100 



The Grape Culturist. 



have been a little more guarded in bis 

 expressions about the Concord and 

 Norton's. If the Concord is deficient 

 with him by ten to fifteen degrees in 

 saccharine, we are sorry for him. AVith 

 us we have had the must range from 

 seventy-five to eiglity-four degrees by 

 Oechsle's scale, if well ripened. Our 

 friends from the Lalvc Shore advise us 



that the Norton does splendidly with 

 them, and deny the statement emphat- 

 ically that it will not succeed well there. 

 If he would tr}' Martha, Maxatawney, 

 Telegraph, and some of Rogers' Hy- 

 brids, we tliink that he would enlarge 

 his list for cultivation in Illinois. We 

 hope he will do so, and report. — Ed. 



ONE 3I0EE REMARK- ON THE RULANDER AND LOUISIANA. 



I am happ}- to say that only on one 

 point in the vast province of grape- 

 raising and wine-making, I differ from 

 our friend Ilusmann, namely : In the 

 classification of our grape vines. 



Thei-e are three opposite opinions 

 touching the origin and character of 

 the Rulander and Louisiana. Oar 

 friend Fr. Ilecker is positive that the 

 two named varieties are identical, and 

 nothing else but the more or less 

 acclimated or Americanized Clavner 

 of his native country, the (xraiid 

 Duchy of Baden. 



Mr. Ilusmann grants the difference, 

 nay, makes such a material diffei'encc 

 that he designates the Louisiana as a 

 hock-grap6, the Rulander as a sherry- 

 grape — asserting, however, that both 

 arc native American vines, "entirely 

 different in foliage, wood, and fruit, 

 from all the varieties belonging to the 

 vitis vinifera class " (that is, from the 

 vines of the old w^orld), and to be 

 reckoned among the " Southern divi- 

 sion of the ^Estivalis class" (summer 

 grapes). 



Now, this is more than my vintner's 

 conscience can stand. Of the differ- 

 ence, and an essential difference, a long 



experience has convinced me. Mr. 

 Hecker's recollections I deem correct, 

 so far as both varieties show a near 

 affinity and close resemblance to seve- 

 ral sub-species of the Burgundy familj- 

 — for instance, the Clavner and 

 others, extensively cultivated in 

 France, Germany, Hungary, etc. Of 

 this fact I was satisfied by a visit to 

 Germany and Switzerland, in 1859. 

 Other famous European varieties, 

 sometimes here exjierimented Avith, 

 as the Riesling, Traminer, and others, 

 in outer appearance are just as much 

 distinct from the Burgundj' family as 

 our Norton's Virginia is from the 

 Catawba. Besides, I have not the 

 least reason in the world to doubt the 

 statement of Mr. Tlieard (not 

 Thearel), of New Orleans, that the 

 Louisiana w^as, some sixty j^ears ago, 

 by his father, directly imported from 

 France. 



I will not depreciate the Rulander, 

 but, with me, its fruit is inferior to 

 that of the Louisiana, and is not half 

 so productive. 



In my judgment, a true hock wino 

 can only be gained from several vine 

 species grown in the middle of 





