GRAPES. 239 



GRAPES. 



Of all the fruits of the field or of the garden^ grapes 

 are the most easily cultivated. A cutting from a vine 

 buried in moist ground vvAill soon take root, and, in a 

 year or two, will produce fine fruit. 



Many foreign grapes have been introduced within a 

 few years, but most of them need a green-house, or 

 some kind of protection from our cold winters, which 

 makes the cultivation of the fruit troublesome and 

 difficult. 



When the Isabella grape was first introduced, it was 

 thought it would flourish well in our open air, and re- 

 quire no protection. It is now found that, to insure its 

 bearing, and even its existence, it should be buried 

 during winter ; and, when the utmost care has been 

 taken, our summers are often too cold to bring the 

 fruit to maturity. 



Cream-colored Grapes. We have a native grape- 

 vine in our garden, which we found in the woods some 

 years ago, and which bears a rich and sweet fruit, quite 

 different from the native purple grape of the woods. 

 Its fruit was ripe on the first of September, and it is 

 equal in richness to the imported white sweet-water 

 grape, which is not usually brought to maturity in the 

 open air. This grape has none of that unpleasant 

 sourness so common to the purple grape when the skin 

 is kept long in the mouth. Its taste much resembles 

 that of the best white plums, and there can be no 

 doubt its juice would make excellent wine. 



One bushel of good soil would be sufficient, near a 

 lady's window, for a vine that would be an ornament 

 to the house, and a source of gratification to the lovers 

 of fine fruit. These vines may be propagated in mul- 

 titudes in the city, and they require no care except a 

 little clipping of the exuberant foliage. But farmers 

 have no time. Men have more fancy for grain than 



