TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



loSA, September 1, 1S63. 



My Descriptive Catalogue for this season Is all newly written, 

 And I trust will be found to contain a large amount of informa- 

 tion that will be acceptable to purchasers of vines. 



The Grape has become not only our most excellent fruit, but 

 fJne most important in value also, from the benefit and enjoy- 

 ment that it is able to afford for at least seven months of the 

 vear. Those who have learned its worth do not now plant 

 siugle vines of two or three kinds as formerly, when it was re- 

 garded as of little value, because ripening with great uncertain- 

 ly, continuing at best but a few weeks, and while remaining was 

 of but moderate goodness as a fruit; but a new estimate of 

 Importance belongs to it, and a winter supply Is provided for. 



The excellence of the new varieties, and the facility with 

 which their fruit may be kept until spring, render the Grape of 

 the present time the most desirable of fruits ; and an important 

 part of their value for general and abundant use in the family 

 consists in the certainty and cheapness of production, and 

 the simplicity of management compared with our other garden 

 fruits. 



Our best kinds are now almost universally preferred to the 

 best productions of the cold vinery by those who have the lat- 

 ter in abundance, and by all who have learned their spirited 

 excellence. The Delaware, especially, is being planted by 

 twenties, fifties, and hundreds for family winter supply. 



In my Catalogue will be found a full, precise, and trustworthy 

 statement of the qualities, habits, and value, of all the hardy 

 native grapes that are worthy of attention, which has never 

 ueen attempted in any other publication. 



Accompanying the Catalogue will often be found a proposi- 

 tion for the formation of clubs for the purchase of vines at 

 wholesale rates, by means of which all who wish can obtain 

 vines with certainty, in best condition, at prices very little 

 above the actual cost of production, and cheaper than they can 

 possibly be afforded in single packages to each purchaser. 



Mr Stock is very large, numbering many more than two hun- 

 dred thousand, and I can not dispose of ail that I wish for garden 

 planting by sending single packages to each purchaser. If the 

 sales are made through the ordinary agencies, the prices of vines 

 must be doubled to purchasers, for the expenses of agents are 

 very great, and they can not live with less ; but there are con- 

 siderations of much more importance than the additional cost, 

 for agents very rarely have the knowledge that is necessary to 

 take the proper care of the plants while they are in their hands, 

 to be dealt out in the retailing process, and they do not have at 

 command the facilities for storage and repacking which the 

 safety of the plants requires. 



There are but few persons gifted with fine perception of the 

 wants of plants while out of the ground, that will enable them 

 to become good packers, with the most stringent training, and 

 an agent does not need less qzalificaticn than a good packer. 

 By receiving the plants direct from my packing-rooms, this 

 serious dilficulty, which has caused great loss and disappoint- 

 ment to buyers, is avoided. 



Last season I sent out many more than one hundred thousand 

 plants in the manner now proposed, and the operation was si 

 advantageous to purchasers, and so satisfactory to myself, that 

 I have determined to pursue it altogether, and trust to adver- 

 tising to call attention to my wares, rather than resort to the 

 expensive means of personal solicitation through agents. Tills 

 does not preclude the action of local club-agents, to whom a 

 very small gratuity is allowed in vines for their own planting to 

 isompensate for their duties as secretary of the club. 



The express furnishes a speedy and safe means of transporta- 

 tion, which agents rarely employ, and the cost when divided 

 among the members of a club, is so little for the greatest dis- 

 tances that it is scarcely worthy of consideration. 



By receiving the plants direct from me, the responsibility is 

 direct, and if error or any wrong occurs, it is easily and speedily 

 righted, without cost or trouble, except to name it. 



The express company has never refused or hesitated to cor- 

 rect an error that has occurred In the transmissJon of my pack- 

 ages, or to make good a loss. 



But losses very rarely occur, and delays as rarely, except at 

 the place of delivery, for which the receiver will do well always 

 to hold himself responsible, for this point of express duty is not 

 unfrequently neglected. With this last exception, I guarantee 

 the reception In perfect order of all plants sent by express from 

 my establishment. 



Praise for the best packing has been uniformly accorded to 

 mt by all who have had opportunity to judge, both In the 

 uoontry and In the different countries of Europe, and still more 

 autant countries to which my vines have been sent 



Entered, accordii^ ti^ Am u>' Congress, in the year 1863, by C. W. 



