290 The Culture of the Grape. 



to yourself, at least honorable to the country of your adop- 

 tion. That country may well make it an occasion for some 

 material demonstration to its author. 



The kindness of the King of Wurtemburg, in allowing 

 you free access, has enabled you to make your drawings, not 

 only from his library and gardens, but from nature. The 

 volumes of your work show you have successfully availed 

 yourself of these opportunities, in the drafts and in the col- 

 oring of the specimens preserved. The stem, with the vine 

 — the tendril, and the cluster of grapes ; and the cutting, to 

 engraft or to propagate, are the two figures of each variety, 

 on each folio page of the book. They are executed with 

 such precision of draft, and accuracy of coloring, as enable 

 the eye to determine many of the varieties, without a refer- 

 ence to their names. It shows your ability with the pencil 

 and the brush, and gives material value to the volume. 



You seem to have copied your specimens very much as 

 probably you found them, in the garden of the King of Wur- 

 temburg. The wine countries plant the vine without classi- 

 fication, as being suited in their varieties, for the table grape 

 or the wine-press. Climate compels England, and ourselves 

 here, to regard these distinctions. She cannot cultivate the 

 wine grape in the open air at home ; and we cannot cultivate 

 it certainly north of the Potomac. The books afford abund- 

 ant information and instruction in regard to the selection and 

 the cultivation of the wine grape. That selection regards 

 only the varieties to produce the different kinds of wine. 

 Your volumes present these varieties, with many interesting 

 and useful specimens for that object. The southern and 

 western portion of this country have a soil and climate pecul- 

 iarly congenial to the production of the mulberry and the 

 vine. The grape cannot endure any frost on its spring blos- 

 soms or ripening fruit. England can only raise the table 

 grapes of Europe, with the aid of her hot-houses. It was 

 the same case with ourselves. She has made her selections 

 for this purpose from the vineyards of Europe ; especially 

 regarding size of cluster, flavor of grape, and delicacy of 

 fruit. We, in this country, have made our selections very 



