* 
The European Grape. 
GRAPE MANUAL. 
Its Failure. 7 
this country ‘‘ Hleif Erickson” called the land 
. Vineland. As early as 1564 wine was made b 
the first colonists in Florida from the native 
grape. The Pilgrim fathers saw vines in 
abundance at Plymouth. ‘Here are grapes, 
Massachusetts Colony says ‘‘ Excellent vines 
are here, and down in the woodes. Our 
governor has already planted a vineyard, with 
during the 
wine has occasionally been m 
from native grapes ; (the French settlers near 
Kaskaskia, Ills., made, in 1769, one hundred 
and ten hogsheads of ptod wine from wild 
grapes) —‘‘ but neither the quality of the wine 
nor the price obtained for it offered sufficient 
inducement to persevere.”’—Buchanan. 
The European grape, Vitis Vinifera, was, 
therefore, considered the only true wine grape. 
, London company sent French 
vignerons into the Virginia Colony to plant 
grapevines which they had imported for the 
purpose; the poor bi heiaray were blamed for 
their failure. In 1633 Wm. Penn vainly tried 
to introduce and petal European varie- 
ties in Pennsylvania. In 1690 a Swiss Colo- 
ny, grape — from Lake Geneva, tried 
to raise grapes and make wine in mi 
Douay. Kentucky: but their hopes were soon 
frustrated; their labor and fund—$10,000, a 
posed to 
serge they had somewhat better success. 
Hag atte: , French and Span- 
es nes, made pening and again, pro roved 
failures. ‘Hundreds of thousands peperiat 
aie 
eras the vicissitudes of the climate.” 
ands of failures are recorded; not one af dura- 
ble success; and Downing was = ee 
in saying ( Horticulturiat, Jan., 1851), ‘The 
introduction of the forei ape into this 
country for ior open 
Thousands of individuals have tried. it—the 
_Tesult in every case has been the same—a sea- 
son or two of prom. _— pase — 
ee 
| @ 
the Euro 
: ems — of the 
ressly stated. 
While this fact could not be denied, the 
ause remained 
gra 
and climate ;’’ all attributed its failure to that 
cause. But we, and doubtless many others 
with us, could not help thinking that “ soil 
and climate’’ cannot he sole causes ; for 
this vast coun ofK.ours possesses a great 
many locatiofis where soil and climate are 
Europe under 
Main 
should find a congenial spot in these United 
States, embracing almost every climate of 
the temperate zone? Ifsoil and climate were 
so unsuited, how is it that the young, ten- 
der European vines grow so well, so prom- 
ising of success, for a few seasons ; in 
cities sometimes even for several years? How 
explain the fact that the finest European va- 
rieties of other fruits, the pear for instance, are 
successfully grown here in some localities, and 
hat, but for the cureulio, the Reine Claude 
and German Prunes would flourish here as 
well as there? Slight differences of soil and 
climate might well produce marked differences 
in the constitution of the vine, perhaps also 
somewhat change the flavor and quality of 
“if we really wished to acclimate the foreign 
grape here, we ae go to the seeds, and raise 
jo? 
has been Se into sa gy a few 
now growing from seed received by CA Watmemt, pois 
may also succeed there, in Los Angeles a : rr 
dino counties, Thi ar vine is an ennual, but a 
tuberous perennial The are much like those. 
of other grapes; the leaves resem. 7 
varietes eS, A. 
m1 remarks on : 
neon gimid ; \eoantatns Jueaiens <acue cau 
st ong the piutiinns ot pies gotten 
ee: obtained a ewe an fame, are 
Emily, va raised by Peter Raabe of Philadelphia; "Sean 
wine, originated near Wilmington, Del. ; Katarka and 
pe culture refer only to 7 
