244 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 22, 1628. 



GRAPES. 



Liimaean Botanic Garden, ) 

 Feb. 20, 182S. i 



Mr Fes3ende>- — I send you herewith some 

 k'urther extracts from my Treatise, (now in press) 

 which you can publish as " Extracts from Prince 

 on Horticulture." 



Yours most respectfully, 



VVM. PRINCE. 



Of all the fruit cultivated in the United States 

 there is none more generally esteemed than the 

 grape ; yet, in the middle and northern slates, this 

 fruit is seldom met with in perfection e.vcepl in 

 cities. The Proprietor having attended particu- 

 larly to the cultivation of the ffrape for twenty 

 years past, can confidently assure those who wish 

 to have itiis fruit in perfection, tliat they may de- 

 pend on their vines producing well if they will at- 

 tend to the following directions ; for although a 

 season may sometimes occur when the cold and 

 wet will retard the ripening of the fruit, yet even 

 in the worst seasons a tolerable crop may be cal 

 culated on. 



There are two causes why the cultivation of 

 the vine has not been successful throughout the 

 country, attention fo which is indispeusttbly na- 

 oessary : the first la the proper selection of those 

 kinds which are suitable to the respective cli- 

 raatGs, and which in this latitude should come to 

 perfection by the middle or end of September ; 

 the second is the want of attention to the culture 

 requisite for ripening the wood, which in cities is 

 effected by the dry warm air with little or no 

 care, but in the country requires art and attention 

 to produce the desired effect. I have, therefore, 

 given the following list of grapes, with brief des- 

 criptions of thoir qualities, Sz,c. followed by a gen- 

 eral comment on the culture and properties of the 

 vine, which I hope may be considered as useful to 

 those lot fully conversant with the subject. 



Many of the grapes will be found to differ es- 

 sentially from fruits cultivated under similar 

 names in some parts of the United States, as in 

 many instances the possessors of grapes of doubt- 

 ful oiigin have attached to them the names of old 

 establishe ! fruits. This practice, so common in 

 our country, and so calculated to disseminate er- 

 ror, cannot be too greatly deprecated. 



So confidpnt has the Proprietor ever been of 

 the success which would attend the culture of the 

 vine in this dountry, and of the utter inconsisteu 

 cy of the fallacious ideas which have beer, advanc- 

 ed to the contrary, that he has invariably continu- 

 ed to extend his collection of vines, by importa- 

 tions, of the choicest kinds from every clicne ; and 

 as he has, during the seasons of 182ti and 1827, 

 had near 100 kinds to produce fruit equal to that 

 of France, nearly all of which ripened iu August 

 and early in September, he considers these doubts 

 as enlirely set at rest. Specimen vines of every 

 kind have been planted out for bearing, and per- 

 sons desirous of seeing the fruit can view them at 

 the season of ripening. Such persons as desire a 

 selection of varieties mest suitable to tlieir par- 

 ticular localities, can have the selection made by 

 the author. It is intended, in the copious work 

 now preparing on '• American Horticulture," to 

 insert engravings of a number of varieties of the 

 grape. 



1. July Grrrpe, or Morillon Flartif. — This is also 

 ealled the Aladcleine ; it is the earliest grape 

 known in France. The bunches are small, the 

 fniH is also sinal!, of a deep violet colouv. and 



pleasant flavor, but it is not much esteemed, ex- 

 cept for its early maturity ; ripens here early in 

 August. 



2. Ifhite Muscadine, or Early Sweet fVater. — 

 This is a round grape, with a thin skin, and of 

 delicate flavor ; it is a great bearer, and resem- 

 bles the White Sweet Water in almost every res- 

 pect, c.Kcept that It ripens much earlier, being 

 usually in perfection from the 'iiitti to the end of 

 August. It is recommended as pdrticularly suita- 

 ble for the country, and for more northern lati- 

 tudes, where, with attention, it will be sure to 

 yield plentifully and regularly. 



8. H'hite Sweet IVater. — This has very large 

 round white berries close on the bunch, whicli is 

 of a good size ; the skin and flesh are very deli- 

 cate, and replete with very agreeable juice ; the 

 btrries on the sides of the branches next the sun 

 are often clouded with spots of a russet colour. — 

 This grape flourishes admirably in our cities, 

 where large quantities are annually sold in the 

 I shops, and some bunches have weighed near two 

 pounds. It is somewhat singular, that although it 

 flourishes without protection in the city ot New 

 York, yet I have never known a grape more sen- 

 sible to the early frosts in the country, where, if 

 unprotected in winter, it is when young killed to 

 the ground. It is therefore not recommended for 

 the country in this latitude. 



9 Black Sweet li'ater. — This is a roundish fruit, 

 growing in small compact bunches, is very sweet, 

 and ripens in September. 



6. Meunier, or Mller's Burgundy — This is one 

 of the earliest grapes ; the berries are black, of 

 moderate size, rather oval, and pretty closely set 

 on the bunches, which are short Its leaves par 

 ticularly when young, are covered with a white 

 down, which easily distinguishes it from others, 

 and whence it derives its title. The juice is 

 pleasant and vinous ; it is an excellent wine 

 grape, and produces well ; is very hardy, a sure 

 grape for a crop, and is luie of those that will suc- 

 ceed farthest north. It enters largely into cul 

 tore in the vineyards of Fnnce, and is well cal- 

 culated to succeed for the same purpose in this 

 country. 



