AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 239 



vineyards approacli closely to the Constantia, though far from possessing 

 in the market the same character and value. 



The above constitute the trade or stock grapes of the country. There 

 arc about ten or a dozen others which are generally trained on trellises for 

 shade or for the table. The favorite variety for these purposes is known 

 by title of the Crystal grape, the chief value being that it bears fruit later 

 than others, and thus prolongs the season. All these vines are trained 

 long, the bearing shoots being left about 10 to 12 inches in length. Very 

 fine wines may be made from them, but they are rarely used for this end. 



Prof. Renwick stated that, the manner of training and pruning the 

 European grapevine depended upon climate. He had seen vineyards from 

 Bonn, on the Rhine, to those of Mount Vesuvius. In northern France 

 and in Germany, the vines were trained low, and required, when in leaf, 

 no other support than poles, shorter than those used in hop gardens. 

 Indeed the first vineyard he saw he mistook for hop grounds. He had 

 been present at only one vintage, namely : at Vevay, in Switzerland. Here 

 the vines were trained low. The fruit was delicious to the taste but the 

 wine was not of high quality. 



In northern Italy the vine was permitted to form festoons extending on 

 either side to mulberry trees, which had softened the elms described by 

 Virgil. The wine, when carefully manufactured, was often of high quality. 

 In Tuscany, many of the wines were highly celebrated, although even less 

 pains were taken in restraining their growth. In the neighborhood of 

 Naples the vines exhibited a still more luxuriant growth, and yielded the 

 celebrated Lachryma Christi, as well as the more exquisite wines of Cafri. 



He believed that experience had led to the practice in all these cases, 

 and that the custom everywhere was that which had been found attended 

 with the best results. It might not be generally known that the European 

 Sweetwater grape, at one time, was extensively and very successfully culti- 

 vated within the limits of the city of New York. Sixty years since there 

 was hardly a yard in the region extending from Coenties' slip to Catharine 

 street, and bounded by Broad, Nassau and Chatham streets, which had not 

 its grape vine, more or less fruitful, according to the pains taken in its cul- 

 tivation. In all successful instances the vine was trained to heights of 15 

 or 20 feet, on trellises. 



THE LAWTON BLACKBERRY. 



Mr. Wm. Lawton read an account of the second blooming of this variety 

 of blackberries, from The Rural New Yoj-ker, and in answer to the inquiry 

 if such things were common, he stated that he thought ten per cent of his 

 crop this year was from a second blooming. He also exhibited some 

 branches to show the regular progression of fruit, some of it having been 

 ripened and gathered, while other berries from the last blooming will not 

 ripen till late in September. It is this peculiarity that gives value to this 

 variety. He attributes a good deal of this to pruning ; he cuts back the 

 canes unsparingly, removing one-third of the length. Every shoot of tho 

 canes upon six acres of last year's growth is loaded with fruit. He com- 



