646 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



[November 



united, as whether of fine or coarse texture, 

 of slender or gross growth. 



Second, The wood-buds, whether abun- 

 dant or sparse, plump or lean, round or 

 pointed. 



Third, The seasons of maturity, whether 

 •early, medium, or late. 



These suggestions will suffice to indicate 

 the direction of thought and the kind of in- 

 vestigation to be pursued. A better know- 

 ledge of the subject will, no doubt, hereaf- 

 ter be attained, and will reveal some of the 

 inexplicable mysteries which now attend 

 this branch of fruit culture. 



GRAPE CULTURE. 



Let me for a moment call your attention 

 to the cultivation of the grape. This is now 

 assuming so much importance in our coun- 

 try that it seems entitled to special attention 

 at this time. Its progress is indeed marvel- 

 lous. Until within a few years, it was sup- 

 posed that Providence had assigned grape- 

 culture and the manufacture of wine to 

 countries in the south of Europe, and that 

 the soil and climate of America were not at 

 all adapted to their production. Still later, 

 the theory was promulgated, which has not 

 as yet yielded in full to a more enlightened 

 judgment, that no good grape could flourish 

 on our eastern slope. Now it is known to 

 succeed in almost every aspect where soil 

 and cultivation are suitable, and it is belie- 

 ved that no country on earth is better adap- 

 ted to the extensive cultivation of the grape 

 than the United States of America. This 

 branch of fruit-culture is yet in its incipient 

 state, but it has progressed so far as to au- 

 thorize the belief that the grape can be 

 grown with success in almost every State 

 and Territory of the Union. 



With the progress already made in rais- 

 ing new sorts, it is only a question of time 

 when we shall have varieties adapted to al- 

 most every locality. Thousands of cultiva- 

 tors, scattered over our extended country, 

 are each of them raising new varieties from 

 seed in the expectation of success. While 

 some of them may be valuable, many must, 

 of necessity, be failures, having been origi- 

 nated from natural and accidental impreg- 

 nation, without any settled or philosophical 

 plan. The laws of production in this de- 

 partment are the same as in other branches 

 of the vegetable kingdom. For instance, 

 in northern latitudes, the great object should 

 be to j#oduce good kinds which ripen early 



and are perfectly hardy. To procure these 

 from the limited number of our native 

 grapes, we must resort to the art of hybridi- 

 zation, taking for the parents those sorts 

 which contain the characteristics we desire 

 to combine. This work has already been 

 commenced in good earnest, and is progress- 

 ing rapidly in the hands of many practi- 

 tioners. Illustrations have occurred under 

 our own observation, proving the immediate 

 and happy results from the crossing of na- 

 tive with foreign grapes. A gentleman in 

 my own vicinity has taken, as the mother 

 parent, the Vitis Labrusca, a common na- 

 tive grape, and crossed these vines with the 

 pollen of the Black Hamburg, and the 

 White Chasselus grapes. Of forty-five seed- 

 lings, thirty-seven have borne fruit. All 

 progeny of these has proved perfectly har- 

 dy, and have stood without protection for 

 several winters, where the Isabella and Di- 

 ana have been much injured. Of the 

 seedlings produced from impregnation of the 

 Black Hamburg- most of them inherit, in a 

 good degree, the color and characteristic of 

 the male; while those fertilized with the 

 White Chasselas, all were of a reddish col- 

 or, intermediate between the natural colors 

 of the parents. Thus we see the positive 

 and powerful effect of the art of hybridiza- 

 tion in the hands of scientific cultivators, 

 who can, in a measure, control the process 

 of reproduction, and render it subservient 

 to their purpose. 



But, to prevent discouragement and sus- 

 tain perseverance, it should be remembered 

 that, in conformity with the experience of 

 Yan Mons, Knight, and other pioneers, a 

 seedling does not attain to perfection at once. 

 To arrive at its culminating point of excel- 

 lence, it must often be fruited for several 

 years. Others maintain that a number of 

 manipulations are as requisite to bring a new 

 variety to perfection. Some varieties attain 

 this much earlier than others, and the same 

 variety reaches it earlier or later in differ- 

 ent localities. Hence an originator should 

 not reject a seedling of some apparent good 

 qualities simply because it may have some 

 defect; for this may result from local or ex- 

 ternal influences. He should, therefore, 

 cause it to be transferred for trial to a dif- 

 ferent soil and climate. Even grapes of ac- 

 knowledged excellence are improved by this 

 change. The Concord and Diana of Mas- 

 sachusetts, valuable as they are at home, ac- 

 quire a superiority in the south and south- 



