CULTURE OF THE VINE IN THE UNITED STATES. 109 



quered by that intelligent and well-directed perseverance which usually con- 

 quers difficullics in every walk of life, and by which he has even conquered, 

 after years of mutual warfare, that loathsome and pestiferous insect, the rose-bug. 



For the table, the Doctor relies mostly on the Isabella, though, as will be seen, 

 the Catawba has preference in the wine-making vineyards of Ohio. We are not 

 without hope that the Doctor may find leisure and inclination to favor our read- 

 ers with practical hints that may assist to smooth the way to a general enjoy- 

 ment throughout the country, of this delightful fruit, except so far as the diffi- 

 culty in the way of it may continue to consist in that disreputable supineness 

 which alone need prevent any man who has a rood of land from having, for 

 every member of his family, and every neighbor or friend who visits him, at 

 least as many delicious grapes as they may choose to eat. 



Speaking on the experience of fifteen or twenty years, Dr. Underbill believes 

 the grape crop, with good management, to be in itself less precarious than any 

 field crop cultivated in the country — less so in America than in Europe, and far 

 more remunerating. 



To show how precarious is the product of grapes, as connected with the man- 

 ufacture of wine, in the best wine districts on the Rhine, we may refer again to 

 a recent exposition of Rhenish Industry. It is there stated that to one good vint- 

 age there are estimated two of ordinary yield, two of poor crops, and one total 

 failure ; so that the hard labor in the vineyard is accompanied by never-ceasing 

 anxiety of the owner for the result of his toil. 



A table is given of the product of wine in the Rhenish provinces through a suc- 

 cession of 24 years, ending with 1S42 ; and the quantity fluctuated between re- 

 markable CKtremes — as, for instance, from a minimum of 14,674 eiraurs up to 

 854,000. The average of the 24 years was 359,058 eimurs, or 5,385,000 gallons, 

 as the production of 48,9G8 morgens, or 31,195 acres — being nearly 185 gallons 

 l)er acre. In the twenty-four years quoted, two were average years, twelve were 

 below and ten above the average. 



It will be seen in another place that Mr. Moshek, of Ohio, estimates at a hio-her 

 rate than this the vineyards of that State. One acre of ground, he saj's, planted 

 six feet by three apart, Avill contain about twenty-four hundred vines — conse. 

 quenlly, will yield about one hundred and fifty (150) bushels of well-assorted 

 grapes, which will make three hundred gallons of wme — sometimes a little more 

 " I give," he adds, " three hundred gallons as the full average quantity of wine 

 made to the acre in the neighborhood of Cincinnati." 



Dr. U. as has been said, rather prefers, for the New-York market, the Isabella 

 to the Catawba ; but says both have been improved by cultivation in the last fif- 

 teen years, very much beyoiid iv/iat is generally believed ; and, thoufrh himself 

 in the market as a vender of grapes, on a very large scale, is going on to extend 

 his vineyard every year, and recommends it most strongly to others. More than 

 four years ago he had twenty-two acres in grapes, having, after some years' trial, 

 banished all foreign grapes from his vineyard, satisfied that they cannot be eco- 

 nomically adapted to open field culture in our country, under ordinary circum- 

 stances. "We understand the price of two-year old rooted vines, by the hundred, 

 to be about 20 cents each ; and that an acre set in them, all expenses told, will 

 be about $G00 ; while in Ohio, Mr. Moshcr says, the preparation of the ground 

 for a well trenched vineyard, adding the cost of twenty- four hundred vines, at 

 sixty dollars per thousand, or six cents each, for one-year old vines (the custom- 

 ary price in that market), with the cost of planting, will make the expense of 



. (253) 



