244 



The Grape Culturist. 



EDITOES' LETTER BOX. 



ToLoxo, Ills., June 30tli, l.sci). 



Mr. Geo, Husmann : 



Dear Sir : Are the North Carolina 

 Seedling Grape and Rulander alike in 

 wood and foliage ; also in size of young 

 berries? My North Carolina and Eu- 

 lander are so near the same in wood 

 and foliage I can not see the difference ; 

 and berries about the same, and the 

 strongest growers I have in thirty vari- 

 eties. M}^ Louisiana is a very strong, 

 coarse grower ; young fruit large as 

 Concord now ; leaves look very near 

 identical with Roger's No. 9; the leaves 

 near tips of young slioots have a bronzy 

 look on upper side, and very white on 

 under side. These, with a number of 

 others, I bought from a propagator 

 here in Illinois, who claims to be cor- 

 rect in business. From what I can 

 learn from descriptions of them, they 

 are not true to name along with a num- 

 ber of others purchased from the same 

 party. A better prospect for grapes 

 than we have I never saw. We are 

 having rain continually almost, and 

 unless it clears up dry and warm, I 

 fear our fond hopes will end in a crop 

 of rotten grapes. Yours truly, 



J. Bakeu. 



r. S. We arc having the no pruning 

 no cultivating plan tried on here. This 

 is the third season. I have taken notes 

 at various times each season, and at 

 the end of this will report the result. 



J. B. 



[You have been swindled. The Eu- 

 lander and Louisiana are so easily dis- 

 tinguished from the North Carolina 

 Seedling, that they cannot be mistaken. 

 The North Carolina Seedling is a true 

 Labrusca^ an immense, long-jointed 



grower, with large, deeply lobed foliage, 

 covered with down underneath ; has 

 large, oblong berries, larger than Con- 

 cord. The Louisiana and Eulander 

 have heart shaped, glo«sy foliage, with- 

 out down on the under side ; bloom 

 very late, and the berries aie small. 

 The wood is very stocky and short- 

 jointed. We shall be glad to get your 

 notes]. — Ed. 



Bklton, Bell Co., Texas, Jiiiu- l.jth, isOil. 



Geo. Husmann, P^sq. : 



Dear Sir: Your valuable book is 

 before me, and I must say that I am 

 much pleased wiih it, so much so that 

 I am desirous of testing the growth of 

 grapes here, and would like to know if 

 you can furnish me plants — the best 

 wine grapes — and such as you think 

 would suit our climate. In the first 

 place my place is situated on a hill, on 

 the bank of a creek. The soil is of a 

 chocolate color, loose and mellow ; 

 depth of soil from 2 to 4 feet, the 

 concrete (gravel and shale) for about 4 

 feet, then a bed of rock. My land 

 produces well, and corn will remain 

 green two weeks longer than on the 

 richest bottom land. We are well pro- 

 tected by timber and mountains. From 

 the description 5'ou give of the follow- 

 ing grapes, I think they would suit our 

 climate : Concord, Norton's Virginia, 

 Herbemont, Hartford Prolific, Dela- 

 ware and Catawba. I planted 15 vines 

 of Catawba tiiis spring; the}' are doing 

 well ; have grown about three feet and 

 look healthy. I am a new beginner 

 and know but little about the cultiva- 

 tion. All the information I have is 

 from your work and others ; but I flat- 



