THE SAGE GRAPE. 



may be had cheaply, that will answer the purpose, and the amount of labor is not great. 

 I feel confident as to the result. J. S. 



Washington, D. C, Jan. 5, 18.5'i. 



MORE ABOUT THE SAGE GEAPE. 



BY TWO CORRESPONDENTS. 



The letter of our correspondent, Mr. Sheldon, calling our attention to specimens of 

 this native grape, and showing conclusively how it has been over-rated, which was pub- 

 lished in our December number, has called out the two following letters — which we pub- 

 lish to settle the matter. 



A. J. Downing, Esq. — In the December number of the Horticulturist, one of your cor- 

 respondents and yourself, unite in denouncing the Sage Grape as a " humbug." It is true, 

 there are a great many humbugs in horticulture. There is one large class, too formidable 

 to be killed b}' mere exposure, but which taxes oppressively all the energies and vigilance 

 of the cultivator to avert their ravages, even when he has discovered their mode and point 

 of attack. The other, (which may be called the moral class,) is not quite so numerous, 

 but will fly quite as fast — sometimes hard to detect, but when once discovered, just hold- 

 ing them up to the light destroys them in a trice. Neither class escapes your notice — and 

 it should be so, for in some cases it is hard to tell which are the most mischievous and ag- 

 gravating. 



The public have so often been bitten by this im-moral class of humbugs, that they are 

 afraid of anything which has been dubbed humbug, (which, by the way, are a progeny 

 of the big-bugs,) and shun it without examination. 



But I must object to your calling the Sage Grape by this unenviable cognomen in so much 

 of a hurry. I have seen the grape from the original vine; have frequently eaten of them 

 raised here; numerous friends and neighbors have tasted them; specimens have been sent 

 to the conductors of the most respectable Journals of Agriculture, and to pomological 

 writers, in our state. All, without exception, have pronounced them "good, excellent, 

 sweet, possessing valuable qualities," &c., &c. Besides all this, the grape in question is 

 black as the Isabella, instead of being light colored. A commendatory notice of the press 

 first brought the grape into notice here. 



A knowledge of these facts induces me to think that the "light colored variety" sent 

 you, was either not the Sage Grape, or unripe specimens. Possibly the editor and his ama- 

 teur correspondent, have been " sat upon" by some horticultural friends, and had Black 

 Hamburghs administered to them till they have lost all consciousness of the fitness or 

 worth of any native grape for the table. 



When the Horticulturist containing the Sage Grape humbug was issued, a fi-iend of mine 

 happened to be in a town some fifty miles distant, where vines of this grape are in suc- 

 cessful cultivation, and was suddenly accosted with, " well the Sage Grape is blowed up — 

 it is all an exploded humbug." On being asked on whose authority, was told by the edi- 

 tor and correspondent of the last Horticulturist — and immediately added, " I don't care 

 for that — my vine has fruited, and the fruit was good — I am satisfied." This man, like 

 your correspondent, was induced to procure a vine by the description in Allen's work 

 It seems in inducements they agree, in tastes they differ. 



I earnestly insist upon these facts being placed before your readers in the pages 



