pruning is necessary for successful grape growing.
Training is upon the familiar Munson three-wire canopy trellis.
 Because the grape is a surface rooted plant, whenever culti-
vation is given it should be shallow.
 Fertilization is necessary to grow and maintain a grape vine-
yard successfully in Florida. Of the major plant foods, nitrogen
is the most important single element.
 The addition of organic matter to the soil by the growing
and turning under of cover crops and by the use of barnyard
manures is a very desirable practice.
 Grapes to be offered for sale should never be picked until
they are ripe. Some experience is necessary to determine this
as the varieties take on characteristic colors of ripeness several
days before they are ripe and, if picked on the basis of color
alone, may be in a very unpalatable condition.
 Fruit may be kept as much as two months if placed in stor-
age at a temperature of 30 to 33 degrees F. in regular com-
mercial cold storage rooms where the relative humidity aver-
ages rather high.
 MUSCADINE GROUP
 This group is composed of two botanical species, Vitis rotun-
difolia and V. Munsoniana, and, of these, the first named has
furnished all of the varieties now in cultivation in Florida.
 The principal varieties grown are: Scuppernong, which com-
prises a greater part of the total, James, Thomas and Flowers.