264 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



NICHOLAS LONGWORTH ON DELAWARE GRAPES. 



Solon Robinson. — I hold in my hand an interesting letter from 

 Nicholas Longworth, of Cincinnati, whose name is identified with 

 grape culture and wine manufacturing, all over this country, as 

 one of the pioneers in the business. It will be recollected too, 

 that Mr. Longworth was one of the most persistent, and probably 

 most consistent, opponents of the Delaware grape ; believing it 

 to be identical with the red Trominer, of Germany, a worthless 

 variety for cultivation in the United States. This fact will make 

 the letter which I will now read, the more interesting. It is 

 dated Cincinnati, Oct. 18, 1860, and says: 



"In relation to The Tribune report of the American Institute 

 Horticultural Show, I have errors enough to answer for without 

 having wrong ones thrown on my shoulders. The Delaware is a 

 hardier Grape than the Catawba. From years of experience, and 

 a trial of American Wine Grapes, proper ground culture, more 

 than thirty years, I came to the conclusion that no foreign grape 

 would succeed in our climate, and ceased to cultivate them in 

 the open ground. I obtained cuttings of the Delaware ten or 

 twelve years since. It is the slowest growing vine I have ever 

 seen. The bunches and berries are very small, and of superior 

 quality as a fall grape, and gives promise of making a superior 

 wine. But I do not believe an acre of the vines will produce 

 more than two4hirds of the crop that the Catawba does. My 

 vines, ten or twelve years old, are not one tliird as large. I have 

 a graft of a native grape, two and a half years old, that this year 

 bore 130 bunches of grapes of a good size. The Delaware vines, 

 from their slow growth, and small size, should be planted one- 

 third nearer than the Catawba or Isabella, and thereby increase 

 the crop. Last spring, and the spring previous, I had the Dela- 

 ware grafted on the Catawba. It has greatly increased its 

 growth. The question is, will it so continue to grow. The Diana 

 I deem superior as a table grape to the Catawba. 



" I have H dozen vines in my garden that have been in bearing 

 three years. More than three-quarters have shriveled and rot- 

 ted before any of them were ripe. In this vicinity I have heard 

 the same complaint. It has been contended that the Isabella 

 grape belongs to the Fox family. I have always denied it. The 

 Catawba is a superior Fox grape. If 5^ou plant its seed nearly all 

 will go back more or less to the Fox character, and lose its 

 quality. The Union Tillage is a seedling of the Isabella. I this 



