520 



FARMERS' REGISTER— COMiMERCIAL REPORT. 



it reyembles the Bin-ffundy Madeira — others the 

 Lachrima Chnsti of Mount Vesuvius. A young 

 gentleman not long since liom that country, (Ita- 

 fy) says that abroad he should have drank it for 

 the last named wine. 



The Cunningham's Prince Edward grape alike 

 resists the winter and spring frosts, and never 

 fails to produce a crop of excellent fruit both for 

 the table, and the press. As yet I have not a suf- 

 ficient number of vines, to test in a satisfactory 

 manner, the quality of the Iruit. What has been 

 made upon a small scale, resembles the wines im- 

 ported into this place li'oni the house of Murdock 

 and Com|rany; unquestionably the best wine we 

 get from Madeira. 



The Worfhington grape vine is a great grower, 

 but not abundant as a bearer; the intensely high 

 lake color residing in the skin of this fruit, may be 

 used to advantage in tenting wines. If it ever 

 bears in quantities sufficient tor making wine, you 

 may expect it to yield a rich port. 



The Scuppernong, or Whhe Bullaee, of Roan- 

 oke, ripens its fruit with me in October. It pos- 

 sesses a honied sweetness, and musky flavor. I 

 think in a few years it will be more cultivated in 

 Virginia — for the richness of the grape will event- 

 ually recommend it to the vigneron for the purpose 

 of enriching the weak must of other fruits. 



The editor of the American Farmer received 

 fruit purporting to he Norton's Virginia Seedling, 

 from Pennsylvania, and made the report upon it 

 whicl\was afterwards published in your Register. 

 This gentleman's oj inions were so at variaiice 

 with what I had published to the world, that both 

 myself and friends were at considerable pains to 

 undeceive him, and to convince him that he liad 

 taken the wrong pig by the ear. Yet the decree 

 has been recorded, and like the laws of the Medes 

 and Persians cannot be reversed. If I really sup- 

 posed tlie circumstance could at all retard the in- 

 troduction of these two vines into culture (the 

 Seedling and Cunningham) I would be at more 

 pains to combat his opinion. Rel3"ing however, 

 upon the truth of my assertions, and the strongest 

 testimony to support them, I do not hesitate again 

 to say, that these two grapes properly cultivated, 

 will, at no distant period, be a nucleus whence will 

 emanate an advantage in our exports, scarcely to 

 be calculated. 



DANIEL KOREORNE NORTON. 



[While OiTering thanks for the interesting" matter 

 contained in the foregoing communication, we feel 

 bound to say something in defence of the judgement 

 of the former editor of the American Farmer. In 

 the article referred to above, Mr. Smith expressed his 

 opinion, and no doubt both impartially and correctly, 

 of several kinds of grapes sent to him for that pur- 

 pose from Pennsylvania, where they grew. That 

 among them called the Norton grape, might have been 

 rendered harsh in taste by removal to a northern re- 

 gion — or it might have been altogether a different 

 grape, improperly designated. But under any such 

 circumstances, Mr. Smith could only report the quali- 

 ties of the new grape as he found them, and with the 

 name by which it was accompanied. However op- 

 posed his report was to ours, lately made under 

 somewhat similar circumstances, we have as much 



ence of opinion to the very different qualities of the 

 grapes examined. So far as may be inferred from 

 what has been published on this subject, we think that 

 Mr. Smith cannot be charged with having done injus- 

 tice, and that he would be pleased to be convinced, 

 and then be ready to acknowledge, that Norton's Seed- 

 ling in Virginia has a very different character from tho 

 specimen which he examined.] 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 MONTHLY COMMERCIAL REPORT. 



The course of trade has been so regular for 

 some time past as scarcely to furnish any subject 

 on which to remark. 



Some depression in the price of cotton has oc- 

 curred this month, in consequence of the opinions 

 expressed by some well informed merchants at 

 the South and West, that the crop of the United 

 States of the present years' growth, wouldiexceed 

 that of the last to a considerable extent. The 

 price declined from 16 cents, its maximum, to 15 

 cents for prime quaUty, and would have gone low- 

 er, had the decline not been checked by counter 

 statements, that the probable extent of the crop 

 will be about the same as that of 1833 — say, rath- 

 er more than 1,200,000 hales. Time only can 

 solve the correctness of either opinion, and mean- 

 while speculation will be influenced as one or the 

 other may prevai'. The quantity exported from 

 the United States since the 1st of October, exceeds 

 that of last year to the same date. The latest ac- 

 counts from England (15th November,) may de- 

 press prices here. 



Tobacco is in brisk demand, and sells at higher 

 prices than usually prevail so early in the season, 

 when the quality of what is brought to market is 

 generally very inferior, consisting of the worst por- 

 tion of the crop, only partially cured and unfit for 

 exportation. The current sales are from ^4 to 

 •971 per 100 lbs. The foreign export of the old 

 crop has latterly been chiefly to France, to which 

 market, untilthe present month, only one cargo had 

 been shipped this season. The stock remaining 

 on hand at the Virginia inspections on the 1st 

 inst. was but 5,500 hhds. against 15,000 on the 

 1st December, 1833, and this small stock will be 

 considerably reduced by shipments during the pre- 

 sent month. Markets abroad are not very favora- 

 ble for this article — nor does the consumption of it 

 increase. 



Flour continues to decline in price under the 

 pressure of heavy supplies from the West, and 

 the absence of foreign demand. In New York, 

 .^4 62 to ^5 25 embraces all quotations, except 

 for Richmond City Mills, which is worth #6. 

 The crop of wheat in Virginia is nearly exhausted. 

 Indian corn commands $3 to $3 25 per bbl. 

 of 5 bushels, and higher prices in the interior, 

 where the crops were injured. 



Pork sells readily at ^5^ to ^6 per 100 lbs. 

 There is no change in the value of stocks, ex- 

 change, &c. to require particular notice. 



X. 



December 20th, 1834. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Communications have been received on the follow- 

 ing subjects: Neiv viode of keeping sweet potatoes — 

 Preservation of posts, ^c. SfC. — Observations on wild 



confidence in his as in our own, and impute the differ- I rice — Queries respecting cedar hedges. 



