144 [Assembly 



North of the latitude 40*^ we must construct our cocooneries in such 

 a manner as to secure an uninterrupted circulation of air among our 

 cradles and frames, at the same time we so construct as to enable us 

 to close and apply artificial heat, whenever the natural temperature 

 is below 60° to 65*^, as is frequently the case in mornings and eve- 

 nings and during storms. With my experience, I think I should re- 

 commend for this section ot the country and the north generally, the 

 Canton and Brousa mulberry, as more hardy and suited to our win- 

 ters. The Canton particularly, is as rapidly propagated as the mul- 

 ticaulis, and equally adapted to branch feeding. 



Respectfully yours, 



A. C. VAN EPPS. 

 T. B. Wakeman, Esq. 



WINE FROM NATIVE GRAPES. 



Greenville, Greene co., JYew-York, JVov. 12th, 1846. 



Sir: — You desire me to give an account of my manner of culti- 

 vating the vine, pruning, &c. I fear my experience will add but 

 little to the general information required by the society, as I am but 

 a novice in its culture, and have as yet made experiments only from 

 two kinds of grape in wine making, viz: the large round native 

 grape, for which I know no distinct name, but is not uncommon and 

 is wild in parts of this State. 



The wine exhibited at the Nineteenth Annual Fair, was made 

 from this grape, the vine was then four years old. My next experi- 

 ment was with the " Miller's Burgundy" grape, the result of which 

 was a perfect and excellent Ckampagne wine. In both cases, one 

 and a half pounds of sugar were added to the gallon, in order to 

 make up for any immaturity of the saccharine matter in the grape. 

 In the preparation of my ground for setting out the vines, I trench 

 two and a half feet, make my border from four to six feet wide, 

 usins: well rotted horse manure, about half a bushel to a vine with a 

 peck of unleached ashes. The following autumn I top dress with 

 the same kind of manure one or two inches thick, and sometinaes 

 add additional ashes, letting this depend upon the original quality 

 ot the soil. In the spring fork it well under. 



I prune about the 1st of November, shortening to four and six 

 feet, leaving from two to four long vines or spurs from each root 



