92 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No, 2 



sowing clover in the spring, in ordinary soutliern 

 soils. The state of North Carolina is now p;oing 

 ahead in clover culture in many sections ol' the 

 country, through the light thrown thereon by our 

 agricultural periodicals. Last summer, I saw as 

 fine a field of clover as ever I beheld, on the plan- 

 tation of Mr. Massenburgh, a very intelligent, en- 

 terprising farmer, near Louisburgh, N. C; and if 

 I recollect his information, he was not even indebt- 

 ed to plaster of Paris (or his success. My excel- 

 lent and intelligent neighbor, Mr. William Thome, 

 has successfully cultivated clover for several years; 

 but the first year he commenced would have been 

 a total failure, had he not resorted to a dressing of 

 plaster. A long dry spell came on in the sum- 

 mer, after he had sowed a bushel of clover seed in 

 the spring, and his young clover vvas apparently 

 killed; but the plaster revived it, and a very fine 

 crop was the consequence of its resuscitation. 



S. VVellkr. 



OJV GRAPE AXD SILK CULTURE. 



To Sidney Weller, Esq. 



Columbia, S. C, March 8, 1S38. 



Dear Sir — I have, yesterday, received 3'our 

 obliging letter of the 26th ult., and also three small 

 cuttings of your grape vine, which you call '-Hali- 

 liix," and which I propose to call "Weller,'" after 

 you. It is perfectly fair to name plants, or fruit of 

 great value, by tho name of the person who intro- 

 duces them, not only into notice, but takes great 

 pains to extend theirculture. By thismeans, bene- 

 factors of mankmd have their names honorably 

 transmitted to poslerit}'. 



I am glad that your opinion coincides with mine, 

 as relates to the culture of the vine and silk at the 

 same time by the same person. There are, perhaps, 

 no two articles of culture, the prosecution of which 

 interferes as little widi each other; for at the very 

 lime that the silk worms require all the attention 

 and care necessary to their wellare, the vineyard 

 should not be entered, and indeed with the proper 

 degree of industry required in the culture of any 

 thing, the vines must be, durin;^that short period, 

 in such a stale as not to require any thinir being 

 done to them. Besides this coincidence, as to lime, 

 much is to be done in the vineyard that requires 

 more attention than strength; so that ihe same 

 persons who are aderjuate to the cares of the silk- 

 worms, are also sulncient to do much that is re- 

 quired in the vineyard. What sources of wealth 

 and comlijris will, I hope, be some day produced, 

 hy the joint culture of these two valuable articles. 

 They are the more valuable that they require no 

 capital of any amount to be established, provided 

 there are larger proprietors in the neighborhood. 

 These would 'dlways be ready and willing to pur- 

 chase of their poorer neighbors, their cocoons and 

 the grapes of their own raisings; and these would 

 gradually learn the arts of preparing the silk iur 

 market, and of making wine, secundum artem, as 

 their profit would, in time, afford them the means of 

 forming suitable establishments for these purposes. 

 Another great advantage attending these cultures, 

 so as to make them suitable for the poorer class of 

 farmers as well as the richer ones, is that both 

 these articles of culture, require land only of in- 



ferior quality for their fijllest success. It is cer- 

 tainly a fact that the wines produced on poor light 

 lands, are of a superior quality to those produced 

 on richer clay lands. I have no experience in the 

 culture of silk sufficient to enable me to speak of 

 my own knowledge; but the books I have read on 

 the subject, state the fact clearly and distinctly, that 

 the mulberry leaves produced on poor land pro- 

 duce finer and superior silk. Here are, then, two 

 objects as valuable, if not more so, than any other 

 yet cultivated in this country, which offer the in- 

 calculable advantage of leaving the richer lands 

 for other necessary articles of culture. I regret 

 much that I am too old to hope to see the immense 

 benefits, which our country will derive llrora the 

 culture of silk and the vine. ( VVe are never at a 

 loss for finding a good reason for wishing to live 

 long.) There is, 1 think, another object of rural 

 economy that would harmonize well with the two 

 mentioned above, and would tend to the great 

 comfort of the Cultivator, and that is the dairy. 

 It appears to me that a dairy establishment would 

 scarcely interftjre at all, either with the raising of 

 silk or of wine, and it would undoubtedly add 

 much to the convenience and comforts, not only ol' 

 the cultivators, but also of all the country around. 

 I liad no idea at all of writing on these subjects, 

 wiien I began to write; but my pen would go on, 

 and I gave it its way. I merely intended to say, 

 that I had received the three grape cuttings you 

 were so obliging as to send me; that I gave one 

 of them to one of my neighbors, who is also a 

 zealous cultivator of the vine, and that I grafted 

 the other two. I hope the box you are sending, 

 will also arrive safe and in due season. 



I am respectfully, sir, your ohd't. serv't. 

 N. Hereebioist. 



MR. WELLER S WINE. 



We lately received from Mr. Weller, two bottles of 

 wine, made by him from the native grapes referred to 

 in the foregoing and a previous communication. One 

 was labelled "Scuppernong," and the other, "Hahfax 

 Grape;" and both were of the pure juice of these 

 grapes, except for the addition of sugar before fermen- 

 tation. The two wines were tasted and drunk, not at 

 the same time, but at times a week apart; and there- 

 fore we may have been mistaken in supposing that there 

 was no difference in the flavor; nor was there any appa- 

 rent difference in any other respect. From this close 

 resemb]ance,it would seem that it is the process used, 

 and not any peculiar quality of either grape, which 

 gives character to this wine. Though fond of good wine, 

 we make not the slightest pretension to the character 

 of a connoisseur, and therefore our opinion on this sub- 

 ject may be worth very little. But according to that 

 opinion, this wine is the most delicious drink that we 

 have ever enjoyed. It is altogether unlike any 

 known imported wine, except champagne, which it 

 resembles in flavor, color, and transparency, but not 

 in sparkling, as these are "still" wines. Eut what is 

 most remarkable and admirable in them, is the preser- 

 vation, in a high degree, of the sweet and rich scent of 

 ripe muscadine grapes. Mr. Weller's wine has 

 more of saccharine flavor, and less alcohol, than 

 would please regular drinkers. It is altogether 



