OF THE VINE. 43 



marshes in almost every state, we, professing to be 

 a great agricultural people, thus far, have closed 

 ora eyes to these great facts, and, except in a tew 

 ins Jces, neglectelto a™U ourselves o? the most 



fruitful source of national wealth ever within the 

 reach of man ! Let us look at another fact. We 

 have seen by Mr. Buchanan's report, that the 

 average yield for the whole state of Ohio, was 

 about 400 gallons of wine to the acre, including 

 vineyards ill and well cultivated. The mean pro- 

 duce per hectare in France, is 617 gallons ; a hec- 

 tare being a little less than two acres and a half; 

 equivalent to about 259 gallons to the acre. But, 

 as we advance southward in our states, we find the 

 vine still more luxurious in its growth. The famous 

 Scuppernong sometimes covers acres with a single 

 vine, the stalk of which is measured by feet in cir- 

 cumference, and the weight of the grapes by tuns. 

 So too, the Isabella is a most prolific bearer in this 

 neighborhood. A gentleman in the country within 

 an hour's ride of New York, planted a single , acre 

 with this favorite vine, and he estimates the prod- 

 ncexfrom it at four tuns of grapes per annum! 

 As to the quality of American wine when compared 

 with that of France, let him say who has tasted 

 our common country wine, and the common wine 

 of France. We have ventured to place our wines 

 in comparison not with the Tin du pai/s, but with 

 the most famous vintages of Europe, and even then 

 the verdict has usually resulted in favor ^of the 

 American wine. So that in quantity and quality, we 



