112 



MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



THE "WHITE FRENCH GRAPE." 



PERFECTLY ACCLIMATED IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



■Extract of a letter from Jos. C. G. Kennedy, of Meadville, Pennf jivania, to J. S. Skinner, Cor. Sec. of 

 the Col. Horticultural Society. 



I CANNOT let this opportunity pass without mentioning the existence of a very 

 fine variety of grafe in this section of our country. The vine was found by the 

 early settlers of this region, in two or three places in Venango county, near the 

 mouth of French creek, where Franklin is situated, where formerly stood a 

 French fort. The French had at an early day a line of military posts from Fort 

 Du Quesne (now Pittsburgh) to Canada. It is in the neighborhood of Franklin 

 where the grape is found growing wild, or was so some years since ; it is now 

 cultivated in a few gardens. The grape is white, of large size, thin skin and 

 fine flavor ; in appearance resembling the white grape brought from the West 

 Indies to your market, but larger. The vine, if of foreign origin, has become 

 perfectly acclimated, is very hardy, and a good learer. I doubt not it would 

 prove a valuable acquisition if propagated more extensively and brought into no- 

 tice. It was found, uniformly, growing on low grounds, and near water. I 

 have heard its existence in these parts accounted for in this way, viz : during the 

 occupancy of the military posts by the French, a keel-boat was at one time 

 wrecked in the river near Franklin ; that on board of her were grape cuttings or 

 vines, destined for Canada; that those cuttings, lodging on an alluvial shore, 

 took root, and thus the origin of what with us is termed " the while French 

 grape.'''' I am cultivating a few vines, which would have enabled me to say 

 more concerning them and their produce, had not the nipping frost of 2d June 

 destroyed their blossoms, an occurrence proving no tenderness, as the u-hitc-oak 

 leaves in some places shared the same fate, and they are esteemed a hardy plant 



GERMAN PLOWS AND PLOWING. 



How do these implements, used on the Rhine, compare with ours ? Banfielp, 



in his work just published, says — 



Besides the large estates in the Grand Dncliy of Darmstadt that we have already noticed 

 as under scientific management, we may name the estate of Bai-on Von Babo, near Wein- 

 heim, as very accessible from Heidelberg. From Badeu-Badrn e.xciu-sioiis may be made to 

 Rothenfcls and Augustenburg, comitry-seats belonging to the Margrave Williiun of Baden, 

 which have long sen-ed as pattern fanns. Baion Von Babo is an niithor on agric^ultural sub- 

 jects, and the result of a few out of numerous e.xperiments tliat he has caused to be made 

 with plows, will both show the interest with which intelligent fanners follow improvements 

 in Germany, and will throw a useful light on the plow of the Palatinate, vihich we before 

 praised as well adapted to the soil. One of these, with a plow in use on the Bergstrasse, a 

 Flemish wheel, and a Flemish swing-plow, being tried against each otlier in a dry, stony 

 8oil, the result was — 



Plow used. 



Palatinate. 



(La(]enburg) , 



<Stras.«eriheiiu) 



Bergstrassk. 



( \V iesloch) 



Flcmisli with wheels ... 

 Flemish swing .^^^^^^^^^ 



Depth 



of 



Furrow. 



inches. 



Breadth 



of 

 Furrow. 



Power 

 used in 

 lirnueht. 



49 



3-5 

 3-0 



i: "7 



Rt-marks. 



Furrow i-lean and clod well luraed. 

 FuiTow not cleaii or well turned. 



Furrow shallow, well turned. 

 Not .so well cut or turned as in the 

 following, which v\-a.s the best. 



The simple form of stating the results of the trial of various plows may af- 

 ford a hint to Committees appointed to award preiniun;s for Ameiican plowing. 



