in the farm-house, fences, ami out-buildings. Of a cloudy da}^, a distant view in America 

 often bears this likeness to a park, in a very marked degree, for then the graces of the 

 scene are visible to the eye, while the defects of the details are too remote to be detected. 



THE CALIFORNIA GRAPE. 



BY T. A. S., SYRACUSE, N. Y. 



Dear Sir:— I notice in the Horticulturist for the current month, a communication from 

 R. G. Paruee, Esq., on the California Grape, in which it is stated on the authoiity of 



Capt. H , of the U. S. army, and lady, "as far as their observation extended, and 



certainly in the vicinity of San Diego, there is no such thing as a native or wild growing 

 grape to be found." Possibly in the vicinity of San Diego there may not be; but to my 

 certain knowledge — native or wild growing grapes abound on the forks of the American 

 river, the fruit of which I have seen and eaten. I have also been informed by Mr. Eg- 

 bert JUDSOX, of this city, who has spent a year or more in the mining districts, and 

 others, that the wild grape is abundant On the Upper Sacramento and its tributaries — 

 Feather river and its branches, the Yuba, Bear creek, &c. 



The native grape resembles somewhat our native, the Fox, having berries, however, a 

 little larger, of a shade darker color, and being less astringent, or foxy, and to us vegeta- 

 ble starved diggers, they were quite palatable. 



But in correcting the error of Capt. H -, as to the native grape, T am able to confirm 



his statement as to the high excellence and superiority of the cultivated variety — except 

 perhaps, as to the size of cluster and berry, which in both respects, in the specimens I 

 saw, were rather below than above the Catawba. This was owing, perhaps, to difference 

 of locality and culture, (mine having been grown at San Jose,) while doubtless, too, his 

 were the better, while mine were the more indifferent specimen.s — which had undergone 

 a land carriage of eighty or one hundred miles, but which were retailed readily to the mi- 

 ners at a dollar a pound. 



I think "the California Grape" would be an acquisition with u.s — or rather, perhaps, 

 farther south ; but doubt whether it would maintain its high excellence in our compara- 

 tively wet and variable climate this side of the Rocky jNIountains. I agree fully with those 

 who regard the soil and climate of California highly fiivorable to the culture of the grape; 

 and attribute much of the superiority of this grape to these circumstances. Yours. 



T. A. S. 



Syracuse, Nov. 20, 1851. 



P. S. While visiting California, in the spring of 1849, T took a box of the seed of the 

 Black Hamburgh and Early AVhite Muscat, which were planted by the side of my log 

 cabin, and around stumps in the vicinit)'. Possibly California will become celebrated at 

 some future day, for the superiority of a neio natiac grape. 



Remarks. — As corroborative of the information in the former number, regarding the 

 grapes at San Jose, we quote the following extract from a private letter lately received by 

 us from an intelligent lady in San Francisco: "The neighborhood of San Jose, sixty 

 miles south of this, must have a better climate than ours, for they are already, (Septem- 

 ber,) sending us their grapes in most picturesque clusters a foot long. These grapes are 

 arranged differently upon the bunches from any I ever saw, being placed, large and small, 

 so as to form a long, tapering, regular cluster. I ought to add that there is in their taste 



