STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 4I 



produced, but we got practical and valuable information, as to how, and 

 by whom our orchards and vineyards were dressed, and how they looked. 

 We also agreed not to individualize; that is, we thought it of no great 

 importance for our Society and the public to know just how many trees 

 and vines Mr. A. and Mr. B. cultivated, or how many grape cuttings 

 Mr. C. had out, or how many acres JMr. D. had in apple nursery or 

 evergreens, or where we partook of the best dinner, etc. 



Now, as to the grapes, and how they appeared to me in the year of 

 our Lord 1S70, I hardly know how to commence, or what to say. If 

 I had been called upon eight years ago for an essay on grapes, I would 

 have thought the task a very pleasant one to fill, and would have been 

 only too glad of a chance to enlighten (?) the world on this, then the 

 all-absorbing question in Horticulture. 



I did hope in my report to give some valuable advice concerning the 

 commercial value of different varieties; but the season has been so 

 exactly suited to the health of vine and fruit, that comparisons would 

 not be just. Last year was, I think, a season especially adapted to this 

 work. I had thought to compare different modes of training and prun- 

 ing the vine; but when one finds every system perfect in its results, how 

 is a compai'ison to be made ? I have seen, this season, vines gathered 

 roughlv together and tied to a stake, giving equal rcbults with those 

 under the most elaborate systems of pruning and training. Now, with 

 these facts before me, what is my duty? You did not appoint me to tell 

 vou what I thought was the best, but, if I understand my position aright, 

 it was to compare different systems in the field, and report to you which 

 one of the numerous modes of vineyard culture gave the best results; 

 give the details of that system, so that any one might adopt it, with the 

 assurance that he was not going astray. Farther, as to soils : I have, 

 this season, seen large plantations of grapes on nearly every imaginable 

 soil, all well nigh perfect; very little choice to be made amongst them. 

 I might guess that certain parties had made a poor selection of soil and 

 exposure on which to plant; but the results this season would show me 

 to be a poor guesser. A close watch kept of the Chicago and other 

 great markets warned me not to attempt to delude more people with the 

 idea that they could speedily get rich by growing grapes for market. 

 Farther, I found plenty of men who had good wine; wine that they 

 were proud of, and with good reason ; but when questioned as to where 

 their market was, the almost invariable reply was, they had not foimd it 

 yet. People would, it appears, rather pay four dollars a gallon for a vile 

 concoction of logwood, cider (perhaps a still cheaper acidulate), and 

 poor whisky, than to pay two dollars a gallon for a pure, healthful, 

 native wine. Still another skeleton is in our closet, to-wit: If they can 

 grow grapes in California, and deliver them at the press, with profit, at 

 one cent per pound, or less, how are we to compete with them? I do 

 not believe that we can produce grapes for less than four cents per pound 

 net. 



These are only a few of the stumbling blocks in the way of profit able 

 grape culture in the Prairie State. But your committee passed i.i its 



5 



