10 



Editorial. — Culture of the Vine. 



Vol. VII. 



years ago, is not surprised at the change 

 which care and cultivation have brought 

 about, in the character of this roof! Witness 

 the introduction of the Revolving Horse- 

 rake — a simple machine, it is true, but hardly 

 yet duly appreciated ; — and the consequences 

 resulting from the efforts so successfully made 

 to improve the stock of cattle, horses, sheep, 

 &c. These are mentioned as a few of the 

 numerous instances that illustrate the on- 

 ward march of our general agriculture; and 

 to show the probability of a continued pro- 

 gress. 



It shall be the earnest endeavour, as well 

 as the duty of the Editors, to throw before 

 the readers of the Cabinet, the information 

 which their extensive correspondence, and 

 exchange of papers, as well as other means, 

 may put them in possession of, that shall 

 have a tendency to promote the interests of 

 this important branch of national industry. 

 And we respectfully and earnestly invite a 

 continuation of communications from practi- 

 cal men. They have heretofore enriched 

 our pages, and given to them an interest, 

 which we are particularly desirous to sus- 

 tain. We are far from wishing that the 

 subjects embraced on our pages, shall seem, 

 even, of an exclusive character. We do not 

 mean that they shall be confined to lime, the 

 plough and the bullock, but we would of 

 choice occupy a much broader field. Do- 

 mestic education, and subjects of domestic 

 economy, are of continual interest to the 

 fanner, and will not fail to claim our atten- 

 tion ; — and why may we not here urge our 

 female friends, more frequently to throw in 

 their mite, and give increased variety and 

 life to our matter-of-fact pages? Natural 

 phenomena — general statistics — incidents of 

 travel, that have a bearing upon the leading 

 objects of our work, and a thousand other 

 subjects interesting to the farmer at his lire- 

 side, and the family group around his table, 

 will continue occasionally to fill a column, 

 and thus be thrown into common stock, for 

 the common good. 



To promote the interests of agriculture, 

 we repeat, will be our object: we invite its 

 friends to co-operate with us, and make the 

 Farmers' Cabinet worthy of the great cause 

 it advocates — worthy of the community in 

 which it is published, and of the class among 

 which it circulates. 



Private credit is wealth — public honour 

 is security : the feather that adorns the royal 

 bird, supports his flight; strip him of his 

 plumage, and you fix him to the earth. — 

 Junius. 



Culture of the Vine. 



We notice a letter from Mr. Longworth, 

 of Cincinnati, to the Editor of the Horticul- 

 tural Magazine, published in New York, in 

 which some useful observations occur on this 

 subject. Mr. L. has been long known as a 

 distinguished amateur in things of this sort ; 

 and the vine particularly has received from 

 him a large share of judicious attention. He 

 has given up mostly, if not altogether, the 

 attempt to cultivate the European species, 

 and has found his labour best rewarded by 

 procuring and improving the best varieties 

 of the native vine. The result of his expe- 

 rience in this particular is worthy of note. 

 The varieties of' the indigenous vine in this 

 country, and one of the best modes of ascer- 

 taining the fitness of soil and situation for 

 the successful growth of this delicate fruit, 

 would no doubt be by observing the size and 

 flavour of the wild grape as it is found in its 

 native state. On the Eastern Shore, par- 

 ticularly in the lowest part of the peninsula, 

 the native grape will be found, if our recol- 

 lections do not mislead us, excellent in all 

 qualities that are requisite for making good 

 wine. A light soil is especially adapted to 

 the vine. We take the following from Mr, 

 Longworth's letter : 



" I have three varieties of native grapes 

 which I consider far superior to the Catawba 

 for the table. They have none of the hard 

 pulp common to the Catawba, Schuylkill, 

 Muscadel, and the Isabella. P'or the table 

 they are equal to the Meunier, or Miller's 

 Burgundy, and as free of pulp. One of them, 

 which I first met with a few years since, I 

 call the Ohio grape. The vine is perfectly 

 hardy, a fine bearer, has never had the mil- 

 dew or rot, and the branches very large, say 

 four times the size of the Burgundy. I sent 

 a bunch of these grapes to Boston last fall, 

 but it was too long on the road to be in per- 

 fection. I will give five hundred dollars for 

 a root of native grape that, in quality of the 

 fruit and size of the bunch, shall surpass it. 

 The other two are equally good for the 

 table, perfectly hardy, and great growers. 



" I was surprised, when East, to see no 

 good native grapes. At my different vine- 

 yards. I have about sixty acres in grapes, but 

 not all in bearing. Last season I had not 

 half a crop, with the exception of one vine- 

 yard, where the fruit were abundant and fine. 



" There is, perhaps, no fruit so much af- 

 fected by circumstances of soil, position, and 

 culture, as the grape. By taking the native 

 vine the probabilities of success will be great- 

 ly increased, since its quality may be better 

 known, and the necessary situation as it 

 respects soil and exposure more surely as- 

 certained." — Bait. Amer. 



