HORTICULTURE. 311 



-without attracting attention, and so would have remained probably until now, had not its 

 merits been discovered by Major John Adlum, of Georgetown, North Carolina, in or about 

 the year 1826. Major Adlum, an officer of the Revolution, formerly Surveyor-General of 

 Pennsylvania, was a great cultivator of the grape, and devoted the last years of his life to 

 that purpose. In the course of his experiments with native vines, he found this one in the 

 garden of a German at Georgetown, and, after a fair trial, was so convinced of its value as 

 a wine grape, that he sent some of the slips to Mr. Longworth, with a letter, saying, " I 

 have done my country a greater service by introducing this grape to public notice than I 

 would have done if I had paid the national debt." Adlum paid the debt of nature soon 

 after, but the slips fell into good hands. For nearly thirty years, with patient perseverance, 

 these grapes were nurtured by Mr. Longworth, until the hour has arrived when the pro- 

 phecy of Major Adlum seems certain of fulfilment. Thirty years of patient labor; thirty 

 years of unfaltering faith; thirty years of man's life; what a span it is! stretching from 

 hopeful youth to hoary age ; a long while, my good friend, to look forward to — a long way to 

 look back. In the thirty years to come we may have occasion to thank these pioneers — we 

 may see greater results than either of them dreamed of. 



The Isabella grape was first introduced to notice by Mr. George Gibbs, of Brooklyn, Long 

 Island. The slips were brought from North Carolina by Mrs. Gibbs, his wife, and the vine, 

 in compliment to her, was named the "Isabella." Originally, it was called the "Laspeyre 

 grape," Mr. Bernard Laspeyre, who resided near Wilmington, North Carolina, having the 

 parent vine from whence these slips were derived. By him it was supposed to be a foreign 

 grape ; but all scientific writers on vines in this country assert that the species in a wild 

 state is quite common, and is unquestionably an indigenous production of the United States. 

 Of these two grapes, the best wines are made in Ohio. We may also mention that the 

 " Herbemont," another variety of the "natives," produces an extraordinary fine wine, the 

 flavor being like the purest Amontillado, and essentially different from the other two. 



In comparing the American wines with those of Europe, we must bear in mind that they 

 are distinct in flavor from any or all of them. Sparkling Catawba is not Champagne, nor 

 can Isabella be compared with any other wines known in the world. It is a peculiarity of 

 these wines that no spurious compound can be made to imitate them, and in purity and 

 delicacy there is no known wine to equal them. 



The most expensive wine in Europe, the " Tokay," contains the least amount of alcohol, 

 9-85 per cent.; but the " Still Catawba" shows a percentage of 9-50 only, being, in fact, the 

 lowest percentage of spirit to be found in any wine in the world. 



One more fact, in passing. By the Patent-Office Report for the year 1853, it is stated that 

 the value of American wines exceeds that of the tobacco crop : 



Value of wines grown in the United States $2,000,000 



" tobacco 1,990,000 



But not alone for the production of wine are grapes valuable. The seeds of grapes are 

 eaten by birds ; and a fine fixed oil, similar to olive-oil, is made from them in Parma, Lom- 

 bardy, and other parts of Italy, suitable either for cooking or burning in lamps. The cut- 

 tings of the vines are always salable to propagate new vineyards ; the leaves can be used to 

 feed cattle, and they are fond of them. The finest printer's ink is made from the carbon of 

 the charred stalks of old vines. And from the lees of wine we get cream of tartar, which 

 no family should be without. And then the raisins ! Whether it be from the enormous crop 

 of children raised annually in our States, or from some other unknown reason, we import 

 more raisins than all the rest of the world put together ! So much for the vine as a source 

 of national prosperity. — Putnam's Magazine. 



Profits of the Cold Grapery. 



In a recent number of the Horticulturist, Mr. William Charlton furnishes a statement of 

 the produce and expenses of a cold grapery, planted in March, 1850. Mr. C. premises that 

 there is nothing extraordinary in the amount of fruit raised by him, more than what others 



