282 



The Grape Cidturist. 



Oswego, Oregon, .Tuly 21, 1809. 



Mr, Gkorgk Husmann : 



Dear Sir : Thinking 3-ou -would like 

 to know something of the prospects 

 of the grape crop in this part of the 

 world, I drop you a line. Mj^ vine- 

 yard is eight miles south of Portland, 

 lat. 45 deg. 25 min. I have but a few 

 hundred vines, comprising sixteen or 

 twenty kinds, mostlj' the earlier na- 

 tives, though the foreign grape ( Vitis 

 Vinifera) seems to flourish equally 

 Avell. The grape seems to be per- 

 fectly healthy here. 1 have never seen 

 a symptom of disease either of leaf 

 or berry. As a general thing, our 

 nights are too cool for any except the 

 earliest kinds to ripen perfectl}', but 

 this season is an exception. We have 

 had an exceedingl}- drj^ and warm 

 summer so far, and fruits of all kinds 

 are nearly a month earlier than usual. 

 The prospect now is that we shall 

 have the best croji of grapes ever seen 

 in Oregon. The Hartford Prolific, 

 Delaware, and Israella are beginning 

 to color. Allen's Hybrid also begins 

 to show signs of ripening. 



Yours respectfully, 



Webfoot. 



[Thanks for your communication 

 *' across the hills." We wish that you 

 could have shared in our superabun- 

 dance of water. Please let us hear 

 from you again. — Ed.] 



Almont, Mich., July 2,}, isOi). 



George Husmann : 



I Dear Sir: I have been reading with 

 a great deal of interest your article in 

 the Agricultural Report for 18G7, on 

 ^'American Wine and Wine Making." 

 There are a few (and only a few in this 

 section) who are manifesting some in- 

 terest in the culture of the grape. 



What I mostlj^ wish to know from you 

 is whether there is in this country, and 

 if so, where, and who has it, the grape 

 root called in France Xa I^olle (the 

 Craz}). If you know where it can be 

 obtained, you will confer a great favor 

 upon me by giving me the knowledge. 



Very respectfully, your well-wisher, 

 O. P. Strobridge, M. D. 



[We do not know where the variety 

 3'ou speak of can be obtained, and fear 

 it will not su< cecd even if you should 

 get it, as fore gn grapes have nearly all 

 proved failures, except under glass. 



Can any of our readers give the de- 

 sired information, and a description of 

 its habits? — Ed.] 



Coi.UMBUS, Miss., August 17, ]8b9. 



George Husmanx, Esq. : 



Dear Sir: In an article written b}' 

 you some time ago in Tiltons Maga- 

 zine^ you say that you can improve 

 wines by correcting their faults. I 

 agree fully with you, and I have done 

 so with our native INIuscadine (Black 

 Scuppernong), which grape most alwa^'S 

 has too much tannin ; but I relied in 

 adding sugar or water on the test of 

 my tongue. Now, you will oblige me 

 very much if you will inform me what 

 instruments j^'ou use to tell the amount 

 of saccharine matter in the must or the 

 alcohol in the wine. Our Muscadine 

 crop of this 3'ear is quite promising, 

 and 1 intend to make many barrels. 

 When cool weather has set in, I will 

 send you a sample of my last year's 

 Muscadine. You will find it quite dif- 

 ferent from 3'our wines. 



Very respectfully, 



J. J. COLMANT. 



[We send you the Grape CiIlturist, 

 in which we trust 3'ou will find the in- 



