2 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



Jan. 1, 1831. 



THE VINE. 



There is "°t a section of country in the 

 United States better adapted to the growth 

 of the vine than that bordering onthesoui" 

 side lfLak? Ontario, taking intoconsideratiun 

 climate and soil; and so far as experiments 

 have been made, most of the European varie- 

 ties, which have been introduced into this sec 

 lion, have endured our winters without any pro 

 tection, as well, apparently, as they do in th> 

 middle of Fiance. There is, upon the south 

 side of tho Lake, a glade of land, stretching al- 

 most the whole length of it, from east to west 

 and varying in width from three to eight miles 

 of aligln sandy soil, deep and dry, and dis'in 

 "uished bvthe name of Oak, Lands, or (Jali O- 

 ptninns. These lands are extremely well cal- 

 culated for vineyards, as it is acknowledged 

 that few lands are too dry for vines. Another 

 important advantage this country has over the 

 territory for the first hundred miles south is 

 the influence the lake has upon the atmosphere. 

 In the spring vegetation is not so forward as i; 

 is farther south, the difference being often 

 ten days in the first fifty miles. This retarding 

 of vegetation on the shores of the lake, secure- 

 fruit from late frosts in the spring. Again, in 

 the fall, as the early frosts are generally accom 

 pained with moderate northerly winds which 

 moving across tho waters, become charged 

 ■with exhalations from the Lake, which, being 

 warmer than t'ue atmosphere, is condensed an/ 

 i9 driven several miles inland, preventing the 

 frost as far as it extends ; owing t» this circum- 

 stance vegetation continues fresh a? late as it 

 does as far south as New Jersey or Pennsy! 

 vania. The influence of the lake is quite con- 

 siderable during mid-summer by preventing the 

 scorching heat which injures grapes in south- 

 ern latitudes ; and it is well known that tem 

 perate climates are best for the vine. It has 

 been said that in this latitude in the United 

 States, the seasons were not long enough for 

 the perfection of grapes. This is not the case 

 as I have eaten grapes this season which were 

 the second crop, and were ripe before frost 

 had checked the vegetation of the Vines. — 

 Theygrew in the garden of G. H. Holden, E.-q. 

 on the shore of the lake, at the mouth of Gen- 

 esee river ; and it I were to judge from the 

 growth, the Vineswere as much accommodated 

 as to soil and climate as any Vines I ever saw. 

 They had been planted out but one season 

 before the past, during which thev made shoots 

 from Ifteen to twenty feet in length, and as 

 thick as a man's thumb, which were remarka- 

 bly short jointed. In this neighborhood, I 

 have examined Isabella grape Vines which 

 have grown twenty feet the past season, and 

 ripened the wood perfectly. 



These facts go far to prove that the county of 

 Monroe is a good location for Vineyard*, and 

 we hope soon to =ee our farmers as much en- 

 gaged in making wine as they arc at present in 

 making cider. It maybe asked, if this section 

 is so natural to Grapes, why do we not find the 

 native fox grape growing upon those lands 1 — 

 Because nature had not providoior completed 

 any method by which the seeds of the fox 

 grape should be scattered over tho face of this 

 country. The fox grape is not often eaten by 

 birds, and if so it is at a season when birds are 

 emigrating to the south, and the seeds would 

 be carried in an opposite direction, as there 



are none found growing wild north of the 

 lakes. But these observations will not apply 

 to the ch-ken or frost grape, which, from its 

 • ize & time of ripening, is readily destroyed by 

 birds. These grapes often remain hanging u- 

 pon ihe Vines until spring, and >t may be 

 readily imagined that they would thus be trans- 

 pi rted to every part of the United States. 

 which we find is the case, and particularly the 

 district spoken of, and if any easy method 

 could be found out of grafting the fox or Eu- 

 ropean upon the wild frost grape stocks then 

 an- already vines enoush growing in this vt 

 cinity to furnish the country with wine. We 

 i herefore invite our readers or any oher per- 

 son who mny possess practical information u- 

 pon tins subject to communicate the same thro' 

 :his paper for the benefit of the public. 

 CIDER. 



Perhaps there is not in the whole round of 

 farming any one operation more neglected than 

 Cider making. Cider, when well manufactur- 

 ed, is a cheap and wholesome beverage, and 

 one of the readiest substitu;cs for wine which 

 our country can afford; but when it is made in 

 •i slovenlv negligent manner anil allowed to 

 run imo the acetous fermentation, it has a very 

 deleterious effect upon the constituiion. 



