VINEYARDS ABOUT CINCINNATI. 113 



gent taste to the wine ; but a slight fermentation adds to the 

 color and aroma. 



Mr. WILLIAMSON'S wine enjoys a high reputation where 

 known, and readily commands $1,25 per gallon, whenever it 

 is offered for sale. 



VINEYARDS ABOUT CINCINNATI. 



To the Editors of the Cincinnati Gazette : 



GENTLEMEN : I was yesterday at some of the vineyards on 

 the Ohio, below the city, and among others at the vineyard 

 of Mr. DUHME, who, I understand, resides in the city. The 

 location is a good one, with a favorable soil, and is, I believe, 

 the largest vineyard in the State. It requires his personal 

 attention. The grapes ripen badly, and a large portion of 

 them cannot ripen at all. 



In some parts of Europe, where their summers are cool, 

 they find it necessary to shorten the leading branches intended 

 toproduce the next year's crop, and thin out the leaves, and 

 head in the short branches, and fully expose the fruit to the 

 sun and air, to insure its ripening. This method, in our hot 

 climate, is often highly injurious to the plant, and destructive 

 to the fruit. If the heading in of the leading shoots be done 

 early in the season, the fruit-buds of the following year are 

 thrown out. As an experiment, I one year, by successive head- 

 ing, had the fruit of four successive years on the plant at the 

 same time, and the fall being favorable, the second crop ripened 

 its fruit. Where the fruit branches are frequently topped, and 

 the wood becomes ripe, the sap ceases to flow, and the fruit 

 cannot ripen. This is the case at the vineyard of Mr. DUHME. 

 In our hot climate no more lateral branches should be taken 

 from the main shoots intended for next year's fruit than to 

 give them the necessary length. The fruit branches should 

 be topped when in blossom, beyond the second eye from the 

 last blossom, and after that allowed to grow without topping. 

 In our climate, to ripen the fruit, a portion of shade is neces- 



