THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



353 



sent time: In Ohio, 3,000 acres; in 

 in Missouri and Illinois, 500 each 



grape, has gradually supplanted all others, and is now 

 adopted almost universally throughout the United States 

 for making wine. It imparts a very peculiar musky 

 flavour to the wine, displeasing, when first tasted, to 

 many palates; but this dislike is easily removed by 

 Iiabit, and the wine is much relished in Ohio and Mis- 

 souri, where it sells readily at prices which would be 

 deemed exorbitant in the wine countries of Europe. 



The Catawba is at present almost the only grape 

 cultivated on a large scale in North America for wine. 

 In time, however, other varieties will doubtless be dis- 

 covered, better adapted to the widely-differing soils and 

 climates of the northern and southern States. la 

 southern Missouri alone 5,000,000 acres might be se- 

 lected admirably calculated for vineyards, without eu- 

 croacbiug upon the better lands adapted to other crops. 

 This single state has an area available for vine culture 

 more than equalling that of all France. In the Caro- 

 linas and Georgia also there are said to be hundreds of 

 thousands of acres of poor and partially-exhausted 

 hill-sides, which are unfit for the growth of either 

 cotton or maize, which might easily and cheaply be 

 converted into vineyards. 



Even in California the vine grows in great perfec- 

 tion, yielding abundance of good wine. The banks of 

 the Ohio are now studded with vineyards, between 

 1,500 and 2,000 acres being planted in the immediate 

 vicinity of Cincinnatfi, with every prospect of a vast 

 increase. In at least twenty-two out of the thirty-two 

 States of the Union, vineyards, of more or less pro- 

 mise and extent, have been planted. 



The extent of vineyards is thus returned at the pre- 



Indiana, 1,000 ; 

 ; Georgia, 100; 

 North Carolina, 300 ; and South Carolina, 200. It is 

 calculated that at least 2,000,000 gallons of wine are 

 now raised in the United States ; the average value of 

 which may be taken at 6s. the gallon. 



Large quantities of sparkling wine are made both at 

 Cincinnatti and St. Louis, in imitation of Champagne, 

 and fetch, under the name of " Sparkling Catawba," 

 about 1 dol. a bottle. It is made by exactly the same 

 complicated process and with as much care as in.France, 

 which will account for the high price. At no distant 

 period, wine will be produced as cheaply and abun- 

 dantly in the United States as in Europe, although not 

 equal to the best quality of European wines. Whether 

 American wines will ever become an important article 

 of export must depend mainly on the price at 

 which they can be produced, but the home market 

 is already so extensive that many years must, at all 

 events, elapse before wine can be raised in sufficient 

 quantities to turn the current of trade, and convert 

 the United States into the exporters of an article which 

 has hitherto been chiefly derived from abroad. 



Besides his home production of wine, brother Jona- 

 than imports about 4,000,000 gallons of foreign wine, 

 4,000,000 gallons of spirits, and about 1,200,000 gal- 

 lons of English ale and porter. This is a snug little 

 tabic for our cousin to sit down to, of a winter evening. 

 How the glasses sparkle on that board, and how com- 

 fortable the old gentleman feels as he stretches his legs 

 under the mahogany, groaning with its 9,000,000 gal- 

 lons of drinks, while his purse is drawn upon to pay the 

 little bills of 4,000,000 dollars for spirits, 3,000,000 

 dollars for wines, and 1,000,000 dollars for malt 

 liquors, charged against him by his foreign cousins 

 over the water. We begin to fear that ho is a pretty 

 hard drinker; for, besides all these wines, spirits, and 

 ales reported on his custom-house books, he distils a 

 fearful quantity of Monoganhela and Bourbon whiskey, 

 manufactures a dreadfully large supply of " French 



brandy," brews " lager" beer, ale, and porter enough 

 to fill every day any quantity of great tuns of Heidel- 

 burg, and, as we have seen, has taken to make his own 

 champagne and wines to a pretty considerable extent. 

 At this rate, he may soon be able to say that his 

 country is a well-liquored as well as a well-watered 

 country. 



In Western Canada, where certain species of wild 

 grapes are very abundant, the manufacture of wine re- 

 cently introduced has been attended with the most 

 signal success. The instances cited are, therefore, 

 convincing proofs that we must not condemn a country 

 because of locality, without giving it a trial ; and the 

 capabilities of producing oil and wine — symbols of fer- 

 tility — are more widely diffused than is generally 

 supposed. 



The cultivation of the vine, and the use of the 

 ferraenttd liquor obtained from its fruit, are recorded 

 together, with the first historical notices which we pos- 

 sess of the human race. 'But it has been that most- 

 favoured portion, the Caucasian, as it is termed, which 

 professes to rear and appreciate this choice gift of 

 nature. Wherever they have spread their conquering 

 and colonising progress over the different climes of the 

 world, there they have taken with them the grape ; 

 and when that fruit thrives well, the country has been 

 considered a blessed one for health and wealth. 



The consumption of wine has not increased in this 

 country in proportion to the progress of population 

 and wealth ; for, on an average, only 14 persons in 

 evei'y 1,000 drink their three dozen of wine annually, 

 or what is equivalent to a glass per diem. That there 

 is room for extended production and consumption in 

 our colonies, in preference to the ardent spirits which 

 now find such general favour, we fully believe. And 

 in the lines of Martin Luther we may say, 



" Who loves not woman, wine, and song, 

 Lives a fool's life his whole life long." 



INVOCATION TO SPRING. 



Come, Spring! with skies of azure. 

 Come, and bring us joy and pleasure ! 

 Come, with birds through bright skies winging ; 

 Come, with waters gaily singing ! 



Come, fair Spring, enrobed with flowers ; 

 Come, with cool refreshing ahowera ; 

 Quickly come, for we are weary 

 Of old Winter, stern and dreary ! 



Come ! with thy soft lights and shadows, 

 Gliding o'er the bright green meadows ; 

 Come, for young hearts full of lightuess 

 Dream of thy long days of brightness.9 



Come ! the brook would fain be dancing, 

 'Neatb thy dewy eyes, clear glancing; 

 Hesr it sighing for the flowers, 

 And fresh leaves to deck its bowers. 



Come ! the forest old rejoices. 



Lilting up its myriad voices ; 



Like an anthem, rising, falling— 



" Come, fair Spring, 0, come,"' 'tis calling. 



Come ! the blackbird's merry trilling 

 All the sunny air is filling ; 

 But his note seems touched with sadness, 

 'Till thou com'st with light and gladness. 



Come ! we're sighing for thee daily, 

 Come ! and deck the old earth gaily ; 

 Chase away our heart's dull sadness. 

 With thy merry songs of gladness ! 

 mCounUy Gentleman. 



