THE CULTURE OF THE GKAPE. 175 



is a condensed account of the grape culture in North Caro- 

 lina, originally written for the November number of De Bow's 

 Commercial Review, by Dr. Sidney Weller, of North Caro- 

 lina: — 



" North Carolina is ahead of all her sister states, in the 

 wine product, by some thousands of gallons, according to the 

 agricultural census of 1840 ; and, as far as I know, my vine- 

 yard is the largest in this state, and, I suppose, in the south, 

 and perhaps the most productive ; since, besides entertaining 

 hundreds of visitors, and disposing of quantities of grapes car- 

 ried away, I made, last vintage, forty barrels of wine. My 

 increase of product has been, annually, for a few years past, 

 about ten barrels. 



" Of our native Scuppernong, the grape for the south, I 

 make wines that readily bring me, in different markets, $1 

 to $4 per gallon, according to quality. 



" Encouraged by patronage, I have, for years past, culti- 

 vated the choicest varieties, (selected from every part of our 

 country,) in the nursery to be well rooted, and ready for 

 market ; and more of the Scuppernong than any other vari- 

 ety, not only as the best southern grape, all things consid- 

 ered, but that it cannot be propagated, successfully, by 

 cuttings, but by layers, or grafting. 



" I started with a pretty large number of Scuppernong, 

 and other native cuttings — of the Scuppernong mostly. The 

 cuttings of this grape all put out in the spring, but, as usual 

 with them, they all died in the summer. It is best for the 

 American vintner to start his vineyard with well-rooted vines, 

 reared in the nursery, from cuttings, or from layers. Even 

 in grafting, it is better to begin in the nursery, and tranfer 

 into the vineyard, after a year's growth ; this is a common 

 method with me ; though I have a very pretty portion of 

 vineyard acquired by searching the woods, late in the spring, 

 when vines are in the leaf, and getting stocks of the Fox, and 

 other common kinds, an inch or upwards in diameter, graft- 

 ing them, wedge-fashion, and then transplanting, ten feet 



