6 



The Grape Culturist. 



system. This ma}^, to a very great 

 extent, be owing to the manipulations 

 of dealers — in fact, California grape 

 growers have candidly acknowledged 

 to us that their wines would not stand 

 a V03-age around Cape Horn, without 

 addition of spirit ; but we also believe 

 that the climate and soil exercise a 

 great influence in this respect. May 

 they not be too far south to produce 

 wines which can be compared with the 

 Hock wines, the light white and red 

 wines of France, etc. ? We think ex- 

 perience teaches us that the nearer we 

 approach the torrid zone in the culture 



of the grape, although the wines may 

 have more bod}^, consequently intoxi- 

 cate sooner, they become deficient in 

 bouquet, and in that sprightly, invigo- 

 rating effect which wines grown in the 

 temperate zones have upon the system, 

 and which makes wine, wliat it should 

 be, the most spiritueUe of drinks, the 

 " dispeller of sorrow." 



We offer these thoughts to the kind 

 consideration of oui- California friends, 

 and shall be happy to hear from them 

 upon the subject, and to be corrected, 

 should they think us wrong in any of 

 our views. — Ed.] 



REPORTS ON GRAPES. 



Arenzville. Dec. 20, 186!) 



Mr. George Husmann, 



Deal' Sir: — Having just received all 

 the numbers of the Grape Culturist 

 up to December, I take the liberty to 

 express my perfect satisfaction with the 

 same, and j^on may consider me a lifo 

 subscriber ; it is just the journal every 

 grape grower ought to read. Perhaps 

 some remarks on certain varieties of 

 grapes maj^ not be out of place here, 

 and to begin with my favorites, I will 

 say of the Delaware, that it j^ielded a 

 full crop this year, without any rot or 

 mildew, and a fine growth of wood for 

 next year. I made about 100 gallons 

 of wine of it, that is now almost clear, 

 of good body, fine flavor, and color. I 

 shall plant more of them. Creveling is 

 my next favorite, very productive with 

 well set bunches, tolerable healthy in 

 foliage, and makes a wine of fine flavor, 

 without any foxy aroma to it. 



Cynthiana, Arkansas, Herbemont, 

 Rulander and Louisiana, fruited with 

 me the first time. As I got the plants 

 from you three years ago next spring, I 

 had not enough of each to make wine 

 from. I put them all together ; that is, 

 the grapes from four vines of Cynthiana, 

 one Arkansas, four Herbemont, one Ru- 

 lander, one Louisiana, of which 1 made 

 ten gallons of a bright purple colored 

 wine of great body. The grapes were 

 also entirely free from rot and mildew^ 

 but with the closest examination I can- 

 not discover any difference between the 

 Cynthiana and Arkansas, likewise the 

 Rulander and Louisiana. 



Norton's Virginia have not borne 

 much yet with me, but am much pleased 

 with the growth of them, and I have a 

 prospect of a good crop next year. (I 

 would remark here that all the late 

 ripening grapes alwaA's ripen well 

 here.) Concords I have mostly on the 



