INTRODUCTION. 23 



them is chiefly in the size of the berry and the 

 flavour of the fruit, as the grape of Burgundy 

 possesses an agreeable sweetness, which ifsuffered 

 to wilt a little on the vine, deprives it of the acid 

 character, and renders it palatable as a desert for 

 the table. The appearance of the different fruits 

 is so much the same, that it is easy to believe the 

 superiority of that of Burgundy, over the little 

 indigenous grape of Pennsylvania, may not be be- 

 yond the effect of cultivation, judicious pruning, 

 a soil congenial to its habits, and the favourable 

 inclination of the ground, on which in that coun- 

 try the vine is generally found. The acidity be- 

 longing to our native grape will be so changed 

 by cultivation that we may reasonably expect 

 from it a fair wine, as it is perfectly understood 

 by the European cultivator, that the fruit most 

 highly esteemed for the table, affords in general 

 an inferior wine, and is seldom cultivated for 

 that object. 



The mode of vine growing in general use in 

 Burgundy, appears objectionable on some points, 

 and is considered so, I believe, by many practi- 

 cal cultivators of that country, who, nevertheless 

 continue to tread in the footsteps of their ances- 

 tors, as the result perhaps of long habit, and in- 

 fluenced, it may be, by present pecuniary circum- 

 stances. 



A century has elapsed since the establishment 

 of many of their present vinegrounds, and during 

 that time the vineyard has assumed a different as- 

 pect, as new lights have opened on the cultivator. 

 The late plantations bear the evidence of an im- 

 provement in the cultivation, but to avail of these 



