THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 141 



grape, in the United States, is attracting more attention 

 yearly. On the banks of the Ohio River, the planting is in- 

 creasing rapidly, and, on the hills near Reading, Pa., are 

 vineyards for the purpose of making wine. 



The first attempt to grow the vine in our western country, 

 to any extent, for the purpose of making wine, is generally 

 credited to a party of Swiss, who commenced their operations 

 at Vevay, on the Ohio River. According to Mr. Longworth, 

 it has not been successful. This gentleman is interested in 

 this culture, and, by statements of his in Downing's Fruits 

 and Fruit Trees of America, he had, in 1845, seventy acres 

 planted with vines, and divided into fourteen vinej'^ards, under 

 the management of Germans and Swiss. Mr. Longworth 

 recommends the Catawba as the best variety for the west. 

 The European kinds have not succeeded with him. The fol- 

 lowing are his remarks : " The grape requires a good soil, 

 and is benefited by well-rotted manure. For aspect, I prefer 

 the sides of hills, but our native grapes would not succeed 

 well in a dry sandy soil, particularly the Catawba. The north 

 sides of our hills are the richest, and I believe they will, as 

 our summers are warm, in the majority of seasons, produce 

 the best crops. 



" Deep ploughing is the better preparation of the land for 

 the vines. Where a hill is steep, trenching and walling, or 

 sod-terracing, is necessary. 



" We generally leave six feet between the rows, and use 

 the plough, setting the plants three to four feet apart, and 

 training them to stakes about six feet high." — Downing' 8 

 Fruits and Fruit Trees, page 251 . 



It has been considered of sufficient importance to give the 

 views of European cultivators and others, at length, upon the 

 vineyard systems of culture pursued there. The American 

 kinds of the grape, requiring a different plan of pruning, will 

 render many of the practices, particularly the close pruning 

 (in summer,) and planting of the vines, impracticable here ; 

 still, the remarks on manures and soil, and details of some of 



