The European Grape. 



GRAPE MANUAL. 



7's Failure. 7 



this country " Hleif Erickson " called the land 

 Vineland. As early as 1564 wine was made by 

 the first colonists in Florida from the native 

 grape. The Pilgrim fathers saw vines in 

 abundance at Plymouth. "Here are grapes, 

 white and red, and very sweet and strong 

 also," wrote Jos. Edward Winslow in 1621. 

 Rev. Fr. Higginson, writing in 1629 from the 

 Massachusetts Colony says " Excellent vines 

 are here, up and down in the \Yoodes: Our 

 governor has already planted a vineyard, with 

 great hope of increase." Thus, during the 

 previous centuries grapes were cultivated, and 

 wine has occasionally been made in America 

 from native grapes ; (the French settlers near 

 Kaskaskia, Ills., made, in 1769, one hundred 

 and ten hogsheads of strong wine from wild 

 grapes) " but neither the quality of the wine 

 nor the price obtained for it offered sufficient 

 inducement to persevere." Buchanan. 



The European grape, Vitis Vinifera, was, 

 therefore, considered the only true wine grape. 



In 1630, a London company sent French 

 vignerons into the Virginia Colony to plant 

 grapevines which they had imported for the 

 purpose; the poor vignerons were blamed for 

 their failure. In 1633 Wm. Penn vainly tried 

 to introduce and cultivate European varie^- 

 ties in Pennsylvania. In 1690 a Swiss Colo- 

 ny, grape growers from Lake Geneva, tried 

 to raise grapes and make wine in Jessamine 

 County, Kentucky, but their hopes were soon 

 frustrated; their labor and fund $10,000, a 

 large amount in those days were lost ; and 

 only when they commenced to cultivate an 

 indigenous grape, which, however, they sup- 

 posed to be from the Cape (see description of 

 Alexander), they had somewhat better success. 

 The attempts with German, French and Span- 

 ish vines, made again and again, proved 

 failures. Hundreds of thousands (comprising 

 many different sorts) of the best European 

 vines were imported, but they all perished 

 " from the vicissitudes of the climate." Thous- 

 ands of failures are recorded ; not one of dura- 

 ble success; and Downing was fully justified 

 in saying (Horticulturist, Jan., 1851), "The 

 introduction of the foreign grape into this 

 country for open vineyard culture is impossible. 

 Thousands of individuals have tried it the 

 result in every case has beea the same a sea- 

 son or two of promise, then utter failure."* 



* Always excepting California, which was then almost 

 unknown, but which is now thegreatest wine-producing 

 State of this country. There, from the counties border- 

 ing the Bay of San Francisco down to Colorado river, 

 several hundred varieties of- the best European grapes 

 are successfully cultivated; and even since the appear- 

 ance of the Phylloxera, evidently introduced from 

 Europe on imported vines, Amaricaii grapes are not in 

 demand there, except for the purpose of grafting there- 

 011 European varieties. (,J lite recently the Soudan grape, 

 a, vine discovered on the banks of the Xiger, in Africa, 



While this fact could not be denied, the 

 cause remained a mystery. All pronounced 

 the European grape as " unsuited to our soil 

 and climate ; " all attributed its failure to that 

 cause. But we, and doubtless many others 

 with us, could not help thinking that "soil 

 and climate" cannot be the sole causes; for 

 this vast country of oars possesses a great 

 many locations where soil and climate are 

 quite similar to those of some parts of Europe 

 where the Viuifera flourishes. Is it reasona- 

 ble to suppose then, that none of the many 

 varieties which are grown in Europe under 

 such varied climatic conditions, from Mainz 

 to Naples, from the Danube to the Rhone, 

 should find a congenial spot in these United 

 States, embracing almost every climate of 

 the temperate zone? If soil and climate were 

 so unsuited, how is it that the young, ten- 

 der European vines grow so well, so prom- 

 ising of success, for a few seasons ; in large 

 cities SDmatimas even for several years ? How 

 explain the fact that the finest European va- 

 rieties of other fruits, the poar for instance, are 

 successfully grown here in poms localities, and 

 that, but for the curculio, tha Reine Claude 

 and German Prunea would flourish here as 

 well as there? Slight differenced of soil and 

 climate might well produce marked differencas 

 in the constitution of the vine, perhaps also 

 somewhat change the flavor and quality of 

 the grapes, but could not sufficiently account 

 for their absolute failure. Nevertheless our 

 learned horticulturists looked for no other 

 cause ; they even went so far as to teach that 

 "if we really wished to acclimate the foreign 

 grap3 here, we must go to the seeds, and raise 

 two or three new generations in the American 

 soil and climate." In obedience to these teach- 

 ings, numerous fruitless attempts have been, 

 made here to raise seedlings of the European 

 grape that will endure our climate. Like their 

 parents they seemed successful for a timef 

 to be soon discarded and forgotten. But, in 



has been introduced into California; a few plants are 

 now growing from seed received by C. A. Wetmore, and 

 may also succeed there, in Los Angeles and San Bernar- 

 dino counties. This peculiar vine is an annual, but has a 

 tuberous perennial root. The seeds are much like those 

 of other grapes; the leaves resemble some liotundifoli.i 

 varietes of tne S. A. S. 



All our remarks on grape culture refer only to the 

 States east of the Kocky Mountains, unless otherwise 

 expressly stated. 



f Among the seedlings of foreign grapes raised in the 

 U. S., which obtained a name and fame, are: Brinkle and 

 Emily, raised by Peter Raabe of Philadelphia; Brandy - 

 wine, originated near Wilmington, L(el. ; Katarka and 

 Montgomery, or Merritt's Seedling, raised by Dr. W. A. 

 Royce, of Newburg, X. York. To these belong also 

 Clara and Weehawken (see description). N.Grein, of Her- 

 mann, Mo., introduced, about ten years ago, some very 

 good new grapes, which he claimed (and honestly be- 

 lieved) to have raised from seed of the German Riesling. 

 Taey proved to be not seedlings of the European Riesling 

 as all, but of the American Taylor grape, and are now 

 known as Missouri Kiesling, Grein's Golden, &c. (^ee 

 these varieties.) George Haskell, a most persevering 



