NOTES ON FOREIGN GRAPES IN THE UNITED STATES. 



next spring, from this gentleman, 'vvho has consecrated 40 years of his life to collect it, 

 a splendid, choice collection, which will make mine the most extensive in America. 



It is my intention to graft a great many of these varieties on our native vines, so common 

 with us in the south, and I expect by this means to render these European varieties vastly 

 more hardy, productive, and no less noble than the original stock. Time alone can deter- 

 mine whether my views of this subject are correct. Should you be possessed of any 

 particular information on this mother idea of mine, you would confer a great favor on me 

 by giving me your ideas about it. My method of grafting differs somewhat from all those 

 described by yourself, and those which are in general practice. When experience will have 

 completely confirmed it, I shall take great pleasure in communicating it to you. 



In the hope of hearing from you, I remain very respectfully, Joseph Togxo. 



Remarks. — We think our correspondent does not fully understand what we mean by 

 the term degeneration of a variety of fruit. 



By this phrase, we mean that enfeebling of a variety frequently exhibited after it has 

 been cultivated for a great number of years. When this happens, it requires great care 

 and the highest culture, to produce as luxuriant growth, or as fine fruit upon trees of that 

 variety, as when it was first originated. 



Now every practical cultivator knows, that there are sorts of apples and pears Avhich 

 come under this head — the fruit of which no longer sustains its old reputation. 



As we notice nothing of this sort among grapes — the oldest varieties — ^like the Royal 

 Muscadine and Black Hamburgh, or even the Burgundy — bearing in a favorable soil and 

 climate, as good fruit, and as abundant crops as ever, we were led to say, (and we think 

 Van Mons has somewhere said the same thing,) that varieties of the vine do not seem to 

 degenerate, — or grow feeble by long culture, — ^like other fruits. 



As a proof that it is want of proper climate which alone deters us from the successful 

 cultivation of the grape in the open air, in this country, we need only refer to the nume- 

 rous vineries in the northern states, bearing every season the finest grapes, in the greatest 

 abundance — without fire-heat — simply V)y the improved climate produced by regulating the 

 temperature within, so as to avoid sudden changes, &c. 



]\Ir. Togxo is sanguine as to the introduction of the foreign grape in this country, for 

 open vineyard culture. The thing is impossible. Thousands of individuals have tried it 

 on a small scale in various parts of the Union ; and several persons — as for example, M. 

 LouBAT, Mr. LoNGwORTH, etc., of great experience abroad or knowledge at home, joined 

 to abundant capital, have tried it on a small scale. The result in every case has been the 

 same; — a season or two of promise, then utter failure, and finally complete abandonment 

 of the theory. The only vineyards ever successful in America, are those of American 

 grapes. As it is a pretty well established axiom, that the hardiness of a variety of tree 

 or plant, is not affected by grafting it on a hardier stock — though its luxuriant growth 

 may be promoted by it, — we doubt if our correspondent will find the mildew less inclined 

 to make havoc on his foreign grapes, when worked on our wild stocks. If he really wishes 

 to acclimate the foreign grape here, he must go to the seeds, and raise tAvo or three new 

 generations in the American soil and climate. They will then get American constitutimis — 

 which no grafting, pruning, training or manuring, will give them. The only thing that we 

 can do for them, is to cheat them into the belief that they are in the warmer parts of 

 Europe, by putting them in a glass house. 



If any of our readers doubt whether grafting can enfeeble a healthy variety, they have 

 only to try the experiment by taking that variety and grafting it for two or three successions 

 upon unsuitable or unhealthy stocks. We do not mean, however, to assort that graftin 



