Horticulturist, that the testimony on both sides maybe " in" before the honest reputation 

 of the Sage Grape, (which has been steadily extending for five years,) be summarily con- 

 signed to disgrace. 



I very well know the Editor's almost world-wide renown for a just and discriminating 

 taste in every thing connected with horticulture and rural architecture. But I have heard 

 it defferentially intimated, that when he penned the article on the Sage Grape, his litera- 

 ry taste was not quite so exquisite. 



Please accept these remarks from a lover of the Horticulturist, and 



A SUBSCRIBEK FKOM THE BEGINNING. 

 Grotoii, Jan. 5, 1S52. 



P. S. If you desire, or will venture another examination, I should like to send you spe- 

 cimens from here next autumn. [Should be very glad to receive them.] 



Remarks. — As Mr. Allen's book on the grapevine is the authority on the subject of 

 the Sage Grape, and as the disappointment in this variety arises from a comparison of the 

 merits of the grape itself, with the account there given, we shall refer to the work itself, 

 in order to get at the truth of the matter. 



Mr. Allen does not himself, describe the Sage Grape. He never saw it. He merely 

 says — "it is represented to be of a lilac color." He quotes three letters from Mr. Sage, 

 himself, describing the variety — a native grape found growing on the margin of a small 

 stream in Maine. The color of the fruit he does not mention. But he says, " the berries 

 are very round, average girth three inches." " They are," he continues, "the richest 

 flavored grapes I hnye e\er tasted. The pulp is very soft, juicy," &c. He concludes by 

 saying, " I speak in confidence when I say that the Sage Grape, properly cultivated, will 

 surpass anything of the grape kind in this country." 



What are we to understand by this? Clearly, that the Sage Grape ought to surpass 

 Black Hamburghs, Muscats, and all the most delicious foreign grapes, for the)'^ are in this 

 country. But we had seriousl}'^ no idea of comparing any native grapes in this way, and 

 therefore we expected it, from the description, to surpass the Catawba and Isabella, or at 

 least compare with them. Now two things place the latter most excellent native grapes 

 far below the best foreign grapes, in the estimation of all good judges; first, the hard pulp 

 (peculiar to all native grapes, though less to those;) second, the foxy or wild aroma. The 

 Sage Grape, according to the specimens we received through Mr. Sheldon, from Mr. Sage 

 himself, is a genuine wild fox grape, common enough in the woods of New-York, very 

 large, round, very foxy in smell, and intolerably hard in the pulp. To compare such a 

 grape as this with Black Hamburgh, is simply as absurd as to compare a choke pear with 

 a Seckel. There may be, and we have indeed seen people, who like choke pears, and we 

 are not going to quarrel with them for their taste — but that does not prove that the majo- 

 rity are wrong in preferring Black Hamburghs. 



We have no doubt that INIr. Sage wrote his account of the grape that bears his name, 

 in good faith; but when he said that it would surpass " anything of the grape kind in this 

 country," he ought to have added the following : — P. S. I have never tasted any good 

 grapes. 



We have had this very same pale fox grape sent to us from various parts of the coun- 

 try, by persons M'ho extolled it as a native white grape of wonderful size and most deli- 

 cious flavor. 



The merit of this pale red fox grape is solely confined to its excellence for making jellies, 

 t well known in the middle states. For the table, it is neither more or less 

 If our correspondent thinks the grape is black, he has evidently not got 