States for the Southern 



I have made the propagation of vines my special study and 

 occupation for a great number of years, for the purpose of dis- 

 seminating better plants of the best varieties than can be don« 

 by any other propagator, and on more advantageous terms to 

 purchasers. 



My vines are offered under the certainty of knowledge that 

 they are of quality greatly superior to those that can be offered 

 by any other propagator, and he prices are lower than the bare 

 cost of the production of th >se of greatly Inferior quality would 

 have been under ordinary means of propagation. 



My establishment is vastly more extensive than any other for 

 the same purpose in this country or anywhere. The business 

 originated with me, and all of those who are imitating It are yel 

 afar off in the facilities which they can command for the pro- 

 duction of the best plants, and in the quality of the plants pr* 

 duced, as has been shown uniformly by the results of numeroui 

 trials in every State In the whole Union. I undertook the busi- 

 ness because, after repeated trials by myself and others. It was 

 apparent that without more than the ordinary means of propa- 

 gation were to be used, the Delaware would not be able, until 

 a long time should elapse, to perform its part in making this 

 distinctively the country of the vine. And our excellent Diana 

 was but little less in need of assistance of the same kind ; for 

 none but very imperfect plants had been produced, and thoss 

 very sparingly, during a period of twelve years, and there were 

 no promising indications of any thing better from any quarter. 



After experimenting with great attention for five years, and 

 obtaining very satisfactory results, showing conclusively, by the 

 products of numerous trials, that vastly better plants could be 

 obtained with care and skill, aided by proper appliances and ac 

 improved method, than vineyardists had ever conceived possi- 

 ble, so that vineyards at four years old would be able to give 

 better results than Europeans had ordinarily obtained In seven ; 

 at the stage when my operations had taken a mature fom^, 

 and extensive appliances and a large propagating stock had 

 been provided at a cost of many thousands of dollars, a disas- 

 trous fire destroyed the whole. At that time numerous imita- 

 tors had sprung -up who, without any knowledge of the business, 

 except what they had obtained by inspection of my operations, 

 flattered themselves with the hope that they should be able to 

 sell vines at very large prices, which they did not doubt being 

 able to produce abundantly at very small cost, not knowing that 

 to practical skill and application, great experience must also b« 

 added for the production of good plants which would bear out 

 promises of excellence in the garden and vineyard. The most of 

 them failed utterly, while some, stimulated to perseverance by 

 the hope that my loss would be Irreparable, were able to pro 

 duce great numbers of inferior and worthless plants that have 

 done much to bring both the kinds of vines and the manner of 

 propagation into disrepute with some who do not make the in- 

 A'estigation that is necessary to enable them to discriminate 

 between excellence and inferiority. 



My stock and appliances were speedily replaced, on a greatly 

 enlarged scale, by an expenditure of more than thirty thousand 

 dollars in one season, with very Important Improvements, for 

 the production of all kinds of plants, but especially for those 

 called "Extras" and "Best Selection," which no one has at- 

 tempted to imitate. 



The art of producing the best vines that will be perfect in 

 hardihood, vigor, and productiveness. In garden and vineyard, is 

 not only difficult of acquirement, but requires the most assiduous 

 attention by night as well as by day ; jet I hare found such a 

 degree of success practicable that the result is constant and un- 

 failing, and I am not compelled to charge my customers for any 

 losses or Imperfections. The degree of regularity of germination 

 and growth from the buds that I put into the ground greatly 

 surpasses that of the best corn-field. It is brought about by using 

 none but perfect eyes that have been produced for the purpose 

 after a long course of treatrrent, by which the wood has become 

 so perfect and enduring that it never loses any of its leaves un- 

 til the completion of the season, so that the buds are furnished 

 with the full measure of strength that belongs to them, and by 

 treating these eyes or buds so that all of their wants are as faily 

 supplied as if they had remained upon the mother branches. My 

 numerous assistants perform their part under my own immedi- 

 ate supervision, with a spirit that springs from a love of excel- 

 lence. In consequence, I am able to offer what may be repr«> 

 sented as perfect vines at the cheapest rates. 



To early Fall purchasers I offer special inducements. 



For the advantages of early Fa.l purchases, see Catalogues, In 

 which there is embodied such information as from very extended 

 experience, I have found purchasers and planters to be in need 

 of; and although named catalogues, they are a Manual of Grap* 

 Culture. 



Orakt, In the Clerk's Ofilc« of th« District Cou S of th<. i'nitrl 

 Dbtrlct of New-Tork. 