89. Ifhite Morillon. — The berries are nearly 

 round, and form a bunch of good size ; the fruit 

 in flavor resembles the Black Morillon, but is 

 rather more sweet ; it is a pleasant early table 

 fruit, and ripens at the end of August or begin- 

 ning of September. 



80. Striped Aleppo. — This is a variety of the 

 Morillon ; the berries are on some bunches black, 

 on others white, but very frequently black, white, 

 and striped on the same bunch ; the fruit is simi- 

 lar to the Morillon Noir in quality, being pleasant, 

 and ripening early. It is sometimes called Raisin 

 de Suisse, and by others Morillon Panache. I 

 consider this grape would mature its fruit at Bos- 

 ton, and for some distance to the north of it ; 

 ripens end of August or beginning of September. 



7. .Iitvernat, or Pineau AToir. — This is a wine 

 grape ninch cultivated in Burgundy ; the berry is 

 not lar'.'e, but closely set on the bunch, and of 

 agreeable flavor ; the bunches are but of moder- 

 ate si;-e. It is often called Pineau Noir, but is 

 quite distinct from the following ; ripens begin 

 ning of September. 



Pnifrti; Franc. — A fruit of minor size and ob- 

 long, with small bunches of a form somewhat con 

 ical, and the berries closely set on the bunch ; it 

 is not the most productive, but its fruit is cf ex- 



cellent flavor, and produces the most delicate 

 wines of Burgundy. Tiie finest viueyards of that 

 part of France are most composed of the varieties 

 of the Pineau, and of the Morillon. They all 

 ripen about tue same period, and in this vicinity 

 are at maturity the beginning of September. 



70- Pineau Oris, or Grey Burgundy. — This 

 grape, also called Auvernat Gris, is used in con- 

 nexion Willi tne Auvernat Blanc, and Auvernat 

 Rouge Claire, to form the far-famed » hampaigne 

 wine. The bunch of this is short, unequal iu its 

 form, and moderately large ; the berries are round, 

 pretly close, sweet, line flavored, and of a greyish 

 colour. Formerly uia'y vineyards in France were 

 entirely composed of this grape, anu at present it 

 forms a large proportion of several. It is some- 

 limes culled Grisset Blanc ; ripe in September. 



tib. Pineau Bl.mc, or IVhite Burgundy. — This 

 grape is also called Bourjuiguon Blanc ; the ber- 

 ries are somewhat oblong, and so closely set on 

 the bunch, that in very rich soils it is not uncom- 

 mon for a portion to fall otFin order to give space 

 for the remainder. The fruit when ripe, is of a 

 yellow colour ; ripe in September. 



98. Bourguignon JVoir. — I'his is another varie- 

 ty of the Alorillon, and is somewhat allied to the 

 Pineau ; the berries are, however, less closely set 

 OD the bunch, and the fruit less oval than the lat- 

 ter ; they arc black and sweet and the bunch is 

 often winged or shoulilered. It is cultivated in 

 conne.vion with the others referred to in the fine 

 vineyards of Burgundy, and ripens at the same 

 time. 



26. )fhite Chasselas, Royal Muscadine, D'Ar- 

 ^oyce, or Chasselas Blanc. — This has round am- 

 ber-coloured berries, of moderate size, thin skin, 

 Hud soft juicy flesh ; the bunches are very I'rge ; 

 it is a great bearer, and ripens in September. 



This grape, which is tiio most cultivated for 

 the table in the middle of France, but which does 

 not Lome to perfection in the north of that coun- 

 try, unless in very favorable localities, does not 

 fail to regularly ripen its fruit in tlie vicinity of 

 New York ; and when excellent wines are made 

 far north of where this grape is found to succeed, 

 it proves at once the fallacy of the assertions 

 made by some, that vineyaids cannot succeed in 

 this vicinity. < tne circuraslame is fully proved in 

 the experiments witn the above grape, which is, 

 that if our season is in reality shorter than in 

 some parts of France, where it flourishes, stili, 

 that its greater intensity compensates for the 

 shortness of its duration. Col. Clapp, of Oxford 

 county, New York, has found this grape to ripen 

 perfectly well in that locality, but he covers the 

 vines in winter ; they ripen with him the begin- 

 ning of September. 



The varieties of the Chasselas are considered 

 in ii'rance among the finest of their table grapes, 

 and are very extensively cultivated for that pur- 

 pose. 



27. Red Chasselas. — This is similar to the white 

 in size and shape, but it is of a red colour next 

 the sun ; it is considered a good grape, and ripens 

 rather later than the white. 



3.J. Golden Chasselas. — A round fruit of amber 

 colour, melting, sweet, and of excellent flavor ; 

 the skin rather thick, and the bunches are of good 

 size ; leaves pretty deeply indented, and on a long 

 petiole ; ripens in September. 



Jlusk Chasselas. — Rather smaller than the 

 abcve, and ripens later ; a while, round berry, 

 sweet, and of a musky flavor. 



