Reports on Grapes. 



303 



started, find has tasted the wine from 

 theiB. His opinion of our situation, 

 soil, and the fruit of them, is such as to 

 give us the greatest possible encourage- 

 ment, that our situation is second to 

 none in the country for the growing of 

 the grape. Our autumns are long and 

 winters mild. For the last two years, 

 the only ones of which I have the 

 record, we have not had frost before 

 the 24th of October, and our location 

 on the border of the river secures us 

 from late spring frosts, while in our 

 dry est weather, such as we are now ex- 

 vperiencing, our dews are nightly heavy. 

 At Mr. Mittnecht's suggestion we are 

 going to try a few plants of the Herbe- 

 mont, Norton's Virginia and Cynthiana, 

 on a warm southern slope. 



We have 800 acres of land ranging 

 one and three-fourth miles along the 

 river shore, with a depth of from one- 

 half to three-fourths of a mile, while 

 about the same breadth still further on 

 brings us to the Elk river. It has oc- 

 curred to us that we might possibly 

 colonize a few grape growers — some- 

 thing after the fashion of Bluffton. 

 Our own vineyards have tested the mat- 

 ter of adaptiveness of soil and situa- 

 tion, and we shall continue to extend 

 our own vineyards as rapidly as we 

 can; yet we know the value of associa- 

 tion in such an undertaking, and it 

 would also be impossible for us to 

 manage and care for the large number 

 of vines we should like to see extend- 

 ing along our shores. Since writing 

 our last, a friend has offered to send us 

 a few bunches of Salems, so that we 

 may judge for ourselves. 



Yours trul}^ Edward P. Hipple. 



[We are glad to hear so good a re- 

 port from 5'ou. AVe think you will do 



well to tr}'- the Nortons, Cynthiana, 

 Herbemont and Cunningham. They 

 ought to do well with you ; also Goethe 

 (Rogers' No. 1). We have expressed 

 our opinion of the value of colonization 

 in grape growing elsewhere. It pre- 

 sents great advantages, if the right kind 

 of men can be brought together, to work 

 together harmoniously-. We hope to 

 show a conclusive proof of it in a few 

 years. — Ed.] 



Cold WATER, August 23, IS6S). 



Mr. George Husmann : 



Sir : I send you my observations in 

 brief of the prospect and condition of 

 my grape vines this wet season, which 

 has been a very satisfactory^' one forme, 

 as I was endeavoring to solve the ques- 

 tion as to varieties for this section be- 

 fore setting many vines. 



Allen's Hybrid showed fruit for 

 the first time ; three years transplanted; 

 was in hopes to see some specimens, 

 but shall meet with disappointment, as 

 the blight has been the most severe on 

 this variety than any in my collection ; 

 the leaves are nearly all killed. 



Adirondac. There seems to be a 

 want of vigor in the vines of this 

 variety this the third season trans- 

 planted ; only yet about 6 feet growth ; 

 the two first seasons made only a few 

 inches ; leaves slightly affected. 



Agawam (Rogers' No. 15. ) Strongest 

 growing vine I have ; foliage quite free 

 from blight, but the fruit rotted badly. 



Anna. Have but one vine set ; fruit 

 for the first time. As it seems to have 

 retired from notice, I will not recall it. 



Concord. This variety heretofore 

 has stood the test, but has this season 

 rotted considerably. Still there will 

 be a fair yield. 



