1838] 



F A R xAl K R S ' R K G I S T E R . 



637 



Froui tlie Raleigh Registiir. 

 OX 'iriE f LLTtRC OF GUAPE VINES. 



3/essrs. Editors: — An i-inolosy is due you from 

 riip lor tlie loiiiP cliMiiy in ofi'eri;i<r vou ommuiiira- 

 tiojis, iiccordiriix to promise, for your valueible p<^ri- 

 OvHir.nl. Want of lime, liitiierto, is inj' plea. For 

 since my vi.sit to your citv. last sprintr, unremittetl 



rate of more thmi two thoufaiiii irnHons per acre, 

 was the yield of the late Capt. /iiirlini;h<im''s 

 scuppernonir vineyard, near Ijfini.-jhiirjr. l<'ranldin 

 county. And, I understand thai ilie produce of 

 the same, now, is enormous. 



So lonji; as I have experimented vviih this vine 

 Cahout eight years) 1 am f-ann;uine, from its most 

 abundant yield this season and lierelolore, in ihe 



labor and atieniion to my complicated business of| expeclalion uf about two thousand <valloiis to ihe 



vineyards, nurseries, and plantalion, lias lefi me 

 no leisure lor UTitin<r in the day time; and the 

 niirhts have been too short lor that purpose. But 

 since ihey have now sufiicienily lenirihened, 1 

 may trouble you, with a series of short essays on 

 the vine and mulberry culture, and kindred sub- 

 jects. And however such subjects may lail to in- 

 terest, when discussed by me. yet in the view of 

 all truly enliiihiened patriots and statesmen, agri- 

 culture, includiuijiis various branches, confessedly 

 lies at the li)andation of human society and wel- 

 f:\re', and, therefore airricultural improvement is of 

 the utmost importance to all. And that this 

 branch of the arts is as capable as others of 

 fjreat and continuea improvements, by the accu- 

 mulated lights of science thereon, is manifest by 

 the fact of various ivinds of agricultural products 

 being doubled, trebled, quadrupled, and more, in 

 those counnies and districts where attention and 

 emulation have been excited by agricultural soci- 

 eties, legislative premiums, and the like; and 

 where, we may emphatically add, (he press has 

 diffused light and intelligence among the people 

 on the subject of this first of arts and sciences. 

 We miirht point you for example to Great Britain 

 and other parts of Euro[ie, as well as to different 

 districts o!"our own li'ee, enterprising, and beloved 

 country. 



Look at the state of Massachusetts, where an 



acre. And by the superior way of making scup- 

 [)ernong wine, by adding to ihe must doublv refined 

 sugar. It is carried from my door at .30 dollars a 

 barrel; and no prospect of any limit to the demand. 



Another grape, a native fiill superior vine of 

 this county, and called lor want of another name, 

 "/ia/z/ax," bids fi:tir to out-do the scuppernong 

 even, in yield and otiier excellencies, Cullivaieil 

 like'the scuppernong by my peculiar mode fijr all 

 vines, viz: that of trimming or keeping clear of 

 all laterals during the season of growing, and suf- 

 fering to go full length, or unchecked; at first, on 

 St ikes, and eventually, on scaflbldin<x, this vine 

 (the Halii'ax) has yielded at the rate of six hun- 

 dred gallons the acre, at the third yt-ar's cultiva- 

 tion, and nearly double this, tlie fourth years 

 growth, after planting with a root. It is, moreo- 

 ver, a large grape, excellent for table use. It 

 makes a most excellent lohiie wine by one (irocess, 

 and a red wine by another, pronounced by good 

 judges similar to Madeira. It has been affected 

 by no casuaiities of vines with me. 



The past hard winters killed or injured none of, 

 this kind. They have never Itiiled to bear abun- 

 dantly, and the first has never rotted. 



Considering the favorable nature of our climate, 

 and other inducements, it is my intention to con- 

 nect the vine and silk culture in the same estab- 

 lishment. My opinion coincides with that of 



enlightened legislature, by giving some thousands o^'^^rs consulted, on whose judgment, in such 



in the way of agricultural premiums, has increased 

 the resources of ihe stale, millions. What but 

 improvements in agriculture, by societies, periodi- 

 cals, and the like, connected with the judicious ap- 

 plication of the school fund to impart the blessings 

 of education among all classes of the people, has 

 confi^rred the title of empire state on New York? 

 And shall not North Carolina awake to the im- 

 portance of this subject, as well as to that of rail 

 roads? For, we may say, what are the advan- 

 tages of rail roads, if, by wretched and erroneous 

 management, lands continue to become sterile 

 and emigrations to the far west, increase? At 

 length, nothing may be produced to transport on 

 the rail roads. Virginia, an adjoining and sister 

 state, has awakened up to this subject, and that 

 mainly, we may say, owing to the exertions of 

 one individual, Mr. Ruffin, and one periodical, the 

 'Farmers^ Register.^ And, if si?7g/e/orce in one 

 state can do so much i.t this all important matter, 

 what might not the united force of North Caro- 

 lina's enlightened sons do7 



And to return from this digression, or general 

 remarks on agriculture, to the particular branches 

 first named, I would remark, from personal expe- 

 rience, as well as observation, that North Carolina 

 is as well calculated by soil and climate as any 

 part of America, not to say the world, for the 

 vine and silk culture. In Europe, six or eight 

 hundred gallons of wine from an acre, is consider- 

 ed a great yield; but our native scuppernong 

 yields more than double this quantity. At the 



matters, I place much coiifidence, that the press 

 of employment in either business will come at dif- 

 ferent times of the year, and not interfere with 

 each other. And that therefore, the same hands 

 can be employed at both, and have ample and lu- 

 crative employment, the year round. I consider 

 it a laudable ambition to afford constant, profita- 

 ble labor to widows and children and superannu- 

 ated persons, or to those in a dependent situation, 

 and, at the same time, make, clear of all outlays 

 500 dollars annually per acre by the silk, and 

 1000 dollars by the vine culture. 



Such ambiiion ought to be viewed as still more 

 worthy a genuine and enlin-htened patriot, when, 

 so far as crowned with success, it helps to relieve 

 our country of an annual foreign drain of millions 

 for wine and silk. In regard to this tendency of 

 the vine and silk culture, tiie legislative premium 

 in Massachusetts of two dollars a pound for all 

 silk manufactured in the state, ought to be looked 

 upon with the eye of patriotism as wisely mu- 

 nificent. 



Most respectfully, yours, &c, 



Sidney Weller. 



From the Roanolie Advocate. 



ON THE MORUS MUI.TICAULIS AND ITS ADAP- 

 TATION TO SOUTHERN CLIMES. 



******* That the multicaulis 

 is one of the most deliglitful ornamental trees of 

 moderate size, and most pleasant by its brilliant 



