Age of Grape Vines for Planting. 



75 



HISTOEY OF TEE CUKXI^GHAxM GEAPE. 



BY JOHN J. WERTII OF RICHMOND, VA. 



Thi8 valuable variety, of our class 

 of native grapes, originated in the 

 garden of Mr. Jacob Cmnningham, in 

 Prince Edward County, Ya. about 

 tbe year 1812; and in 1832 had covered 

 an arbor 60 feet in length and 12 feet 

 in height — having proved a hardy 

 and thrifty vine, and a prolific bearer. 

 In the latter j'ear, Mr. Samuel W. 

 Venable had established in his vine- 

 yard in Prince Edward, a number of 

 vines of this variety; and he was pro- 

 bably the first person who made wine 

 from it, under intelligent and expert 

 management. He pronounced the 

 wine as very much resembling Ma- 

 deira. Dr. D, N. Norton, a promi- 

 nent amateur horticulturist, and an 

 acknowledged expert in foreign wines 

 (and who first cultivated and intro- 

 duced to notice our invaluable Norton 

 grape) made wine from the Cunning- 

 ham grape in 1885, pracuring his 

 stock from Mr. Yenable; and furnish- 

 ing to the elder Prince, of Flushing, 

 Long Island, the stock whijh was the 

 base from which the grape has been, 



no doubt, disseminated, directly or 

 indirectly, through different sections 

 of the Country. Dr. Norton pro- 

 nounced the wane very similar to 

 Murdoch d- Co's. celebrated brand of 

 Madeira. 



Mr. Veuable entertained no doubt 

 that the Cunningham grape was a 

 chance seedling of the Bland grape, 

 which is doubtless a seedling of our 

 wild fox, and in 1812 was found in 

 almost every garden in this State, 

 within 150 miles of the coast, where 

 any grape was cultivated. 



As far as I have traced this grape, 

 since it came under my notice in l8o3, 

 it has borne the uniform reputation 

 of being in our climate hardy, healthy 

 and productive ; but our people hav- 

 ing evinced very little enterpriz;e (un- 

 til within the past three or four years) 

 in the matter, of grape culture, it has 

 been disseminated to a very limited 

 extent, and w^e have now to go to 

 Missouri for an authentative endorse- 

 ment of its high qualities. 



AGE OF GEAPE YINE3 FOR PLANTING. 



{Joiinicd of AgTicidhire.) 



Those about to start a vineyard, or 

 to plant a dozen or two vines for home 

 use, oiten ask whether they shall plant 



There are various reasons for this : 

 1st. For several years past the demand 

 has been so great, that all vines that 



vines of one or two years' growth, had made anytning like a fair growth 

 Wo uniformly reply — one year old the first year were disposed of, so that 

 vineSj if you can get them. i only the stinted ones were kept over. 



