Editors' Letter Box. 



343 



recently reiterated the opinion; and 

 in the few years that I liave given it 

 particular attention, with the two-fo]d 

 object of interesting myself and oth- 

 ers, I have had no failures to report^ 

 but many disappointments in the 

 •quality of fruit, caused by over-san- 

 guine calculations, based upon flaming 

 reports, the fault, if not the crime, of 

 the originators. 



I differ in opinion with our friend 

 Dr. Clrant as to the merits of his Ion a 

 and Israolla. His 85 vines I bought 

 some years since have not fulfilled the 

 promise given. The former is about 

 equal to our Catawba. I have been 

 struck with the naked appearance, of 

 all our garden arbors where our lady 

 friends have attemjjted to cover them 

 with the favorite grape vine, and I 

 have wondered that kinds more espe- 

 cially adapted to the purpose have not 

 been recommended through the pa- 

 pers. The Catawba, possessing the 

 fewest requisites, is in most general 

 use. Much disappointment could have 

 been obviated b}^ substituting almost 

 any of the small berry class, with 

 their bright, shining foliage^ and ram- 

 pant growth. I plant on arbors more 

 with the view to shade than fruit, but 

 I have not failed to be rewarded by 

 an abundant yield of perfect bunches 

 from Alvey, Herbemont, Clinton, Nor- 

 ton's Virginia, Lincoln, and Taj^lor. 

 They are apparently in their element, 

 and do better with me than Avhen 

 close pruned on trellis. I have given 

 my friends vines of this class, when- 

 ever my sympathies have been excited 

 by seeing the naked stock of some 

 long-cherished Catawba deforming an 

 otherwise ornamental frame work. 



Many persons from the far North, 



as also from New Jei'sey, Delaware, 

 and Pennsylvania, are purchasing 

 lands and making their homes among 

 us, and I look to them to give an im- 

 petus to grape-growing and wine- 

 making. Thej^ bring both capital and 

 energy, and are more disposed to ex- 

 periment than our farmers, who are 

 Avedded to old practices and customs. 



I thank you for suggesting that I 

 should give you a list ef varieties in 

 my little experimental vineyard, and 

 I comply with pleasure. There are 

 several varieties that I have wanted, 

 but could not conveniently procure, 

 such as Cunningham, Louisiana, E.u- 

 lander, Lydia, and Arnold's Hybrids. 

 I would gladly purchase them in order 

 to test them here. I am more and 

 more persuaded that we cannot de- 

 pend upon the Labrusca class for fine 

 wines, though many of them are good 

 in other respects. Martha I esteem 

 highly ; also the Rogers' Hybrids 

 Nos. 1, 3, 4, 9, 15 and 19. The 15 is 

 least reliable of the several numbers, 

 in my experience. By the way, the 

 Ives was pronounced the least desira- 

 ble of my forty-four varieties for the 

 table, and about equal in quality to 

 some dozen of our wild grapes of the 

 woods. It fruited this season for the 

 first time, and may do better here- 

 after, but I want no more intimate 

 acquaintance with it. Our Ohio 

 friends may continue to plant it for 

 wine, but I trust they will not convert 

 others to their standard of taste. 



My exposure is southern hillside, 

 and soil coai-se sand of moderate fer- 

 tility, upon which was made heavy 

 application of soapers ashes that had 

 been exposed for some years. 



Excuse the infliction of so lengthy 



