Editors Letter Box. 



219 



some of the later, however, are just 

 now ill bloom. How does this compare 

 with your season and country? 



A. B. Roberts. 

 [All the varieties have bloomed 

 here (Bluffton, June 27,) except the 

 Herbemont, Cunningham, Rulanderand 

 Louisiana. The Marion was the earli- 

 est in bloom, about three weeks ago ; 

 then came Huntingdon, Tajdor and 

 Clinton. They are now as large as 

 buckshot. It seems you are about two 

 weeks earlier than we are here.] — Ed. 



Catawissa, La., April 13, 1869. 



Dear Sir: I send you to-day a one 

 year vine of the Paxton Grape of my 

 own raising. I have fruited It now six 

 years. It is as nigoed as Hartford, and 

 is the best cropper I have ever grown ; 

 bunch and berry large, holds its fruit 

 finch', colors with Hartford, but does not 

 ripen as soon. If the vine reaches you 

 in good condition, I am certain you will 

 get fruit in 1870. Let the fruit hang on, 

 at least some of it, until the middle or 

 last of October, and please let me hear 

 from you when you have tested it. 

 Respectfully yours, 



F. F. Mp:rceron. 



[Vine received in good order, and we 

 shall report on the Paxton as soon as we 

 have tried it. It will receive the best of 

 care at our liands. Shall be glad to send 

 you any thing you may desire from our 

 collection in return. Will others of our 

 readers follow this example? We are 

 ready to trj' what they may send us, and 

 will cheerfully reciprocate with anything 

 we may have.] — Ed. 



Sandusky, O., May 1st, 1869. 



Dear Sir: I arrived home safely after 

 my pleasant trip to Alton. Your 

 Society is on the right track, Avith the 

 men who know hoAV to manage it, and 

 bound to succeed. 



I returned home perfectly satisfied on 



several subjects ; was especially delight- 

 ed with your pleasant wines; am quite 

 sure now we can compete in this country 

 with the best French wines. 



1 never had any doubt that our native 

 wines would aid us in the cause of tem- 

 perance, from observations made in trav- 

 eling through most of the wine countries 

 of Europe. Also can state that there is 

 far less intemperance in this section since 

 the introduction of our native wines, 

 and they have come into common use. 



You know that I do not endorse what 

 I call a foolish move of our society in 

 discarding wine, merely to please some 

 nonsensical whims of a few of its oflicers. 

 If they had any conscientious scrui)les, 

 or rather superstitious ones, let them 

 retire and their place would be filled 

 with better men. 



For grape men must make wine, which 

 is a healthy, good drink, and will always 

 be used ; it is much better to use our na- 

 tive than the adulterated foreign wines. 



Grapes and wines can not be separated ; 

 it is sheer nonsense to try to separate 

 them. 



Enclosed is two dollars for subscrip- 

 tion to Grape Culturist. 



I have the numbers up to May ; send 

 that number. You will recollect you 

 gave me the rest at Alton. 

 Yours respectfully, 



D. C. Richmond. 

 P.S. r wrote a short article which is pub- 

 lished in the Ohio Farmer, of which I 

 requested the editor to send you a copy. 



[The above, from a gentleman con- 

 nected with a large grape growing com- 

 pany at Sandusky, Ohio, and who had, 

 during , extensive travels in Europe, 

 abundant opportunity to form a judg- 

 ment about wines, is very gratifying. 

 Men with the experience of Mr. Rich- 

 mond "know whereof thej" atfirm" when 

 they say that our wines can successfully 

 compete with the European importations, 

 and their opinions carry conviction with 

 them.]— Ed. 



