years. In Europe there are many vineyards that have been in 

 CLiltivatiou tor more than a century. The fruit of the viae is con- 

 sidered so healthy, tliat, in many parts of Europe, " Grape Cures " 

 are estabhshed ; where the sick are treated with a regulated diet, 

 consisting mainly of ripe and juicy grapes, and, in many cases, we 

 are told, with the best results. The man who stands in a Euro- 

 pean vineyard looks upon the result of twenty centuries of culture 

 and improvement ; for the original stock of the European wine 

 grape (Vitis Vinifera) was a small, hard and sour grape, brought 

 from Syria. In the Botanical Garden of the city of Dijon, in 

 France, there are six hundred varieties of grape vine. It is un- 

 fortunate for the present generation, that the highly improved 

 and saccharine grapes of Europe cannot be naturalized in this 

 country and grown in the open air. All experiments, in this di- 

 rection, have failed, unless protection has been given either by 

 means of glass, or high walls. The foliage is thin and tender, and 

 cannot resist the rapid and extreme changes of temperature inci- 

 dent to this climate. The vine becomes sickly, and, at once, falls 

 a prey to mildew. We must follow the example of Europe, and 

 grow our own vines from strong and hardy stocks to be found in 

 our woods. In them are the parents of a long line of noble de- 

 scendents destined to ornament our hill-sides with purple and 

 golden clusters, and to rival the luscious sweetness and rich per- 

 fume of European grapes. The intelligent skill of man has pro- 

 duced from bitter, sour, and worthless originals, all the noble 

 and improved varieties of fruit which we have through seedlings. 

 The same law has been, and must be, applied to the grape. 

 tSome thirty years ago, the only grapes generally known and sold 

 from our nurseries, were the Catawba and Isabella. These are 

 good where they will ripen thoroughly, which they rarely do in 

 this State, our season not being long enough to ripen either wood 

 or fruit. The Isabella originated in the South, and was intro- 

 duced by Mrs. Isabella Gibbs. The Catawba was introduced by 

 Major John Adlum, of Georgetown, D. C, and was adopted, and 

 used in vineyard culture, by Nicholas Longworth, Esq., of Cin- 

 cinnati, Ohio. Next came the Diana ; a seedling of the Catawba, 

 raised by Mrs. Diana Crehore, of Milton, Mass. This grape 

 ripens a week earlier than the above named varieties. Then 

 came the Delaware, said to have originated in New Jersey, and 

 introduced by A. Thompson, of Ohio. But, to the intelligence 

 and enterprise of a citizen of our own State, we are indebted for 

 the most valuable, hardy grape for general culture yet introduced. 

 I refer to the Concord Grape, produced by the Hon. E. W. Bull, of 

 Concord, Mass. Not only has the Concord been a direct benefit 

 to us, but its success has stimulated others to work in the same 

 direction, and new and improved varieties are rapidly succeeding 



