George Long, in writing to Coleman's Rural World gives his experience with grapes the past season, as follows:

I have twenty-five acres under charge, of which there were 8,400 vines in bearing, mostly Concord, Norton and Hartford. From these 8,400 vines I gathered and shipped to St. Louis and various other places, fifty tons of grapes, and a good many thousand pounds went to waste by the birds and by gathering. I made the first shipment of Hartford on the first of August. Could have shipped a few pounds on the 25th of July.

To gather this crop, I kept employed five hands, four as pickers and one teamster. I used the three-drawer crate, that would hold from ninety to one hundred pounds of grapes. Had stands made to slip one of these drawers in, to carry in gathering. Each man could take one of his stands put in his drawer, and take a row of vines, and after filling his drawer would take it on his shoulder and bring it to the packing shed, leaving his stand where he left off picking. This saves much time in looking for the place where you left off, and also keeps the bottom of the drawer clean, as one has to go on the top of the other, in the crates, for shipping. One man would pick from five to nine crates per day, and bring them to the shed. I have three miles to haul them to the station. Would make three to four loads per day. Would take 1,000 pounds to the load. Now for the cost of running this vineyard, with the very best cultivation:

If any one has done better than this with the same number of bearing vines this year, I would like to hear from him.

Next year I will have between 16,000 and 17,000 vines in bearing; and if we have a favorable season, I shall have at least one hundred tuns of grapes.