332 METHOD OP CULTIVATION 



one and a half acres more on a site well suited to the purpose, 

 adjoining my present establishment. 



" Some of my vines produced fruit in 1827, pretty freely 

 in 1828, and last year very largely, when my vintage produced 

 eight barrels of wine, beside my making sale of a considerable 

 quantity of fruit in Philadelphia, &c. The ensuing season, 

 I shall probably have more than double the quantity, as there 

 are constantly new vines coming into bearing, and also others 

 approaching their full capacity, which had previously made 

 only a first or a second effort. 



" As regards the varieties with which I have had most suc- 

 cess, and to which I give the preference, I am unhesitating in 

 ranking as the three foremost, the ' Catawba,' the York, (Pa.) 

 ' Black Madeira,' and the * Isabella.' These seem to possess 

 all the requisites for our purpose, more particularly as wine 

 grapes, and some persons admire them for the table also. 

 They all produce excellent wood, ripening the shoots almost 

 to the extreme end, even in the most unfavourable seasons, and 

 without any protection, pass through our coldest winters as 

 securely as the oak of the forest. The l Catawba' and ' Isa- 

 bella' yield extra-abundant crops of fruit, and the York 

 Black Madeira is also a very good bearer. Their fruit 

 rarely fails to arrive at fine maturity, and is rich in saccha- 

 rine matter, the basis of wine. The * Alexander' I am 

 cultivating pretty largely, but my estimation of it is on the 

 wane. It does not produce as good wood as those just 

 mentioned, and is less certain of ripening its fruit. I have 

 some plants of the North Carolina ' Scuppernong' coming 

 forward ; but from conversation with some of my friends, who 

 were familiar with it at the south, I doubt its adaptation to ex- 

 tensive culture. They say, that as the berries commence 

 ripening, they immediately loosen their connection with the 

 stem, and by slight agitation, fall in great numbers, as is the 

 case with most of our Fox grapes. I have upwards of thirty 

 additional varieties, several of which have not produced fruit, 

 so as to enable me from personal observation, to place an esti- 

 mate on them ; and such as have, I do not think worthy of be- 



