29^ The Culture of the Grape. 



The entire success of this new system of the cold vinery 

 for the grape, has been made certain by specimens of fruit 

 large and fine beyond example, and exhibited at the fairs of 

 the American Institute, the two years past. At the fair, in 

 October last, of the American Institute, at Castle Garden, 

 New York, and also at the Agricultural Fair, at Albany, 

 gratifying specimens of the culture of the grape in a cold 

 vinery, and without fire, were exhibited from the gardens of 

 different gentlemen. Some were from the garden of Mr. 

 P. S. Van Rensselaer, of New Hamburg, Dutchess County, 

 and among them were exhibited clusters of the " Grape of 

 Canaan," sometimes called the "Palestine Grape," measuring 

 from the vine from 27 to 30 inches in length, and weighing 

 from five to seven pounds a cluster. 



The witnesses are therefore numerous in favor of the 

 culture and encouragement of the foreign grape vine in this 

 country. 



The native grape of this country, when ripe, has a ten- 

 dency to acetous fermentation and decay. The juice of the 

 foreign grape is saccharine, with a tendency to granulate and 

 to dry into preservation. The grapes of this country gener- 

 ally require a season of from about three to three and a half 

 months to ripen. The saccharine fluid of the foreign grape 

 is slow in its ripening and requires a season, according to the 

 varieties, of from three and a half to six and seven months. 

 The grape of Canaan and the purple grape of Damascus will 

 illustrate. Several years ago I endeavored to grow these 

 grapes with the Burgundy, Chasselas, and others, in the open 

 air; they grew, and in the hot months promised well, but the 

 fruit of the former were cut off" by frosts when about half 

 formed. We have since introduced them into our cold vin- 

 ery, where they are now growing with very fair success ; 

 they require a soil suited, great heat, and a season of from 

 six to seven months to ripen into full maturity. 



These facts will regulate the selection and the treatment of 

 the different varieties of the vine. England and ourselves 

 might now contest with the vineyards and the wine countries 

 of the continent ; and win the premium, on table grapes, for 



