286 



The Grape Culturist. 



very much hurried, I will go to Big 

 Rock and f-ee your vines. I know the 

 nature of the soil. I am sure it is even 

 better than my own for vines. You 

 have the additional advantage of being 

 on a large water course. The north 

 side of the river 'is alwaj's best. 



I would not undertake to advise a 

 friend about grape matters who takes 

 and reads the Grape Culturist, except, 

 perhaps, in some matters peculiar to 

 our local circumstances. That journal 

 is a noble enterprise, and should be 

 sustained. It was a bold enterprise 

 to invest so much capital in a specialty. 

 I am sure it is, or rather was at first, a 

 losing business, and only to be ac- 

 counted for by the enthusiasm and love 

 of the subject which seizes all grape 

 growers who once allow themselves to 

 be interested. Vine culture to the hor- 

 ticulturist is what the horse is to the 

 stock raiser, or turfman — a thing to be 

 loved above its intrinsic value. 



With this journal, and Husmann's and 

 Fuller's little books, you have every- 

 thing 3^ou need. Let me advise 3'ou 

 also to study Mobois' little book. It is 

 invaluable. De Brcuil's book (pub- 

 lished at Cincinnati) is also very inter- 

 esting and instructive. I have not seen 

 Flagg's recent book, embodying his ob- 

 servations in European vineyards dur- 

 ing several years' travel and residence 

 there ; but from criticisms and extracts 

 am sure that it is a great addition to 

 the literature of the vine. 



But I fear to become garrulous. As 

 to varieties, you mention Concord, Nor- 

 ton's Virginia and Ives' Seedling as 

 your principal stock. The first is the 

 most extensively cultivated in Mis- 

 souri, for market or wine, of any other, 

 and is doubtless safe. The second is 



preferable in our climate, and I would 

 advise j'ou to go largely on that in fu- 

 ture planting, but that I think the Cyn- 

 thiana a still better grape of the same 

 class. It closel}' resembles Norton's in 

 vine, leaf and fruit. Has all its good 

 qualities and some better. The}^ say 

 also its wine is superior. It costs no 

 more to cultivate, and of the two I 

 mean myself, in extending my vineyard, 

 to give it the preference. I have no 

 experience with the Ives' ; it has 

 come into notice since I made wine, in 

 Tennessee. I have some vines to test^ 

 and without professing any knowledge 

 on the subject — " I do not like it. Dr. 

 Fell." Nor am I much impressed with 

 the idea that the Concord, although 

 styled "the grape for the million," is 

 to be our grape for Arkansas. By the 

 time it has served us as long and faith- 

 fully as the Catawba has, it will be 

 more than I expect if it sustains its 

 reputation for healthfulness even so 

 well. It is intrinsically a much infe- 

 rior grape to the Catawba, in seasons 

 when both succeed. 



Let me urge 3'ou not to neglect the 

 Catawba. It is the habit of late to dis- 

 parage it, and these things always go 

 to extremes. Let us confess that its in- 

 herent vice and inveterate habit of rot- 

 ting renders it an unsafe grape for 

 profit. But it is easily prince of the 

 whole Labrusca family in quality of 

 fruit and wine. I have never eaten a 

 better grape than the Catawba^ and I 

 have in my garden Goethe, Delaware, 

 Martha, lona, Maxatawnej-, Diana, Isa- 

 bella, and many others^ all of which 

 have fruited. I imagine, too, that the 

 Catawba is recovering its health and 

 vigor. I am sure my vines are, and 

 some of them are ten 3-ears old. They 



