78 



The Grape Culturist. 



I 



OBITUARY. 



Died suddenly at his residence near 

 Hermann, on the 9th of February, of 

 paralysis of the heart, William Poe- 

 schel, in the 42d year of his life. This 

 announcement came all the more un- 

 expected to us, as we had had the 

 pleasure of a visit from the deceased 

 only two days before, and though he 

 had been ailing for several years, we 

 did not expect so sudden a termina- 

 tion of an eminently useful life. 



He was one of those earnest, think- 

 ing and working grape growers, who, 

 with but an indifferent education, but 

 with indomitable industry and per- 

 severance, make their way against all 

 obstacles, and achieve success. Com- 

 mencing in 1849, on an uncultivated 

 piece of land near Hermann, with but 

 very small means, except his own in- 

 dustrious and ever-willing hands and 

 brain, and the help of a young and 

 equally industrious wife, he planted 

 his first vines, Catawbas, in 1849, made 

 his first wine, about one hundred and 

 fifty gallons, in fall of 1851, and stored 

 in casks buried in the ground, as he 

 had not funds enough to build a cellar. 

 We made his acquaintance in 1852, on 

 our return from California, tasted of his 

 first wine, and as our pursuits and in- 

 clinations tended to the same objects, 

 soon became fast friends, and fre- 

 quently exchanged ideas and experi- 

 ences. Poeschel was a very close ob- 



server, an indefatigable experimenter 

 and could reason soundly upon his ex- 

 perience. We gratefully acknowledge 

 that we have learned much, very 

 much, from him. He it was who first 

 called our attention to the vast im- 

 poi'tance of early summer pruning and 

 thinning the fruit; he was without a 

 doubt, one of the best, if not the best, 

 grape growers around Hermann, and 

 his vineyards and orchards soon be- 

 came famous, as well as his wines. 

 We have tasted of every vintage, ex- 

 cept his last, and can justly say, that 

 we generally found them at the head 

 of the list. But in his zeal, and his 

 anxiety to perform all the nicer opera- 

 tions himself, he often spent whole 

 nights in the cellar, watching the fer- 

 mentation of his young wines, and this 

 more than anything else, undermined 

 his naturally strong constitution, and 

 made him an invalid for the greater 

 part of the last three j-ears. We 

 heartily sympathize with his afflicted 

 family, a wife, and seven children, in 

 their sad bereavement ; and feel that 

 one has left our ranks, whose place is 

 not easily filled, one of the most use- 

 ful members of society, and who has 

 done much, by the silent teachings of 

 his practice, to advance American 

 gi'ape culture, and win a " habitation 

 and a name" for American Avines. 



Ed 



We call the attention of those of our 

 grape growing friends, who wish to 

 obtain trellis wire and staples, to the 

 card of Messrs. Sellew & Co., in our 

 advertising columns, and think that 

 they will find it to their advantage to 



i 



get their supply from that firm, who 

 are the agents of the Washburn k 

 Moen Manufacturing Company, of 

 Worcestei", ^ilass., and an old and reli- 

 able firm. 



