Neio Varieties of Native Grapes. 375 



15 years ;— or, as stated by M. Poiteau, in his " Origiti 

 and Developmetit of the Theory of Van Mons,'" adding the 

 requisite years in the first five generations of the pear, a 

 point is reached where none other than good and excellent 

 pears are obtained, at the end of forty-two years. But here 

 are grapes of excellent qualities obtained in one generation ; 

 and the generations of the grape may be certainly limited 

 to four years, instead of extending to fifteen, as did the first 

 generations of pears with Van Mons. As to one of these 

 sorts, Norton's Seedling, I can speak from my own obser- 

 vation. It is certainly a great acquisition to the country; 

 for while its quahty is very good, in productiveness and 

 freedom from blast, it stands unrivalled. I have vines, 

 some of whose fruit on the lower branches has been lying, 

 all this wet summer, on the ground; and it is now ripei)ing 

 without a single rotten berry being found on the bunches, 

 so situated. Yet this vine is the product of the first gener- 

 ation, as already stated. 



With such encouragement before them, and with the cer- 

 tainty of great profit from the sale of vines that will suit 

 the soil and climate of the U. States; — and in their freedom 

 from blast, and their great productiveness, and their fine 

 qualities, afford a certain and abundant return for the care 

 bestowed on their cultivation, will not some of our intelli- 

 gent and enterprising nurserymen undertake the experi- 

 ment? They have the Isabella, Catawba, and Norton's 

 Seedling — native varieties in the first generations, it is be- 

 lieved, and first stage of amelioration, to begin with, by 

 which four years of labor will be saved ; — and if they go 

 to the forest for wild sorts, they have an extensive variety 

 among which to make their selection. 



The Massachusetts Hort. Soc. is doing more for horticul- 

 ture than any other institution of the kind in the Union. 

 Yet, among its premiums for grapes for 1843, there is but 

 one for native grapes ; and that is only ,f 3 ; — while for fo- 

 reign, the premiums are from 4 to 8 dollars. Might not the 

 Society be induced to offer premiums, hereafter, for new 

 varieties of native grapes., produced on the principles of 

 Van Mons? Admitting the correctness of the opinions of 

 Mr. Knight and others, on the gradual deterioration and 

 final extinction of all the improved varieties of fruit, ought 

 we not to be looking to the means of replacing the few good 

 varieties of the grape we now have, when they shall have 



