202 Sojir Stuff. 



decrease gradually in size as they approach the centre, which should be 

 well filled with them. All the petals should be regularly disposed, and lie 

 over each other in such a manner as that their respective and united beau- 

 ties may meet the eye together : they should be nearly flat, or at most have 

 but a small degree of inflection at the broad end ; their edges should be 

 perfectly entire (or what is called rose-leaved), without notch, fringe, or 

 indenture. The calyx should be at least an inch in length, sufficiently 

 strong at the top to keep the base of the petals in a close and circular 

 body. The colors should be distinct, and the stripes regular, narrowing 

 gradually to the claws of the petal, and there ending in a fine point. 

 Almost one-half of each petal should be of a clear white, and free from 

 spots." 



SOUR STUFF. 



" Poor, sour stuff; needs brandy to make it decent," was the encour- 

 aging remark of a friend for whom we opened a bottle of very tolerable 

 claret a while ago. This remark is a pretty fair index of the feeling of 

 most Americans towards large classes of the best wines in the v>-orld for 

 every-day use, — viz., Claret, Sauternes, and light German wines, — and 

 shows how far the public taste has been perverted by the wholesale use of 

 fiery liquors. Strong, burning Sherry, Port, well " fortified " with brandy, 

 and wines of like strength, always find admirers and consumers; while wines 

 of real delicacy, high flavor, and intrinsic worth, are set aside as "sour stuff." 

 Of course, the only remedy for this state of things is to educate the public 

 taste to the right standard. To do this, we need good, cheap native wines 

 in abundance. 



"We have now grapes that will make wine capable of rivalling any foreign 

 kind ; and we need only to push on, and to cultivate and manufacture on 

 a large scale. Then, by giving the would-be consumers good wines at a 

 moderate price, we may reasonably hope to introduce a higher standard of 

 taste, and to win a victory over spurious brandied liquors. That such a 

 victory is desirable, no one can doubt. 



