246 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
I confess, in younger days, before Hope and Faith part- 
ed company, having made various pedestrian pilgrimages 
of a devout character to a number of vegetable wonders, 
of which the above might figure as a mild average ; and I 
have a recollection running through a period of years of 
the figure of an Apple Tree, something like the follow- 
ing; 
The roots tortured by the aphis, and torn by wild horses 
(and plows) ; the trunk barked by rabbits, bored by 
borers, pecked by wood -peckers, blistered to mortification 
by the sun, and plastered to suffocation by the scale in- 
sect. The forks, the home of caterpillars, and the leaves 
their sustenance; the limbs moss-covered; and the fruit — 
never failing, and never, by any possible complication of 
accidents, allowed to mature. Then, coming down, we 
get an inventory of its personal property. One tin coffee 
pot ; one earthen tea do ; various specimens of domestic 
crockery, some, too, to particularize : 3 pair brogans; 
specimens, each, of plow, hoe, broom and skillet handles ; 
skeleton remains of ox, principally ossa femoris and pel- 
vic bones ; do. of horse; do. of cat, entire ; one “battling 
stick;” sundry bits of paling; articles of wearing ap- 
parel ; clubs in quantity, from a walking-stick to a martin- 
pole ! 
Yet, the most astounding part of the revelation quoted 
at the head of this writing is — its truth ! 
The Apple is the most certain Fruit-crop in Middle 
Georgia, and like 
“A true Cosmopolite 
That loves its native country best,'' 
has amply demonstrated that its failure, as a Fruit, has 
not been, in any particular, its own fault. 
Principally used for green soiling our little negroes, we 
have been satisfied with its certainty, while it lived ; and 
not much aggrieved by its loss, when it died. 
Circumstances, however, are conspiring to render this 
point of mere certainty of production an exceedingly 
valuable one from which to contemplate the Future of the 
Apple in Middle Georgia A field so wide and so fruit- 
ful that I must reserve its consideration for another letter. 
T. 
'Torch Hill, Go,., Jane, 1859. 
P. S. — Will your readers, who may be interested in this 
subject, communicate the mea-^urement of such Apple 
trees of their acquaintance as are remarkable for size 1 
NORTHERN TREES, VINES, &c. 
A well-known Nurseryman of Western New York — 
who is justly noted fur his integrity and fair-dealing — in 
a late private letter to one qf the editors, thus endorses 
the position of “Malic Acid,” in regard to Northern fruit 
trees, &c : 
“We notice, upon page 215 of ihe July number of your 
journal, an article by “Malic Acid,” which any sensible 
man must know to be eminently true as regards Apples, 
aod partially so as regards some other trees. Even the 
sorts of Apples which are eminently valuable in New 
England are poor here and valueless in Ohio, without any 
change of latitude How much more so when transplant- 
ed 10*^ or 15® further south ? 
“The Grape, however, will bear change of climate, of 
altitude, of latitude, of longitude and of humidity or of 
dryness better than any other plant or vine, and better 
than any tree. 
“We know that the Diana, Child’s Superb, Anna, Dela- 
ware, West and Union Village will grow finely 8® south 
of us, and we '■guess' they will 10® south of us.’' 
Remarks. — We thank our friend for hisfrank and man- 
ly admission in regard to the unsuitableness of Northern 
Apples and other fruits for the South. If all Northern tree 
dealers were as fair and candid as he is, the animadver- 
sions of “Malic Acid” would not be so much needed. 
We fully admit the cosmopolitan character of the Grape. 
It is at home almost everywhere, and adapts itself readily 
to all soils and localities in the temperate latitudes of both 
hemispheres. It now begins to be understood and admit- 
ted, however, that in America its true clime is between 
Texas and Virginia ; and therefore, (until we can raise 
them for ourselves,) we will thankfully purchase a few of 
the new “fancy” sorts of Grape from gcwi/cwcTi like our 
Western New York correspondent. — Eds. 
CATAWBA GRAPE — ITS ORIGIN, &c. 
We take pleasure in publishing the following letter 
from that indefatigable Pomologist, Silas McDowell, 
Esq., of North Carolina, to Col. Wm. Murray, of Catoosa 
Springs, Ga. We hope our friend, Mr. McDowell, will 
often make the Cultivator the medium of his valuable 
communications to the public : 
Col. William Murray— Dear S'ir I suppose you 
are aware that to you is accorded the honor of finding 
and introducing to cultivation the very best native Grape 
in the United States, viz : the '^Catawba," said to have been 
sent by you to Mayor Adlum, of the District of Columbia. 
I have been called on by some scientific gentlemen to fur- 
nish them with the full and true history of that Grape, 
and particularly to state the precise locality in which you 
found the original vine growing, and also your reason for 
naming it “Catawba.” 
I have just returned from a visit to the place of your 
former residence, in Buncombe county, N. C., and on 
strict inquiry in regard to where you found this splendid 
native Grape, I was informed that you found it on your 
own grounds, on the plantation you since sold to Mr. 
Daniel Blake, on Cain Creek A circumstance which 
rendered this statement, to my mind, the more probable 
was, that in the year 1827, on the lands of the Rev, Wm. 
Kinsey, at the junction of Mud Creek with the French 
Broad, some young ladies led me to a native vine, in its 
wild state, in a direction north east of the dwelling, which, 
for excellence of quality, was, in my opinion, a full head 
and shoulders above your far-famed “Catawba Grape.” 
As regards size, your grape was its equal ; but as re- 
lates to every other attribute of a first class wine or table 
grape, that of Mud Creek was fir its superior, being of 
rich juicy, sweet, and highly aromatic pulp, and remark- 
ably thin, tender skin This locality cannot be more than 
four or five miles from the ground where you found the 
“Catawba,” and, in all probabiliiy, they are but varieties 
ot the same family. It is the wish of gentlemen with 
whom I am in correspondence that the credit of your very 
important discovery should be given where it is due, and 
that to “Cesar should be rendered the things which are 
Cesar’s,” 
Be so kind as to furnish me with a concise history of 
your Grape at your first leisure, so that I may send it on 
for publication in the Cincinnatus, Agricultural journal. 
For the last two years there has been an increased im- 
pulse given to Grape Culture — particularly native varieties 
— and Horticulturists ore upon the qui vive for new and 
fine varieties, and it has been remarked by men whose 
opinions are of much weight, that the individual who 
may succeed in finding and inti oducing into cultivation a 
better Grape than Murray's "Cataw'ba” will have confer- 
red a greater benefit on his country chan if he were to pay 
off its National debt. 
I wish yon, dear sir, a [eogthoro-d and peaceful oU age, 
