538 [Assembly 



ces of this we may name the late Mr. Adkim, of Georgetown, D. C; 

 Mr. Herbemont, of Cohimbia, S. C,j Mr. N. Longworth, near Cin- 

 cinnati, Ohio (who it is said made 200 barrels of wine in one season,) 

 and Dr. Underbill, perhaps the most extensive vintner in the North- 

 ern States. As one honored as an agriculturist with membership in 

 the " American Institute," and perhaps the most successful vintner in 

 the Southern States, it will not, I trust, be deemed presumptuous or 

 vain in me, to add a few facts of my experience on trial of the two 

 systems of vine culture contrasted. So long as I tried the foreign 

 system, disappointment only ensued as to any satisfactory or profita- 

 ble result. 



But whenever I got my American system under way, my vintages 

 rapidly increased, till as a sort of extra plantation crop,! have made 

 the past season 40 barrels of wine; every gallon of which, from past 

 experience, I calculate to be good and saleable. And besides this re- 

 sult of ray last vintage, I have sold considerable quantities of grapes 

 which were carried away; and also entertained hundreds of visitors, 

 paying entrance fees into my vineyards, of which one hundred white 

 persons entered in one day, besides carriage drivers and servants. 

 Again, my most select native vines, have been vended annually in 

 various parts of the Union; and so far as heard from, desired success 

 has attended their culture. I am most credibly informed that my 

 Halifax grape, carried to France, ranks among the best there culti- 

 vated. I will not omit to say here, that intelligent foreigners visit- 

 ing my vineyards, declare, as to their knowledge, the Scuppernong 

 grape in particular, to be equal to any, and superior to most in East- 

 ern vineyards as to size and flavor, (a berry 3| inches round not un- 

 common, and one found here 4 inches in circumference,) and it is 

 certain that none foreign, unless, perhaps the celebrated Hamburgh 

 in England, can compare with the Scuppernong vine in extent and 

 productiveness. It is conceded an undoubted fact here, that a single 

 Scuppernong vine in the lower part of this State (the native region 

 of this grape) will spread over scafl^olding nearly a quarter of an 

 acre, and besides a plenty of its most delicious fruit to the owner and 

 neighbors, yields its five barrels of wine annually. A quarter acre 

 ot twelve vines, cultivated in best style, I knew to yield 500 gallons 

 a vintage, or equal to 2000 gallons per acre, while 800 gallons is an 

 uncommon yield in Europe. The concurrent testimony of the best 

 judges of wines, is, that the genuine well made Scuppernong, vies 

 with any foreign and is found to be most medicinal in the practice 

 of all families in which it is kept for that purpose. Were it not" for 

 the outlandish prejudice in favor of foreign wines, the American scup- 



