( 49 ) 



few seeds. It would be suitable to localities south of the 

 Potowmac. 



87. L'yverdun, or L'erice JVoir. This grape, a native of 

 Yverdun, Canton of Bern, Switzerland, flourishes in the most 

 unfavourable situations as to soil and exposure. It is exten- 

 sively cultivated in the north of the Department of Meuse, 

 (France) lat. 49 deg. 30 min., and also in the Department of 

 Meurthe. Even on the north side of hills, where no other 

 grape will succeed, it is said to produce abundantly in sea- 

 sons when other kinds are blighted. The berries are black, 

 of an agreeable taste, and about the size of the Burgundy. 

 Its wine is considered of a secondary quality, bu^t is far su- 

 perior to the harsh Spanish wines which are so much used 

 here. I have had this grape under culture for four years, 

 and have found it to be very hardy ; indeed, I have never 

 protected it, and it has been invariably uninjured. I con- 

 sider this grape, and the other vines from Switzerland, and 

 those from the vicinity of Mentz, lat. 50 deg. 10 min., where 

 the Rhenish wines are made, as decidedly the best to be cul- 

 tivated in the eastern states for the purpose of making wine. 

 As for indulging the expectation, that the grapes of the 

 south of France and Italy will flourish to the north of New- 

 York, it is sacrificing all the plainest deductions of reason to 

 an ephemeral indulgence of fancy. 



185. Red Swiss. This grape I received, with 11 other 

 varieties, from the vicinity of Lausanne, in Switzerland. It 

 is represented as an excellent grape for wine, and as yield- 

 ing great and regular crops in unfavourable situations in 

 that country ; in fact, having made a request of my corres- 

 pondent there, who owns a vineyard, and is a gentleman of 

 extensive information, to send only those which are there 

 cultivated with most success, he in consequence sent me 12 

 varieties of grapes which succeed there, among v/hich this 

 was mentioned as one of the best. 



184. Fondant Vert y or Green Mdting. This also came 

 from the same person as the above, and is highly spoken of. 

 The whole number of those received from Switzerland will 

 be found in the enumeration of grapes. 



46. WhitCy or Hungarian Tokay, or Tokai Gris. The 

 berries are somewhat oval, and closely set on the bunch, 

 which is of moderate size ; the skin is thin, and the flesh de- 

 licate, abounding with very agreeable juice. This vine is 

 cultivated to the greatest extent in Hungary. The well 

 known Tokay is raised on the last chaiorbf the Carpathian 



