AT THE VINEYARD, GERMANTOWN. 333 



ing brought into competition with the three first mentioned. 

 There are some, the * Elsenborough,' Orwigsburg,' &c. 

 the fruit of which is good, and generally ripens, but they 

 hardly seem fitted for vineyard culture, on account of defi- 

 ciency in the size of the fruit, amount of produce, &c. 



" The wine Dr. Hulings alluded to was part of a cask of 

 one hundred and thirty gallons, made by me three years since, 

 from the ' Alexander' grape, purchased of some of my neigh- 

 bours, my vines not having at that time come into bearing. 

 It has been pronounced by connoisseurs in Philadelphia, to 

 be very similar in its character to a good Madeira, excepting 

 that it was rather more mild. 



" My vineyard is situated between the Schuylkill and Dela- 

 ware rivers four miles from the former, and eight from the 

 latter, at an elevation of three hundred feet above their level, 

 having an aspect facing S. S. E., with a sub-stratum of light 

 isinglass soil, and seems well suited to the purpose. From 

 my experience, both on my own premises and at other places, 

 it is my judgment that we should reject almost all the foreign 

 varieties, especially where our object in cultivating them is to 

 make wine. 



" 1 shall now proceed to make some statements on the sub- 

 ject of planting, training, &c. and as my experience, since 

 commencing the business, has suggested some variations from 

 my original plan, I shall rather detail what I would do, than 

 what I have done. I think the plan laid down by most writers 

 for preparing the ground and planting, is much more expen- 

 sive than is necessary, and that it is calculated to deter many 

 persons from undertaking the business. To dig the ground 

 from eighteen inches to two and a half feet deep with a spade, 

 is in this country no trifling task, and in comparison with the 

 common process of farming, looks truly formidable. My plan 

 would be, to start two ploughs with strong teams, one imme- 

 diately behind the other, in the same furrow, each of them set 

 deep, and after the ploughing is completed, harrow it tho- 

 roughly. Then, in the direction the rows are intended to be 

 planted, run parallel furrows across the field, at the distance of 



