VINE. 



VINE. 



2. Black Prince. This is a very fine grape, therefore, the cultivation of the vine has made 

 and nearly if not quite equal to the black comparatively little progress, it is mainly be- 

 Hamburgh; both of these sorts ripen in a cause other fruits and other crops have offered 

 southeastern aspect, about the middle of Oc- greater attractions. But as the country has 

 to b er . ; advanced, and the population is concentrated 



3. Esperione. The Esperione vine is very in large towns, the grape has become an ob- 

 harily, extremely prolific, and ripens its fruit ject of more interest, and we think it would 

 perfectly in any season, however unfavourable, now reward the industry of our farmers. 



4. Black Muscadine. This is also a prolific 



2. This cultivation would have two objects, 



bearer, but it requires a good aspect to ripen it the making of wine, and the supply of grapes 

 perfectly. 



5. Miller's Burgundy. This is a very hardy 

 and prolific grape, and ripens perfectly in any 

 season. Its leaves, which are very thick, dis- 

 tinguish it from every other sort, being covered 

 on both sides with a hoary down, which, when 

 they arc young, is nearly white; hence it is 

 called the "mtfferV grape. 



6. Claret grape. This is a very fine wine 

 grape. It requires a good aspect. Early in 

 the summer its leaves change to a russet red, 

 ami die in the autumn of a deep purple blood 

 colour. 



7. 8, 9. Black, grizzly, and white Frontignan. 

 The flavour of these three sorts is so extremely 



.delicious, that no good vine wall should be 

 without them. They ripen well in favourable 

 aspects, and where the soil is very dry; but, 

 being thin-skinned, and constitutionally dis- 

 posed to decay after they become fully ripe, 

 they cannot be kept long on the vine, particu- 

 larly if the wall against which they are grow- 

 ing be destitute of a projecting coping. 



\Vhite Muscadine. This is an exceed- 

 ingly fine grape, and a prolific bearer; and 

 from its hardy nature, and the certainty with 

 which it ripens in any season, it may be con- 

 sidered as the best white grape that can be 

 grown on open walls. 



11. Malmsey Muscadine. This resembles 

 the preceding, except that the berries are 



smaller, and the branches not so regularly 

 formed; but the juice is sweeter, and pos- 

 sesses a higher flavour. 



12. White sweetwater. This is a delicious 

 grape; but, owing to its tenderness when in 

 blossom, the berries sit very unevenly on the 

 branches. 



If it be desired to have a very early sort, to 

 the preceding may be added the early black 

 July; which, though the branches and berries 

 are smaller, and the latter in general unevenly 

 set, is a very sweet and also a well-flavoured 

 grape. (Hoare on the Cultivation of the Grape.- 

 Vint on open Walls, 3d edition ; Phillips' s Hist. 

 O//VIM/,, p. 177.) 



The work of Mr. Hoare is so full of details 

 that it is scarcely necessary to add any thing 

 to the directions contained in his work ; and 

 we shall therefore confine ourselves to a state- 

 ment of a few general truths in regard to the 

 cultivation of the vine in the United States, the 

 of much observation and some experi- 

 ence. 



for the table. As to the first, we have no doubt 

 that wine can be made of an excellent quality 

 and at not unreasonable prices in the United 

 States. In fact, we know that cultivators on a 

 large scale, such as Mr. Rapp, at Harmony, Mr. 

 Longworth, in Ohio, Mr. Geo. Sheaff, and Mr. N. 

 Biddle, both of Pennsylvania, have succeeded 

 in making wine good, sound, palatable wine, 

 which would require only the wine-dealers' arts 

 to place it on a footing of equality with some of 

 the best wines of Europe. But so long as the 

 wines of France and of the old-established wine 

 countries of Europe can be produced so cheap- 

 ly, and imported with scarcely any duty, the 

 competition of the foreign wine-makers is diffi- 

 cult to withstand, and it is mainly, therefore, 

 when raised for the table that grapes will repay 

 the labour of the farmer; and this, we think, 

 they certainly would do. The importation of 

 grapes and raisins into the United States will 

 afford the best evidence of the consumption of 

 those articles, and their cost to us. 



We happen to have before us two returns 

 of importations for different years, from which 

 we make the following extracts. 



In the year 1834 the importation stood thus 



Raisins in jars 

 All other raisins - 



Quantity. 

 6,897,517 Ibs. 

 7,423,567 



14,321,084 



Value. 



$477,318 

 306,516 



$783,834 



The importation of 1837 was 



Raisins in boxes - 

 All other raisins - 



Quantity. 

 12,331, 782 Ibs. 

 6,805,316 



Value. 



$980,201 



19,137,098 $1,320,30 



1. The vine is a native of America, as it is 

 of Asia, while it was an exotic in Europe. 

 There is nothing, therefore, in the soil or cli- 

 mate of America uncongenial to the vine, and, 



in fact, there are few parts of the United States e . e , 



whpre the forests are not filled with grape-vines think it necessary to give any directions, since 

 rith the greatest exuberance. If, ; whoever proposes it will find ample instruc 



We have not at hand any more recent state- 

 ments, and therefore do not know how these 

 importations have been sustained. But these 

 tables show an efficient Demand for grapes, 

 fresh and dried, of no less than 1,320,000 dol- 

 lars in a single year. Such an object is worth 

 contending for. These imported grapes are 

 generally not of the best kind, even in their 

 own country, being selected mainly on account 

 of their hard skins and their ability to bear the 

 long voyage. They are gathered before they 

 are fully ripe, and, being packed in sawdust, 

 they retain too much of the flavour of that ma- 

 terial. Now, if these grapes were met on their 

 arrival by grapes grown here, and plucked 

 from the vines within a few hours instead of 

 a few months before they are brought on the 

 table, the preference could not fail to be given 

 to the native fruits. 



Such fruits might be furnished from vineries 

 covered with glass, or raised in the open fields. 



For raising grapes under glass, we do not 



