THE 



GRAPE CULTURIST, 



CHAPTEK I. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



EVERY one who has read ancient history, or studied any 

 of the numerous works on vine culture, is aware that the 

 grape has been cultivated and esteemed as one of the 

 choicest fruits ever since the earliest period. Vine culture 

 has been a constant attendant upon civilization, following 

 it from country to country, and progressing with it ; yet 

 the same species of vine that thrives so well over a great 

 portion of the Eastern Hemisphere has, except in a few 

 isolated locations, entirely failed in this our favored land. 

 Although we may regret that the European grape is un- 

 suited to our climate, yet we may congratulate ourselves 

 that we have indigenous species from which new varieties 

 have been produced which rival, in point of flavor at least, 

 any of the foreign ones ; and we are encouraged to hope 

 for a native grape which shall equal the European in every 

 good quality. 



The culture of the vine in this country has had many 

 obstacles to contend with. Those who had been accus- 

 tomed to the fine grapes of Europe could see nothing in 

 the inferior native grapes of this country to induce them 

 to attempt to cultivate them. For many years the vine- 

 yards in this country were planted with foreign varieties 



