168 Merits of the Isabella and Catawba Grape. 



state far inferior to the Catawba, either for the table or for 

 wine. I have had a bunch of the Catawba to weigh twenty- 

 four ounces. I have a white variety of the Catawba, and 

 another Catawba producing fruit a third larger than the Ca- 

 tawba of Adiuni. I say the Catawba of Adlum, for Major 

 AdUnn was the first to bring it into notice. 



I have three varieties of native grapes, which T consider 

 far superior to the Catawba for the table. They have none 

 of fhe hard pulp common to the Catawba, Schuylkill, Musca- 

 del, and the Isabella. For the table, they are equal to the 

 Meunier, or Miller's Burgundy, and as free of pulp. One of 

 them, which I first met with a few years since, I call the 

 Ohio grape. The vine is perfectly hardy, a fine bearer, has 

 never had the mildew or rot, and the bunches very large, say 

 four times the size of the Burgundy. I sent a bunch of these 

 grapes to Boston, last fall, but it was too long on the road to 

 be in perfection. I will give five hundred dollars for a root 

 of a native grape, that in quality of the fruit and size of the 

 bunch, shall surpass it. The other two are equally good for 

 the table, perfectly hardy, great growers, but the bunches of 

 fruit are not so large. 



I was surprised, when east, to find no good native grapes. 

 At my diflerent vineyards, I have about sixty acres in grapes, 

 but not all in bearing. Last season, I had not half a crop, 

 with the exception of one vineyard, where the fruit was abun- 

 dant and fine. I made about two hundred barrels of wine, 

 and some brandy. I am now raising large quantities of vines 

 from the seed of n)y best varieties of native grape, having 

 cleared a piece of new land expressly for that purpose. 



The Bland grape is not a native. It was introduced into 

 Virginia from France, about fifty years since, by a French 

 gentleman, as I was informed by Gen. Harrison, who knew 

 the gentleman, and had seen the fruit on his table, more than 

 forty years since. It is a good table grape, but subject to 

 mildew, and does not always ripen its wood or its fruit. 



Yours, respectfully, tvt y 



' '^ -^ ' JN. LONGWORTH. 



Cincinnati, Ohio, March, 1842. 



[We are obliged to our respected correspondent for the 

 above, and hope he will give us an account hereafter of his 

 success in the production of seedling varieties. — Ed.] 



