Editors Letter Box. 



245 



ter myself, from your directions I can 

 cultivate, but manufacturing wine I 

 would have to inform myself or get a 

 good wine cooper for a year or two. 

 We have many grapes here in the woods, 

 the Mustang and Port Oak. We have 

 other small kinds, but the two former 

 will seldom miss. I made two barrels 

 of wine, if I am permitted to so call 

 it, last 3'ear. It made a very pleasant 

 drink, but if I had 3'our book before 

 me, I could, I am satisfied, improve it 

 much ; for I let the grapes remain in 

 the fermenting tub too long, and left 

 too much of stem. The juice for wine 

 was ver}^ strong, so much so that per- 

 sons who are in the habit of using 

 strong drink would be affected by one 

 glass of it. It contained a great deal 

 ot spirit. Thousands of bushels could 

 be gathered annuall3\ A good brandy 

 perhaps could be made from this. I 

 hope you will favor me with a reply, 

 stating the grapes you would recom- 

 mend and price per thousantl ; also at 

 the same time the price of cuttings, 

 and would not the fall be the best 

 time to get them ? 



Yours respectfully, 



Samuel W. Wycrants. 



[We send 3'ou the Grape Culturist, 

 in which we trust you will find the 

 information you wish. Your soil we 

 suppose to be well adapted from your 

 description of it. Of course we can 

 only guess at the varieties best adapted. 

 We would advise you to try Norton's, 

 Cynthiana, Herbemontj Cunningham, 

 Eulander, Louisiana, Concoi'd and Mar- 

 tha Get your plants in fall, b}^ all 

 means, especially for 3'our latitude, 

 where they c m not be shipped soon 

 enough in spring from a more northern 



latitude, to arrive in time for planting. 

 [—Ed. 



Eay County, Mo., May 28th, 1860. 



Hon. George Husmann : 



Dear Sir: Having been a reader of 

 several articles on graj)e culture and 

 ■wine by you, I am aware of the 

 great interest you take in this branch 

 of agriculture. This induces me to 

 seek some advice from your experi- 

 ence and vast knowledge in the treat- 

 ment of this plant. I intend to plant 

 a few acres in grape vines, but have 

 not been able to obtain any plants to 

 give satisfaction. I have tried plants 

 from several nursery men, but the 

 most of the plants, being very feeble, 

 soon died. Could you give me the 

 name of some propagator on whose 

 plants I could rely ? And would you 

 advise fall or spring planting ? If 

 your leisure time would allow to 

 answer these questions, you would 

 confer a great favor upon me and my 

 neighbor friends. 



I am, sir, with great respect. 



Your obedient servant, 

 Otto Kassmer. 



[Y''ou can rely upon the vines of 

 the following establishments, among 

 many others : Bluffton Wine Com- 

 pany, Wm. Wesselhoft, Secretaiy 

 Bluffton, Mo. ; Isidor Bush & Son, 

 Bushberg, I. M. E. E., Mo. ; Henry 

 Michel, St. Louis, Mo. 



If your ground is prepared, we 

 would advise fall planting, as the 

 ground is generally in better condi- 

 tion than in spring, and the vines will 

 start immediately as soon as vegeta- 

 tion appears. But you should run a 

 furrow between each row, to prevent 

 the water from stagnating around the 



