HORTICULTURAL REPOSITORY. 



2tl 



pecially as the fruit is excellent, though not posses- 

 sing the elegance of bunch for gracing a desert, which 

 is peculiar to the black Hamburgh, black Muscat, 

 black Prince, and some other kinds. 



In further confirmation of the probable success of 

 the Burgundy Grape, in this and othernorthern states 

 of the Union, I have the pleasure of being able to 

 add, that in iny visits to the Horticultural and Bota- 

 nical Garden, established by Mr. A. Parmentier, at 

 Brooklyn, (which 1 have repeated with more than 

 common satisfaction, from his extreme politeness and 

 great readiness to shew and explain e?ery thing in 

 it — and that without the slightest view to personal ad- 

 vantage,) I was much gratified in observing that the 

 three best specimens, both of wood and fruit, among 

 all his numerous varieties, were of the Burgundy spe- 

 cies. One, which he called the black Orleans, and 

 which is of Burgundy origin, being a species of the 

 Pineau, had the bunches us perfect and as healthy as 

 I have generally seen them in Europe. Another, the 

 ■' Meunier" or Miller Grape (from its powdered-like 

 leaves as before explained,) was not only particularly 

 healthy but very prolific — and a third sort closely al- 

 lied to the Burgundy ; if not the same as the vine 

 called the white Burgundy ; namely, the " Meslier 

 Blanc" or white Mesleir. which he appears to have 

 obtained from Champaigne, was also very fine and 

 particularly productive — all the three having no ap- 

 pearance of disposition to mildew. 



I am perfectly acquainted with the product of the 

 black Orleans species of the Pineau vine, which the 

 French call " Yin de Beaugency," and I consider it 

 of all the " Yins-ordinaires," the most agreeable, 

 where a real Burgundy or Bordeaux-ordinaire is not 

 met with ; and this quality in a native of Burgundy, 

 drown in that indifferent wine country, Orleans, Tours 

 and the neighbourhood, is an additional proof, I think, 

 of the probable success of the Burgundy species of 

 the grape here, or indeed almost any where. 



I shall have fatigued you, I fear, with the length of 

 details into which I have been unintentionally led on 

 this point, but the choice of that species of the vine 

 which has the best chance of success, seems to me 

 of the first importance. 



Besides the Burgundy, the Madeira Grape (mean- 

 inn- that which produces the Madeira Wine at the isl- 

 and of Madeira) appears also to have met with its 

 share of success, for in addition to the lighter wine 

 mentioned in rav last, as being its product in the Ne- 

 apolitan dominions, there is a great quantity of wine 

 orown in Sicily, which I have frequently drank at the 

 tables of Italians even in Paris, which they call "Ma- 

 dere de Sicile," or Sicilian Madeira, but the wine be- 



ed Bronte Madeira, in compliment to Lord Nelson, 

 who was created, as you recollect, Duke of Bronte, 

 by the Queen of Naples, and I first drank it in Eng- 

 land by that name. It is excellent as a lighter white 

 wine than Madeira, but of the character or family, 

 if I may use the word, of the Madeira?, Sherries, 

 Teneriffes, dry Lisbons, and the like. 



Before I quit this part of the subject, I will beg 

 your excuse for making a remark which I dare say is 

 unnecessary to your observing eye, namely, that the 

 handsomest grapes which I have seen as fruit in this 

 neighbourhood, are those of the black Hamburgh 

 species, in the garden of Mr. Smith, Seedsman, of 

 Broadway. I consider the vine as the true black 

 Hamburgh, and if I may judge from its success in 

 his hands, a valuable species for good sheltered as- 

 pects, trained high. The bunches were fully equal 

 in their generic character, so peculiar to that and 

 some others, of a lobe-like, ramifying breadth at top 

 and narrow point at bottom, producing a triangle in 

 the general contour, and giving that beauty so attrac- 

 tive to the eye. Its variety of tint of dark and light 

 purple and green, were also well marked, though the 

 season was far from good for grapes in general. 



The famous vine at Hampton Court Palace, near 

 London, is of this kind, and produces sometimes, 

 2000 lbs. weight in a year. 



I will conclude by adding that its name originates 

 from our having first got it in England, by way of 

 Hamburgh. It is the most general run of our green 

 and hot-houses. It is very prolific but will not ripen 

 out of doors in England and is very little grown in 

 France. 



With regard to the second subject, viz. The pru- 

 ning vines in autumn and winter instead of spring, as 

 now generally performed, I would recommend in this 

 and other northern and middle states, where the cold 

 is severe, the winter long, and the latter succeeded, 

 as it generally is, by immediate summer rather than 

 spring, that the pruning should be done at any time 

 after the leaf has fallen. 



The advantages of pruning at this season, will, I 

 think, be obvious to you, if a few circumstances are 

 considered. First, the facility which the diminished 

 and consequently more manageable size of the vine, 

 affords to the laying down and covering with earth 

 for protection during winter, where that practice is 

 desired to be adopted, especially in vineyards on a 

 large scale, where, by cutting back the vine to a 

 stump of a few stools of the current year with one or 

 two eyes or buds at most to each, (which is the 

 French plan) a common hoe, or a moulding plough 

 even, will raise as much ground from between the 



ing more known in France than England, I give you : rows as will effectually cover them from frost. 



the name by which it can be easiest procured through Here I should observe, that the first time I saw 



any French or Italian house. It is usually call- Mr. Parmentier cover his vines in winter, I took the 