A little aiti ntion to facts will inure a fine 

 arttclo in this section of the country, which is 

 one of the finest in the world for produ- 

 cing the apple in perfection Many attempts 

 have been made to increase the strength of Ci- 

 der, such as boiling the must, freezing, adding 

 spirits, &c. all of which have a direct tenden- 

 cy !o destroy the fine vinous flavor accompany- 

 ing the well made article. Much is said is to 

 particular kinds of apples, withoul which good 

 Cider cannot be made. Now th is is all a mis- 

 take — not but that some apples coniain more 

 malic or tartaric acid and sacharine matter than 

 others, and will of course make a stronger li- 

 quor ; some also possess peculiar flavor which 

 is desirable — but any of our apples, produ- 

 ced by common orchards, are c tpable of ma- 

 king what is called first rate Cider, and of suf- 

 ficient strength for the temperate use of any 

 man. First let the apples be gathered free 

 from leaves, but more particularly from rotten 

 or decayed ones, as both these will communi 

 cate a bad taste to the cider, which cannot be 

 got rid of after it is made — apples should not 

 be allowed to lie too long in a heap as they 

 sometimes contract a bad flavor, and it is not 

 as important that apples should be perfectly 

 ripo, as has generally been supposed, as green 

 apples make good Cidor. After the juice has 

 been pressed out and carried to the cellar or 

 placo where it is to be fermented, the better 

 way is to put it into vats or tubs. It should re- 

 main in this situation until the fermentation 

 has brought all the pumice to the top in a thick 

 scum; it should then he drawn off. through a 

 hole near the bottom, into barrels, passing it 

 through a number of thicknesses of flannel pla 

 ced in the tunnel, or what is -till better, thro' 

 alternate layers of sand and flannel, which will 

 more completely retain all the feculent matter, 

 which is the thing desired iu this operation. — 

 Let the casks, into which the Cider is to be 

 drawn,be made perfectly clean before they are 

 filled, after which they may be left with the 

 bungs out for a short time, during which the 

 operator should frequently taste the liquor to 



watch the progress ofthr fermentation, (which 

 will be very slow;) when it has advanced far 

 enough, and the Cider has acquired sufficient 

 body, there should be added about two quarts 

 of skim milk to each barrel, and well incorpo- 

 rated with the Cider, either by drawing off a 

 part of it and returning it, or by means of a 

 stick introduced at the bung. Let the cask 

 low be bunged perfectly tight, and set in a cool 

 place for two months, after which it may again 

 be racked, when it is wished to be kept thro' 

 the summei or may be drawn from the cask 

 for use. When Cider has been allowed to fer- 

 ment in barrels it should be racked off" as soon 

 as the white bubbles begin to appear on the 

 surface, strained, fined and bunged as above, 

 which will always insure a fine and pleasant 

 beverage. 



VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY— NO. 1. 



In commencing this paper, the editors are desirous 

 to begin with the first rudiments of those branches 

 of science to which it is to be principally devoted, in 

 order to render it a complete text-book for the prac- 

 tical Farmer and Horticulturist. In doing which, 

 they are not to suppose that each reader has become 

 perfectly acquainted with every branch of science of 

 the present day, and therefore they ask the indulgent < 

 of those who have become more perfectly acquainted 

 in those branches, to introduce some of the Leading 

 principles of systematic Botany. When we consider 

 that Agriculture and Horticulture are so immediatel) 

 connected with this study, and that much of the sne 

 cess in either must depend upon the knowledge the 

 pperator has of this science, we are convinced of th< 

 necessity of becoming at least familiar with the more 

 common laws which govern the Vegetable kingdom. 

 It does not follow that each farmer or gardener, in 

 order to avail himself of the improvements of the 

 present day, should become a profound Botanist ; — 

 but a very little attention to the subject will convince 

 him that the most of the modern improvements arc 

 far from having been accidental, and in order to a- 

 vail themselves of similar improvements it is neces 

 sary that they should become familiar with (hose 

 functions of Vegetables which may be denominated 

 Vegetable Physiology. 



It has been found necessary in every branch ofsci 

 ence, in order to express the multitude of objects in- 

 cluded, to make use of certain technical terms, cho, 

 sen for the sake of brevity and perspicuity; these 

 phrases are often perplexing to those who do not fee] 

 a particular interest In that branch in which the; are 

 used, and the editors will studiously avoid all 

 such as do not appear necessary for the benefit of tin 

 readers. 



Philosophers have divided all matter into tuoclas- 

 jses — organized and unorganized bodies. Annua! 

 and plants belong to the former, and minerals in the 

 latter. This arrangement is again divided into sei 

 sibleand insensible. Sensibility is confined t<> an 

 mals; but Irritability, Contractibility, and Elasticity, 

 bclnng in all organized bodies. 



Oneofthc most useful, interesting, and amusing 

 parts of the study of Vegetable Physiology, is th, 

 fructification and reproduction ofplants. 



That plants are endowed with sexual organs, and 

 are capable of reproducing their kind according to 



given l:e\s, isa t.iet so generally admitted as 1 < 



no argument in its favour, and from a knowledge of 

 those laws the justly celebrated T. A. Knight, now 

 President of the Horticultural Societj of London. 

 has been enabled to make those improvements which 

 laitl the foundation of his exalted reputation. — 



This reprodction, or continuation plants 



is the seed containing in embrio ihe rudiments of the 

 riew plants, and although the last produce of main 

 plants, (this, together with the blossom, will first 

 come under consideration. 



