156 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



oldest grape cultivators, and Mr. Simpson, sanguine of suc- 

 cess, and not ready to be argued out of his position, is deter- 

 mined to maintain it by the best of all proofs — the unqualified 

 success of the experiment. 



We need not at this time attempt to show that Mr. Simp- 

 son's theory is not ba^ed on sound principles, and hence it 

 cannot be sustained ; he has gone too far, we think, towards 

 substantiating his views by actual experiment to render it 

 necessary to do so. He has already, within the space of less 

 than two years, obtained two fine crops from the same vines, 

 and the third is now approaching to maturity, and will be 

 ripe in April. In the face of such evidence, notwithstanding 

 it may conflict with our preconceived notions of grape culture, 

 derived mostly from the observations of English practitioners, 

 we must admit that he is accomplishing a most important 

 work — is indeed solving a great problem — in regard to the 

 habits of the vine ; and notwithstanding somewhat similar 

 views have been entertained by some English cultivators, and 

 have been partially carried out, the credit will belong to Mr. 

 Simpson of completely settling the question that the grape, 

 under artificial culture, will successfully yield three crops in 

 two years. 



Mr. Simpson has most kindly promised to favor us with a 

 statement of his whole course of culture, from the commence- 

 ment of the forcing of his first, to the maturity of his third, 

 crop, and we shall not, therefore, refer to any of the details 

 of growth. We confess we have ourselves been surprised 

 at his perseverance and zeal. We have eaten of the pro- 

 duce of his two crops, and have noticed the great excellence 

 of his grapes ; but while we have acknowledged their superi- 

 ority, it was not without some misgivings in regard to his 

 future success. Not that we apprehended he had established 

 a false theory, but that he might find it difficult to carry his 

 plans into execution. In this respect, however, he has been 

 highly favored by the assistance of his gardener, Mr. Burns, 

 who, though doubtful of the soundness of Mr. Simpson's 

 theory, entered zealously into the experiment and carried out 

 all his views with the utmost fidelity ; without such aid it 



