238 



Wine Making. — Sumac. 



Vol. II 



From the Baltimore Patriot. 

 ■Wine Making in the United States. 



The following-, extracted from the Southern 

 Agriculturist for October, ought to be gene- 

 rally disseminated. It shows what can be 

 done, and may induce others to try to do 

 likewise. Mr. Herbemont has been making 

 wine for many years — 15 or 20 probably; 

 and the writer of this has frequently had the 

 pleasure of tasting its good qualities. I will 

 not say it is equal to the best Medeira, but I 

 do say I like it much better, as it is not 

 brandied. The kmd of grape he principally 

 cultivates for his best wine is called the 

 "Herbemont Madeira." 



Yours, &c., 



G. B. S. 



Extracted from an article in the October number 

 of the Southern Agriculturist. 



Columbia, <S. C, Sept. 9, 1837. 



By way of encouragement, I must tell you 

 that 1 have this very day terminated my vin- 

 tage, except a few odd grapes, which I shall 

 gather next week, which will add 50 or 60 

 gallons of wine to that already made. I 

 made at my farm 750 gallons, and in my 

 garden 528 gallons. This last is a most 

 enormous crop; for the vines that produced 

 that quantity are on one sixth part of an acre. 

 This IS, therefore, at the rate of 3168 gallons 

 to the acre, which is perhaps a greater crop 

 than ever was made any where else; at least 

 I never have seen any account of any more 

 than 2000 gallons, and that is exceedingly 

 rare. I have, moreover, reasons to believe 

 that the wine will be of a very good quality. 

 The produce of two of the vines in my garden 

 is so great, that if I had not the most respec- 

 table witnesses of the fact, I should hesitate 

 to name it. They produced one hundred 

 and thirty gallons of wine, and even more. 

 Very respectfully, 



N. Herbemont. 



It is computed in a book recently published 

 at Cambridge, that the number of sheep in 

 certain of the States, is as follows: 



In Maine 622.619, New-Hampshire 465.- 

 179, Vermont 1.099.011, Massachusetts 373.- 

 322, Rhode Island 81.619, Connecticut 255.- 

 169, New- York 4.299.879, New Jersey 250.- 

 <X)0, Pennsylvania 1.714.640, Delaware 150.- 

 000, Maryland 270.000, Ohio 1.711.200, Ken- 

 tucky 600.000, Virginia 1.000.000. The 

 whole amount being 12.897.638. The whole 

 quantity of wool produced is estimated at41.- 

 917.3241bs. Valued at $21,168,246. 



Sumac. 



There are great numbers of articles that grow \ 

 spontaneously in our fields and woods, that we 

 neglect to galher, but fit our ships to go to Europe, 

 Africa, and Asia, to obtain them, because they sell 

 them cheap ; and to pay for them, draw off the life 

 blood of our circulation. Our correspondent be- 

 low, has pointed us to one article on which we 

 may commence ; there are thousands of others.— 

 We hope he will continue his observations, and 

 point them out. 



r 

 TO AGRICULTURISTS. 



That it is a lamentable fact — blessed as 

 the people of these United States are, with 

 an almost boundless extent of territory, com- . 

 prehending, within its already populated t 

 limits, nearly every variety of soil as well as 

 of climate ; abounding with the mightiest 

 rivers, intersected (as many parts ofit now 

 are, and doubtless all soon will be) with 

 canals and rail-roads; and bountifully suppli- 

 ed with vast natural resources, to encourage 

 and reward the toils of the laborer — that ne 

 cessity should have compelled us, to import 

 from Europe and other foreign countries, a 

 very large proportion of the bread stuffs re- 

 quired to support us during the past and pre- 

 sent year — surely no friend to his country 

 can for a moment dispute. And the natural 

 effect of the extraordinary state of thin_gs, 

 ought to be, to teach us to examine minutely 

 into our condition, and, if it be possible, strive, 

 by increasing attentions to agriculture, to do 

 away such a prolific source of national shame. 



Within a short time past, I have seen with 

 pleasure, in our own and several sister states, 

 instances of watchfulness and care on the 

 part of the legislatures, in providing suitable' 

 and duly qualified scientific gentlemen 4s 

 geologists, to survey and report upon the vari- 

 ous buried sources of mineral wealth, within 

 their respective jurisdictions. Such profita- 

 ble legislation cannot he too highly praised, 

 as it is calculated to bring forward into places 

 of usefulness, many of the scientific men with 

 which our country is now so well supplied — 

 men who have genius, cultivation, and 

 talent, and are competent to develop her na- 

 tural treasures in the soil, and to point out 

 the best plans for making such riches availa- 

 ble. ■ But why should we neglect the vegeta ' 

 ble kingdom ? 



In the indigenous vegetables of which 

 America is so prolific, we have before us an 

 immense field of action ; and, one would think, 

 such a research for the botanist might go 

 hand in hand with that of the geologist; the 

 latter would inform us as to the soils, and the 

 ibrmer indicate those native productions which 

 would flourish best, if planted there. 



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