74 



The Grape Culturist. 



succeeded b}^ a universal despondency 

 of the many who saw their expenses 

 and labor unrepaid by that wliimsical 

 grape. What was to be done? We 

 had alread}^ exchanged, and afterwards 

 continued to exchange what either of 

 us had procured, and placed some 

 hopes upon for final success. It was, 

 however, little more than groping in 

 the dark — noble exertions accompanied 

 by no adequate results. Counted are 

 the days of the Albine, Mary Ann, Gar- 

 rigues, Louisa, Ozark and hosts of 

 others, then on trial. Yet the una- 

 bated efforts of the many friends of 

 the noble cause were not in vain. 

 Step by step we substituted the more 

 valuable for the inferior, and now be- 

 hold a success of which none of us at 

 that time could have dreamed. Surely, 

 we have not yet accomplished all we 

 desire, and there are still liiglier aims 

 before us ; but how gratifjdng it is that 



even the oldest of us, who from the be- 

 ginning, and under never ceasing dis- 

 appointments, fought the battle with all 

 the manifold obstacles, have been 

 spared to see the day when wine gi'ow- 

 ing is no more a play-thing in the 

 hands of the amateur, or a venturous ex- 

 periment, but a solid business of large 

 dimensions, giving pleasant and re- 

 munerating employment to thousands ; 

 graduall}^ working a change for the bet- 

 ter in the taste of the mass, in the social 

 life of a whole nation, and raising our 

 people to a higher degree of culture 

 and true refinement, than was attaina- 

 ble whilst whisky was monarch ! Who, 

 after once having enjoyed the pleasure 

 of tending the noble vine, and filling 

 his cellar with its precious gifts, would 

 ever renounce it? I for one, if J were 

 to do so, could hardl}' feel at home in 

 this world any longer. 



MARYLAND GRAPE GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 



Mr. Editor : An informal meet- 

 ing of a number of grape growers of 

 the State of Maryland ^vas held in 

 the early part of January, at the res- 

 idence of G. II. Mittnacht, Esq., 

 Pikesville, Md. A number of wines 

 furnished through the kindness of 

 Mr. Mittnacht, w^cre submitted to the 

 taste of those present. They con- 

 sisted of Delaware, Herbemont, Cat- 

 awba, Roger's No. 1 and 9, Norton's 

 Virginia, Clinton, North Carolina and 

 Concord, and were grown by the 

 Bluffton Wine Company, of Missouri. 

 Samples of young wines of Norton's 

 Yirginia, Ives and Concord w^ere ex- 

 hibited by Mr. Charles T. Schmidt, 



and of the Concord by Mr. E. P. Hip- 

 pie. The vineyards of Mr. Schmidt, 

 which were visited by several of those 

 present, were considered as extremely 

 promising. The}' are elegantly lo- 

 cated on the Patapsco river, about 

 six miles from Baltimore, and consist 

 at present of about twenty-live acres, 

 planted principally in Norton's Vir- 

 ginia, Ives and Concord. The condi- 

 tion of the vine3'artl reflects much 

 credit upon the industry and perse- 

 verance of the proprietor. 



A temporary organization of a 

 grape grower's association was ef- 

 fected by the appointment of G. H. 

 Mittnacht, of the LylePark Vinej'ards 



