224 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. 



here. This is the rule ; but, like many other 

 rules, it has its exceptions. Here and there in 

 cities, and in a few sheltered positions possess- 

 ing peculiarly favorable conditions for growing 

 the grape, a few vines of the Early Black, Mil- 

 ler's Burgundy, the Chasselas, or even the Black 

 Hamburgh, have been grown with tolerable 

 success, the fruit, however, falling much short 

 of its characteristic excellence, being, in fact, 

 quite inferior to several of our best native 

 varieties. We know, indeed, of several in- 

 stances where the Chasselas, under such condi- 

 tions, has for a number of years produced mod- 

 erate crops of inferior fruit ; but such sporadic 

 instances do not in the least invalidate the fact, 

 that the foreign grape is wholly unfitted for 

 vineyard culture here. That fact will remain 

 intact until we can command a much more uni- 

 form temperature than we now possess, and* the 

 hygrometric conditions of our atmosphere have 

 been considerably modified. But even if the 

 foreign grape were fitted for the vineyard, 

 wherein consists the wisdom of introducing 

 seedlings inferior to their parents ? 



