Editor's Letter Box. 



105 



EDITOE'S LETTER BOX. 



Cold w ATE K, Michigan. 



Will ,you state in Culturist, quality 

 and productiveness of Wilder as com- 

 pared with Concord? J. P. Parson. 



[The Wilder has not been as fully 

 tested for loine as the Concord. Where- 

 ever we have seen it fruit, it produced 

 as heavily as the Concord, and we 

 think it will make a better wine. Its 

 quality for the table is much better, 

 and the bunch and berry even more 

 showy. We also think it will keep 

 bettor than Concord. — Ed,] 



Clark's Nurseries, Covixgtox, Ga., \ 

 March 1st, 1870. S 



Mr. G. Husmann : 



Sir : I have been reading the Grape 

 Culturist with great interest and de- 

 light; I consider it of great value to 

 all, who are engaged in grape grow- 

 ing and wine making; the advantages 

 of your Journal (over any other agri- 

 cultural or horticultural journals pub- 

 lished) derive from the fact, that you 

 are able to comment on an}- commu- 

 nication sent to you for publication, 

 based upon your own experience, 

 "whereas many publishers insert arti- 

 cles (having no experience in grape 

 culture and wine making) which are 

 sometimes instead of beneficial, quite 

 the reverse ; also, a number of co- 

 laborers make known their long and 

 successful experience, through your 

 columns. 



In the Februaiy number Grape Cul- 

 turist appeared an inquiry request of 

 one of your correspondents whether 

 cuttings obtained from vines propa- 

 gated last summer are suitable for 



planting? The repl}^ is, it makes no 

 difference, if the vines are one or 

 more j'ears old, if the wood is well 

 developed and matured, it is suitable 

 for planting. 



Having some experience in grape 

 culture, I beg leave to make a few 

 remarks in reference to grape cut- 

 tings. When the cutting first com- 

 mence pushing out its buds, it has as 

 vigorous an appearance as buds of 

 old vines, but as soon as two to four 

 leaves are formed, the tips generally 

 wither and often dry up. This little 

 shoot remains in this feeble state for 

 some time, though the roots are grow- 

 ing. During this time, which is appa- 

 rently a standstill, the roots are doing 

 their work, they are furnishing the 

 cutting the supply of sap, which has 

 been sent forth into the little shoot 

 first formed. As soon as the cutting 

 has received the requisite amount of 

 sap, it will send it forth again into 

 the little shoot. The tip being with- 

 ered or dead, laterals or suckers are 

 pushing out and grow sometimes sev- 

 eral feet in length, representing a wild 

 appearance. The foliage on the young 

 growth resembles that on the parent 

 vine more than the wood. The latter 

 can not in many instances be recog- 

 nized by the closest observer. Upon 

 these grounds, I assert, there is sel- 

 dom any wood well developed on 

 young vines, and what cuttings could 

 be obtained are generally laterals or 

 suckers. I have learned by observa- 

 tion that vines raised from suckers 

 are not as healthy as vines from bear- 

 ing canes. The main objection I have 



