168 THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



tal pieces are nailed the upright ones ; they should be one 

 inch thick by two inches wide, eight of them to a vine ; the 

 distance between them should be three feet from centre to 

 centre. The lower, or horizontal limbs of the vine, must be 

 trained to the lower horizontal strip, and the upright branches 

 trained one to each upright piece, and well secured by tying. 

 (See cut.) 



R. T. Underhill, M. D., of the city of New York, has a vine- 

 yard on the Hudson, where he raises large quantities of the 

 Isabella and Catawba for the table, which are sent to the New 

 York market for sale. 



January 17th, 1842. — This gentleman wrote an account of 

 his \'ineyard, for the " Orchardist's Companion," in which he 

 states, " that he has been, for more than ten years, extensively 

 engaged in the cultivation of some of our native grapes." At 

 this time he considered the Isabella and Catawba the prefer- 

 able kinds for cultivation. Under date of February 22d, 

 1848, he writes me, that he is still of this opinion, and " that 

 he is experimenting with some other varieties, but, at present, 

 I am not prepared to give any native vine I have ever tried, 

 a preference over them. I have twenty acres of these grapes 

 under successful cultivation, and am making preparation for 

 putting out four acres more, the coming spring. I plant on 

 the side of hills and level surfaces ; either answer equally 

 well in this climate.* The mildew, which was, at a former pe- 

 riod, troublesome, has, with the generally improved character 

 and quality of the fruit, disappeared. They do not suffer 

 from the rot, save in confined situations, during very warm, 

 rainy seasons. My Isabella grapes, which have improved so 

 much in quahty by cultivation, during the past twelve years, 

 mature earher, and are far less subject to injury from climate 

 or other causes, than formerly. Indeed, an Isabella grape 

 vineyard properly planted, with acchmated \dnes, and culti- 

 vated as they should be, will, in this climate^ give a more 

 certain annual crop than Indian corn.''^ 



* Hudson River, Stale of New York. 



