No. 99 & 100. VITIS. 159 



fmit for the table j but when planted in exposed vine- 

 yards, the late frosts and heavy showers of the spring in- 

 jure them or render them sterile. 



11- A capital mistake was the attempt to make Ma- 

 .deira wine in America, instead of American wine. Our 

 climate and soil being neither dry nor volcanic as in 

 Madeira, could never produce similar wine, even if we 

 had the Vidonia or Madeira Grape, and knew how to 

 cultivate it and manage the wine. Besides Madeira, 

 although a fashionable and costly wine, is bad, unhealthy, 

 ^nd not worthy of our attention. The same with Port 

 wine. 



12. These and other causes have discouraged the at- 

 tempt^s of a vine company established on purpose in 



Pennsylvania. Mr. Legoux, the manager, by his decep- 

 tions in grapes, calling them by false names, and his bad 



* management, threw discredit on the attempt. However, 

 by calling our Bland and Alexander grapes, Madeira 

 a^d Cape^ he was instrumental in diflfusing them among 

 those who would not have noticed nor bought them if 

 known as native vines. 



13. Notwithstanding these difficulties, many patriotic 

 individuals have persisted in the endeavor to make the 

 United States a wine country,!)^ establishing nurseries 

 and vineyards. Such were'^Major Adlum, of George- 

 town, and Mr. Dafour, of Vevay, who have also both 

 published works on the cultivation of vines. Mr. Samuel 

 Maurick, of South Carolina (the first exporter of our 

 cotton in 1784) who established a large vineyard at Pen- 

 dleton. _Mr. Thomas Echelberger, of York^, Pe^nm who 

 has been instrumental in establishing 20 viaevards near 

 York. 



14. In 1825 I collected an account of our principal 

 vineyards and nurseries of vines. They were then only 

 fiO of I to 20 acres each, altogether 600 acres. Whife 

 now. in 1830* thev amount to :200 of 3 to 40 acres, or 

 nearly 5000 acres of vinevards. Thus having increased 

 tenfold wicliin 5 years, at which rate they promise to 

 become a pc.-nanent and Increasing cultivation. 



15. Wishing to pteserve the naii s of the public bene- 

 factors who had in 18^23 e-^tablinhed our first viueyardi, 



