35 



the vine is as hardy as an oak. I received the Union grape from Mr. Long- 

 worth of Cincinnati. In his note to me he stated " that it was a larger 

 grape than the Black Hamburgh, thinner skin, softer pulp and more juicy." 

 I have found it fully up to his statement. With me it ripens from a week 

 to ten days earlier than the Isabella. The fruit 1 have shown at your rooms 

 has never received any special care or attention, and I have no doubt that 

 bunches may be grown twice as large as any I have exhibited. It is an 

 enormous grower, making wood double the size of any other vine. In a 

 light sandy or gravelly soil it succeeds well, making short-jointed canes, 

 and producing a good crop of fine fruit. 



Those who follow the prevailing notions of grape culture, and plant this 

 vine in one of those compost or manure heaps called borders, will be as- 

 tonished at its growth, and still more astonished token they see the fruit. 



It is important to those who wish to grow the Union grape in this section 

 of the country, either to adopt the system of training detailed to you in a 

 former letter, (see the Report of 1857,) or resort to some other method to 

 check its over luxuriance. 



Yours truly, E. A. Brackett. 



Native Wine. — Saturday, Sept. 19th. — At the solicitation of Messrs. E. 

 Paige & Co., of Boston, a full Committee, with the addition of several 

 horticulturists from a distance, then attending our Annual Exhibition, made 

 a visit to their manufactory and wine vaults, under the City Reservoir, where 

 they found, in the process of pressing, several tons of native grapes ; and 

 were assured by Messrs. Paige & Co. that the whole amount they would 

 make into wine this season would exceed sixty tons, yielding over 20,000 

 gallons of wine. The grapes were mostly from our own State, though 

 several lots were received from Connecticut. One person from Cape Cod 

 supplied about eight tons. 



The space allowed us will not admit of our going into particulars ; but 

 we would call attention to the native grape as an object of profit, in many 

 instances, since it can be grown in abundance, where it is planted by the 

 side of a stone wall — the liberal price paid by Messrs. Paige &. Co. afford- 

 ing compensation for the little care and labor required. As to the quality of 

 the wine, although it was not of sufficient age to enable us to pronounce a 

 positive opinion on it, some of our amateurs, who have had a more exten- 

 sive acquaintance with other samples from the establishment of Messrs. 

 Paige & Co., speak of it in terms of commendation. Messrs. Paige &. Co. 

 have also produced a brandy from the pulp and skins of the grape, after the 

 juice had been expressed, which, according to the opinions of connoisseurs, 

 is likely to become a valuable article for medicinal and other purposes. 



Melons. — For open culture the Christiana is the only variety which has 

 been shown of marked superiority, and, as usual, the highest premium was 

 taken by E. M. Richards. Mr. Richards first received his seeds from 

 the late Josiah Lovett, the originator of this most excellent melon. 

 Mr. Richards has not grown any other variety, and for this reason he has 

 been enabled to keep it in its original purity. 



