Reports on Grapes. 



243 



have been made with Ives', Norton's, 

 Rentz'S; and other varieties, most of 

 which promise to do well. 



Preparations are made by several 

 wine-growers to make wine on a larger 

 scale here than in former years, and 

 I think the amount will not fall short 

 of several hundred thousand gallons. 



Our grapes are having a good name 

 far and near. A large amount is be- 

 ing shipped off every year for table 

 use, as well as for wine-making. 



If you consider my communications 

 of an}" value for j^our paper, I will 

 give you some more details in a future 

 letter. Truly yours, 



H. Wettstein. 



[We shall always be glad to hear 

 from you, or any one in yonv section. 

 If you did not find much about your 

 region in our columns, it is because 

 grape gi'owers from there have failed 

 to report. We are well aware of its 

 importance as a grape producing sec- 

 tion, and should like to have it well 

 represented in the Grape Culturist. 

 So, brother wine-growers from the 

 Lakes, let us hear from you ; you are 

 entirely welcome to our pages. The 

 Catawba seems to be fine everywhere, 

 as is usual in a dry season, but it will 

 not do to depend on. — Editor.] 



Galvestox, .July 19th, 1870. 



Dear Sir : — Your favor of the 20th 

 ult. came duly to hand, and with it 

 the eight copies of the Grape Cul- 

 turist; in payment of same and for 

 the balance of this volume, enclosed 

 find 82. 



The delay in answering your letter 

 arose from the fact that I wished to 

 examine and compare with other pa- 

 pers of a similar characlei", which I 



could not until the numbers came from 

 the bindery, and which now makes a 

 beautiful book. 



Your work is the very best I have 

 seen, and the information given is 

 lucid and to the point. Again, your 

 work approximates more to Southern 

 wants in grape culture than works 

 from New York or New Jersej^, and 

 their surroundings. I delayed my 

 answer for a more important reason 

 than those stated, viz : Galveston is 

 passing through the severest drought 

 I have witnessed in twenty-eight 

 years. Up to this morning we have 

 onlj' had one shower in three months, 

 and with some twenty varieties of 

 grapes at my neighbor's, Mr. String- 

 fellow, I wished to test them. The 

 Hartford Prolific, Goethe and Dela- 

 ware stood it noblj". The Concord is 

 a failure. 



The Hartford ripened well, and all 

 sold three weeks ago at twenty-five 

 cents, wholesale. Delaware same time. 

 The Goethe, now in market; large 

 fine bunches ; the best for market in 

 the State. Clinton, bore much more 

 abundantly than the others, but ripen- 

 ed a few at a time on a bunch and 

 then shrivelled up. Other kinds not 

 bearing in sufficient quantity to speak 

 of. Adirondac did well. Hartford 

 made the largest lengths of cane, 

 Goethe next. Querj^ — May we not 

 next 5"ear have an excess of rain? 

 If so_, will report the kind that does 

 the best under wet weather dis- 

 advantages. Our soil is drift sand 

 from the Gulf, with a strata of quick 

 sand, say at five feet below the 

 surface, and a perfect loblolly in very 

 wet weather at the top of the ground. 

 With decayed vegetation, artificial 



