1 14 Notes and Gleaftings. 



Pure Native Wines: what and where are they? — In the Octobei 

 number of "The Horticulturist," I find a few general comments upon my article 

 under that heading in the September number of the Journal, in which the writer, 

 instead of quoting from my article and refuting my arguments, says that *' I 

 take him up quite savagely, showing my sensitiveness on a subject which I well 

 know has caused me to receive a certain amount of censure, as taking a first, 

 however modest or innocent step, in the way of diluting and preparing a good 

 drink which I call wine, and which can be made in any season, and with (very 

 likely he means of) almost any grape, — certainly, if correct, a great gain on the 

 old idea, that it required good, ripe, sweet grapes to make good wine." His 

 main objection to my course, "which is an imperfect knowledge of gallizing, is, 

 that it opens the door to other practices, which may not in themselves be as 

 little reprehensible." 



Now, in taking up the afgii/neiit again, I should, perhaps, apologize to your 

 readers for speaking so much about myself and my practices ; but I will only 

 say here, that when I made known the fact several years since, that the prac- 

 tice of gallizing, or improving the must, or juice, of grapes in poor seasons, was 

 followed here by a number of our vintners, my position in openly avowing a prac- 

 tice in which I could see nothing reprehensible was a solitary one. Others, 

 who had followed it longer and to a greater extent, denounced my foolishness 

 in thus "letting the cat out of the bag," and making an invention common prop- 

 erty, from which they had derived the exclusive benefits so far. Others vilified 

 me as an impostor and adulterator, and said I was doing an irreparable injury to 

 the cause of American grape-growing. Another party, again, while they could 

 not deny the good quality of the wines thus produced, said it was unwise to let 

 the people know it, and meet prejudice at once openly and boldly. Thus my 

 position was, at first, an isolated one. I had to experiment and practise alone ; 

 and those who gallizied of my neighbors would not impart any of their prac- 

 tices to me, as they were afraid that I would make them public. Thus I have 

 had to fight almost alone ; had to bring the proofs in support of the theory from 

 my own practice ; and owe small thanks to anybody in tJiis country for assistance. 

 I can, therefore, only speak from my own knowledge. As to the amount of cen- 

 sure I have received, and which the writer mentions, it proves nothing against 

 me. I fully expected it. Every one who was bold enough to introduce a reform 

 has had to take it; and no one can combat a deeply-seated prejudice without 

 calling it down upon his head. But I have made this a rule : as long as I have 

 communicated any thing to the public, never to assert any thing until I had 

 abundance of facts to support it. 1 have never recommended any new grape 

 for general cultivation i i our locality until I had fruited it for several years, 

 because I did not wish to mislead the public. Thus I did no. advocate galliz- 

 ing until I had fully tried it, and had abundance of good wine, made by that 

 process, to back mc up. The wine has been tried, found _^£>^c/, by hundreds and 

 thousands ; and I think, among other testimony, I may be allowed to quote from 

 "The Horticulturist," September number, 1866, where, among the notices from 

 the " Editor's Table," I find the following : — 



"Native Wines. — Some weeks since, we received from George Husmann 



