OP THE VINE. 59 



says Longworth, bears from one to four berries on 

 a bunchj and would in time of war, if lead be 

 scarce, even when fully ripe, be as valuable as the 

 Fox Grape for bullets. The berries, however, are 

 large, sometimes measuring four inches in circumfer- 

 ance. It is not hardy at the north. The American 

 Pomological Society, which met in Boston, Sep- 

 tember, 1854, recommended three kinds — the Cfe- 

 tawba^ Diana and Isabella^ as being the best for 

 general open cultivation, and their judgment is 

 concurred in by other successful fruit-growers. 

 They might, however, have with propriety, added 

 the Hartford Prolific to the number. It is unnec- 

 essary to enumerate a large number, among the 

 hundreds of varieties which are indigenous to our 

 country, for with the grape as with other fruits, a 

 few choice^ established kinds^ are better than the 

 whole catalogue enumerated in our nurseries. 



VINEYARDS IN THE UNITED STATES. 



" The vine too, here her curling tendrils shoots ; 

 Hangfe out her clusters, glowing to the south ; 

 And scarcely wi&hes for a warmer sky." 



It appears from numerous records, that the vine 

 was found in North America at a very early period. 

 Adventurers frorfi the north of Europe, found their 

 way to the northern part of this continent, as early 

 as* the ninth or tenth centuries, according to the 

 published researches of eminent historians, and long 

 before the western voyage of Columbus. In the 



