NOTES ON FOREIGN GRAPES IN THE UNITED STATES 



town where they chanced to stand, would remember with feelings of respect and 

 tion, to the end of all time. 



And in truth, we would not desire to make the country church other than simple, 

 truthful and harmonious. We would avoid all pretensions to elaborate architectural 

 ornament ; we would depend upon the right proportions, forms, outlines, and the true 

 expression. Above all, we would have the country church rural and expressive, by 

 placing it in a spot of green lawn, surrounding it with our beautiful natural shade trees, 

 and decorating its walls, (for no church built in any but the newest settlements, where 

 means are utterly wanting,) should be built of so perishable a material as wood) — 

 with climbing plants — the ivy, or where that would not thrive, the Virginia creeper. 

 And so we would make the country church, in its very forms and outlines, its walls 

 and the vines that enwreath them, its shady green and the elms that overliang it, as 

 well as in the lessons of goodness and piety that emanate from its pulpit, some- 

 thing to become a part of the affections, and touch and better the hearts of the whole 

 country about it. 



NOTES ON FOREIGN GRAPES IN THE UNITED STATES. 



BY JOSEPH TOGNO, WILMINGTON, N. C. 



A. J. Downing, Esq. — I have frequently referred, especially of late, to your excellent 

 work on the Fruit Trees of America. I must confess that I have been much instructed 

 by it; but there is one idea at page 558, I do not fully understand. I shall quote it here: 

 " Varieties of the vine are said never to degenerate, and this is perhaps owing to their hav- 

 ing very rarely been propagated by grafting." 



My comment of this passage is— 1st. That the vine degenerates, perhaps, sooner than 

 any other plant, if neglected in any way, though it be generally propagated by cuttings, 

 especially in Europe. I consider that owing to a sad mismanagement of this plant, almost 

 all the European varieties cultivated in the open field, have degenerated in this country, 

 because they were planted and not attended to. 



The next remark I would respectfully make is, that according to the latter portion of 

 your phrase which I have quoted, you seem to admit that grafting is a cause of degeneracy 

 in all fruit trees. I cannot admit that under favorable circumstances, the graftino- of our 

 hardy native vines with European grafts, causes the nobler kind to degenerate. '^ I have 

 grafted a great many European varieties on the American wild vines, and so far, to judge 

 by the extraordinary growth of the wood of the grafts, having their peculiar European 

 character, there is no degeneracy to be observed; on the contrary, I never saw more 

 healthy anywhere. They have produced some few bunches the same year, (within seven 

 months.) Next year the fruit will enable me to speak more positively with respect to this 

 matter. 



You must know, sir, that I have established a model vineyard near Wilmington, N. C. 

 and that I obtained last spring from Europe, more than one hundred varietie^, which are 

 now growing, and many have succeeded very well; and that being in correspondence with 

 Mr. Le Comtk Odaut, proprietor of the largest collection of grape-vines in the world, 

 (amounting to 600 varieties,) and author also, of the best work on the culture and classi- 

 fication of the vine, yJmpolographic on traite des Cepages, &c.,) I expect to receive 



