No. 216.] 161 



In this land of fair skies, comparatively little has been done in the 

 cultivation of the grape. Dr. Underhill, of Sing Sing, it is true, has 

 done much as an individual, and done it well. But, grapes of the 

 very best quality ought to be in our markets in abundance for home 

 consumption and exportation. When the people generally shall un- 

 derstand that the best food and the best medicine, is to be found in 

 fine ripe fruit, and more especially in the grape, then the Black Ham- 

 burgh, the Muscat of Alexander, and the Black Saint Peters, will 

 take the place of the Isabella, Catawba, and Sweet water, and those 

 choice varieties will appear in our markets daily during the season. 

 To insure an abundaut supply, the cultivator must be remimerated for 

 his labor; do this, and there will soon be competition, and that will 

 reduce prices. The best foreign varieties can be raised with proper 

 attention, under glass, with little or no fire heat. I will venture an 

 opinion, that within twenty years from 1847, the Black Hamburgh's 

 (the prince of grapes,) will be sold in New-York, Boston and Phila- 

 delphia markets at twenty-five cents per pound j one pound of which 

 is at any time worth to those who love fine fruit — and who does not ? 

 at least three pounds of Isabella. The gentlemen of the New-Eng- 

 land States understand this subject, and so do the gentlemen of New- 

 York, New-Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Who, I would ask, has pro- 

 duced finer grapes than Roswell L. Colt, Esq., of Patterson, N. J.? 

 Mr. Colt has presented bunches and berries for exhibition at the fair 

 of the American Institute, that would grace Covent Garden Market. 



The seeding grape raised by Mr. Colt, and presented to the man- 

 agers the present season, will probably prove deserving of a place 

 among the best foreign varieties; I anxiously look forward for an 

 opportunity to fUrther test its qualities — a committee on the part of 

 the institute, to visit the grapery of Mr. Colt, to examine the vine, 

 ascertain its character and its history, I think may come within the 

 duties of the managers; might be gratifying to the gentleman who 

 produced it, and beneficial to the public. 



While on the subject of grapes I will with your permission, re- 

 late what was communicated to m^ at the fair by a gentleman of 

 New- York; he stated that he was the owner of an Isabella vine which 

 produced an abundance of fine fruit, having more fruit than his fam- 

 ily could eat, as it became ripe; he was anxious to preserve it for 

 future use, and adopted the following method to keep it, viz: 



Having prepared the bunches by removing all the defective and 

 unripe berries, he procured new flower pots of suitable size to hold 

 [Am. Inst.] L 



