148 



The Grwpe Culturist. 



The Scuppernong was unhurt, which 

 will be a great triumph for those who 

 contend that it is at all Avorth cultivat- 

 ing for wine. It is a sluggish plant in 

 spring, and requires a long season, but 

 seems hardy against cold. I scarcely 

 know what to say of this nondescript, 

 which is called a grape. It is a coarse, 

 tough skinned berry with a sweetish, 

 murky flavor. The vine takes care of 

 itself. • Does not require, and will not 

 suffer pruning ; bears abundantly, and 

 has no diseases. With sugar it makes 

 a very wholesome and palatable dry 

 wine, which certainly would be a great 

 blessing to our people to have in abun- 

 dance ; and when " tomahawked" 

 with apple brandy (shall I confess it) 

 is glorious to take. But that is the 

 taste which runs on into brandy cob- 

 blers and juleps, and on the whole not 

 to be encouraged, JI scarcely think 

 it a grape, but still a most useful fruit 

 sui generis, and I hope it will be culti- 

 vated extensively by those who have 

 no inclination for the more trouble- 

 some, and I must say, the more exqui- 



site, ^'bunch grapes," as it is the habit 

 of its friends to call the Herbemont, 

 and the Delaware, and the Catawba, 

 and others. Each to his tastes, but 

 if you of Missouri incline to move 

 away because you cannot grow the 

 Scuppernong, it would be well to con- 

 sider the matter carefully first. 

 Eespectfully, 



Jno. E. Eakin. 



Washington, Auk,, May 1st, 1870. 



[We certainly feel deeply for your 

 misfortunes, but hope that they will 

 not prove as heavy as they appeared 

 at first sight, although 3'our vines were 

 no doubt injured worse than ours, as 

 they were so much further advanced. 

 We hope the dormant buds are not all 

 killed, and that you will yet have a 

 partial crop. 



Friend Carlton, the zealous defen- 

 der of the Scuppernong, has sent us 

 another article in defense of his favor- 

 ite, which will appear as soon as we 

 have space. At present, we are con- 

 tent here, although we cannot grow 

 it. — Editor.] 



THE SALEM GEAPE. 



This has been disseminated as No. 

 22, and also No. 53, and is claimed to 

 be the best of the many of Eoger's 

 hybrids. It is, without a doubt, very 

 fine in quality, and said to succeed 

 finely at the East. Here^ it is rather 

 a slow grower, and somewhat subject 

 to both mildew and rot. We have as 

 yet rarely seen a perfect bunch of it 

 here, and think that even at the East 

 bunches like the engraving published 

 by its present disseminator, Mr. Bab- 



cock, will be rarely met with. We 

 would advise its trial, but not its ex- 

 tensive cultivation until it has been 

 tried. 



Bunch large, shouldered, rather 

 loose; berry large, round, brownish- 

 red ; flesh rather meaty than pulpy, 

 juicy, sweet and delicious, Avith a fine 

 aroma, fine for the table, and will, no 

 doubt, make a fine Avine, if enough of 

 it can be obtained. 



