THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 241 



in the vicinity of every city between New York and 

 New Orleans. 



" You state you are about publishing a third edition of 

 your work on the Grape, and that it occurred to you that 

 I might wish to say somewhat in reference to my success 

 in the cultivation of the grape at Croton Point. 



" First I will state I have read your work on the. culti- 

 vation of the grajye under glass, and so far as I am capa- 

 ble of judging in this department, I do consider it one of 

 the best that has been published. Your views in reference 

 to the preparation of the iorder for a grapery are very 

 correct. The gross, rank, stimulatitig manures so fre- 

 quently used in large quantities, may sometimes give 

 viery large clusters, but the excellent flavor will be sacri- 

 ficed, and all the good qualities proportionally deterior- 

 ated. 



" I first read your book two or three years since, and 

 was happy to find my views were' not solitary on this 

 subject. It is a general law of the vegetable economy, 

 that gross, rank manures, have a tendency to prevent 

 that perfect assimilation necessary to give the excellent 

 flavor, and secure the development of a large proportion 

 of nutritive qualities in fruits and vegetables. 



" You state you were in New York during the grape 

 season and that you saw ' any quantity of very fine Isa- 

 bellas from my vineyards.' You say further you ' never 

 saw finer,' and ' that they were well ripened, rich, and 

 sweet.' I can not help feeling I have accomplished 

 much, when, however complimentary I may view your 

 letter, my fruit has secured the approbation of one of 



the most successful cultivators of grapes under glass in 

 11 



