30 tup: CANADIAN H0R3;^CUETURIST. 



is now convinced tliat to the inhabitants of this island the culture of 

 the grape might prove an important source of wealth.' 



" Having thus succeeded, as I think, in proving that the vine can 

 be cultivated with success in Canada, I determined to ensage more 

 largely in it; and being fully persuaded that vine-culture would prove 

 very profitable to our people, I again drew the attention of the editors 

 'Of the Daily Witness and the Star to the subject. The former gen- 

 tleman inserted in his paper a letter I wrote him, and the latter com- 

 jnented on this letter in his issue of the 19th November, as follows : 



'GRAPE CULTURE IN CANADA. 



'The idea of successfully cultivating the vine in our northern 

 fcountry is one which upon Urst thought seems t© be so preposterous 

 .as to merit hardly a moment's serious consideration. The mind 

 naturally reverts to the sunny climes of France, Spain or Italy as the 

 natural home of this most luscious of all the fruits of the earth. But 

 notwithstanding this natural feeling, the question may be asked why 

 it should be so ? The vine is hardy, and appears to be well suited to 

 both our soil and climate, as it grows readily in a wild state; and it 

 siiay be taken as an axiom that where a tree or plant is found to grow 

 spontaneously, that place is suitable for the successful cultivation of 

 ;such tree or plant. It remains only then to select a variety which 

 will mature fast and ripen early enough to escape the possible early 

 frosts, and compete with the foreign fruit which is imported so exten- 

 -sively here during the month of September, to make the successful 

 cultivation ef the vine in Canada a possibility. A variety for which 

 -these qualities are all claimed, and which has been named the 

 '' Beaconsfield,' was discovered some three years ago, and brought 

 before the attention of Mr. J. H. Menzies, of the Mechanics' Bank, a 

 gentleman who has given the question some considerable attention, 

 and who was so favorably impressed with the appearance of this new 

 -claimant for public favor, that with commendable enterprise he in- 

 vested in a quantity of plants sufficient to start a little vineyard at 

 his country house at Pointe Claire. Mr. Menzies says that having 

 gathered all the information he could in regard to this vine he deter- 

 mined to try it, and in the spring of 1877 he planted a vineyard of 

 .about three acres with 2,500 vines. A few of these bore fruit that 

 year, and in the present year (1878) he got a crop of nearly a ton 

 weight, comparatively but few of the vines bearing ; but the yield of 

 these was very satisfactory, numbers of the vines beaTiiig as many as 

 thirty good-sized bunches, and one in particular fifty bunches. He 

 believes he is justified from his observations in estimating his^rop for 

 next, year at not less than thirty tons of grapes, and as one half of 

 this crop would more than repay the total cost of the vines, labor and 

 .all expenditure to the in-gathering of that crop, it is evident that thi« 



