EDITOU'S TABhh« 



Th* CSrape, ani> Wink. — At a recent mcetint; of the American Wine Growers AMociaiiun at 

 Cincinnati, tho following was read from N. W. Thatcher, of t'hillicotlie: 



• * * • "Tlie preat tlo^iflcratuiTi in wine growing is, (lonhtU'ss, to procnre a 

 Grape possessing at once sngnr in al)<)nJancc, and an agreeable aroma — jiroKably the Catawba 

 (there are some spurious varieties of this Grape) possesses these qualities to a more profitable 

 degree than any Grape we now cultivate, inasmuch as it is perfcctlj* hardy; but this Grape 

 should not be regarded as the type of American Grapes, for we shall yet surpass it, and to 

 those whose palates do not accord too much with the foxy aroma of the Catawba, ihe 

 Herbevioiit is the mo.-t acceptable Grape; but the latter is not sufficiently hard}- for extensive 

 and profitable cultivation; but as we have several varieties of that class of Grapes, we may 

 look fur the production of seedlings from them that will surpass any of the fox family. Doubt- 

 less a cross of the JI rbemont and Catawba would produce a valuable Grape as to flavor and 

 juiciness. 



" It is doubtless a desideratum to obtain a Grape possessing all the requisites for good wine ; 

 that is, it should be productive, hardy, juicy, sweet and well favored. Until we can get one 

 Grape possessing in a sufficient degree all these, we can cultivite several varieties and attain 

 our object by mixing the berries in the mash tub. This is desirable, at least, to afford variety 

 in our wines, as well as to give flavor to strong-bodied wines which are without it. 



"The wine I sent you was made of 75 per cent of the Herbemont Grape, 20 per cent of the 

 Catawba, and 5 per cent of the Conatantia, (Schuylkill.) The Herbemont was not fully ripe wlun 

 gathered, but were picked ten days before pressing. The Catawba were quite ripe, and gath- 

 ered some days before pressing. The Constantia were fully ripe, and gathered just before mash- 

 ing. By fullj' ripe I mean ' dead ripe,' the stems brown and dry,; and that is the grand point 

 in wine making. The Grapes were picked, stood twelve hours before pressing, and no extra- 

 neous substance of any kind was added, nor has any addition since been made of any substance 

 whatever. The wine, after coming from the press, was fermented in glass. 



" The taste of the juice of the Grape, as well as for various kinds of food, becomes fixed to 

 some particular sorts by custom, and finally to the exclusion of anything new ; and hence I infer 

 it will be difficult after a few years, to eradicate the predilection of Ohio wine — even for the 

 foxy aroma of their Catawba wines. If we look forward to the exportation of wines to foreign 

 countries, we must look for their production in Grapes of the Ilcrbnnont type. I am a wine 

 grower to a very limited extent, and onlj- as an amateur; but still my experiments are, so far 

 as they are successful, as valuable in their results as if I crushed the Grapes of a township. I 

 shall make no wine this season. I am satisfied that we can make as good wines in this countrj' 

 as in any other, and at equal price. I would prefer the best Cincinnati wine to any foreign I 

 have ever seen ; except, perhaps, the pure Xeres, Sherry, and Mangannelta, which we rarely 

 see." 



State of the Yi.neyards. — The Rot. — It was stated that tliis disease had prevailed to a great 

 extent: Mr. Nefj-'s vineyard, at the Yellow Springs, was almost entirely destroyed; I\Ir. Yeat- 

 MAN had one-third of a crop ; Mr. Rintz had lost nearly all by mildew ; Mr. Heath had a good 

 show ; Mr. Buchanan had lost much by mildew, less by rot, but should not make 300 gallons 

 per acre. Mr. Rehfuss had little mildew or rot where well drained. In Whiteoak and in Ken- 

 tucky, there was little damage. On Indian Hill it was very bad. Mr. Kinzback stated that it 

 was bad up the river ; they would make a third of a crop. Mr. Ross had not much rot and a 

 little mildew, injured by frost in the spring; he would average a third of a crop ; Mr. Wekk, 

 who had no mildew on his widely planted vines, had lost one-eighth by the rot. 



Mr. Buchanan stated that the Venango, or Minors Seedling, had escaped all injuries — it had 

 no mildew nor rot. — Ohio Farmer, 



