i62 Notes and Gleanmgs. 



" Isabella," he says, "ranks higher in weight of must than Concord throu^lu ut 

 the East, North, and Western States." 1 beg to differ as far as relates to oi.e 

 of the Western States. The Concord varies here from 75° to 85° by Orchles 

 scale ; while the Isabella varies from 60° to 70° in good seasons, and has long 

 been discarded by us as a Tc/Z/z^-grape. 



Next comes the Catawba, " on which" (we use quotations) " the reputation of 

 the country so far stands as a wine-producing country." I must differ again. W c 

 have at least ten varieties, which all produce a better wine tJian the Catawba; 

 and, to bring even it to the very highest perfection, the "art of wine-making " 

 must be brought into play to a very large extent. Every one who tastes a Ca- 

 tawba berry, if ever so fully ripe, will find that it contains a great deal of as- 

 tringency, which makes the wine too harsh if left undiluted. We quote further: 

 " Nevertheless, there are many thousand gallons of really pure Catawba wine 

 made at the West ; and, among these good ones, the very best we have ever drunk 

 we received last fall from George Leick, Esq., of Cleveland, O." Now, I happen 

 to know Mr. Leick personally ; and he freely acknowledged to me himself, that 

 he added water and sugar, if necessary, to his wines. He would not be the 

 skilful wine-maker he undoubtedly is, if he did not. So much for the writer's 

 knowledge of " pure wine," as he understands the term. I will, however, make 

 him a proposition. I hope to meet him at the next Pomological Congress in St. 

 Louis, as I trust he will not " hide his light under a bushel," as he has done 

 this time. 1 will then and there exhibit a Catawba, which for flavor, brilliancy 

 of color, and general good quality, 1 am willing to stake against any sample 

 produced in the country, East, West, North, or South. This I am willing 10 

 submit to any committee of chemists that the Pomological Society may appoint, 

 for analysis, and challenge any grape-grower or wine-manufacturer to produce a 

 better or purer article. Will he abide by the decision of that committee ? and, 

 should they decide in my favor, will he acknowledge himself beaten ? The lona 

 aqd Ives's Seedhng I will pass by, as I do not know enough about them. What 

 I do know, however, coincides pretty well with his remarks. I think they have 

 both been overrated as wine -grapes. 



About Norton s Virginia, however, I know something, having been one of its 

 early defenders ; and still think it unequalled for producing a medical wine, re- 

 sembling the best class of port. He says of it, " lis wine we have found gen- 

 erally nearly pure. It is so rich in itself of all the qualities that make up a good 

 red wine, thit there is no necessity of adding any thing thereto." So here he ad- 

 mits that there may be a necessity of adding something to othei wines ; and 3-et 

 he has protested against the practice all along. 



But, Messrs. Editors, I must close this rather rambhng epistle, which I am 

 afraid has already taxed the patience of your readers too much. I think I can 

 leave the public to decide on the points at issue between the writer and m3self 

 He has evidently, as our old German proverb says, " heard the bell ring but 

 does not know where it hangs." He may have notions about wine-making, buf 

 really knozvs very little about it. George Hiisinann. 



Hekmann, Mo., July i, 1867. 



