278 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
politics; a weary mover to the West! Wherein is he miser- 
able but in all things 1 Wherein happy but in f??te thing, 
the stamping of his own image and superscription all 
over the face of the earth, 
“Worn out! worn out ! worn out!” 
In short, the experiment of raising children without 
apples, and without the society of sheep, is sometimes 
so entirely original and new in nature, that like Friar 
Bacon when he first touched fire to gun-powder, we would 
do well to prepare ourselves not to expect too much nor 
— too liitle. 
For the cultivation of Fruit and that of the Christian 
Graces have been so linked together since their common 
origin, by a common language; they walk together so 
beautifully through the solemn aisles of our Holy Religion, 
through record and revelation, through parable and pro- 
verb, through gospel and epistle, through prayer and 
psalm, that it would be strange if the one should not 
share the benediction so graciously shed upon the other. 
Therefore, as an earnest of a glad future for Southern 
Pomology let us cultivate in children their innate love of 
the subject. Their “hunger and thirst” after fruit may 
be guided to their great and enduring advantage — let their 
pomological education begin then with the rosy apple that 
precedes the evening prayer. T. 
Torch HiUy Ga., June, 1859. 
GRAPE CULTURE IN FLORIDA I — GRAFTING 
Foreign Grapes on Native Roots I • 
In our last number, page 248, we promised our readers 
an account of the wonderful success of Hon. A. G. 
Semmes, of Florida, in cultivating the finer varieties of 
Foreign Grapes in the open air of that favored region, and 
we accordingly quote from pages 232—210 of J. K Fisk 
Allen’s “Practical Treatise on the Culture and Manage- 
ment of the Grape Vine,”&c., New York edition, 1855 : 
The Hon. A. G. Semmes, of Florida, has been experi- 
menting with Grapes in open culture in that section of 
the United States, and with marked success. The reader 
of the following remarks, (extracted from letters to the 
author of this book,) will see, that, tiotwithstanding his 
vineyard has been destroyed by a terrific gale, enough has 
been proved, to show that the vine in its richest varieties 
will repay the cultivator for his eOrorts. 
Apalachicola, June 29, 1850. 
“On receiving the cuttings of the .Tooling’s St. Albans, 
I enclosed in your letter, J found two of them alive, which 
I grafted on wild stocks; they took at once, and are now 
growing rapidly I will have a fine crop of fruit from 
them next year, for you will understand that a vine grows 
in this latitude in one year, what they do in your latitude 
in at least three years, The last season, 1 raised a fine 
crop from a graft of the Muscat of Alexandria (on wild 
stock) one year old, one bunch weightng eight and a hall 
pounds, and perfect in form and flavor.” 
“The birds are ilie only evil we have in this climate in 
raising Foreign Grapes. I hey never touch a white grape, 
probably waiting for them to turn blaci'’.” 
“Oui season has been quite backward this year, and 
my grapes have not matured as early by a month as last 
year. During this month I have had the Early Musca- 
dine and Malaga in abundaiv e. . The Black Hamburgh, 
Black St. Peters, and Muscat of Alexandria, are ripen- 
ing rapidly, and will be in perfection the following 
mohths, July and August. My native grapes, Isabella, 
Catawba, &c., ripen in August and September. The Isa- 
bella here is a very inferior grape, anti ripens very badly 
The Catawba is its superior in every respect. Bland 
is superior to either. But the greatest Southern Grape is 
the Scuppernong ; in this latitude far superior to North 
reputed noJnve place. A gentleman of high 
character and intelligence, who cultivates the Scupper- 
nong in Louisiana, says it is a Grecian grape, and that 
the Greeks make their finest wine from it. We never 
prune it, its yield is almost incredible; when perfectly 
ripe the fruit is a very deep bronze, very sweet and with 
but little pulp. 
“The foreign grapes, grafted on our native stocks, do 
far better than when growing on original stocks, are much 
more hardy, for mere luxuriant, and bear better and earlier. 
The Isabella stock will, in two years’ growth, exceed any 
foreign variety I Hfeve tried, in four or five years’ growth, 
but any foreign variety grafted will grow as rapidly as the 
native. I have foreign vines now, grafted last February, 
many with five and six branches, each branch or stem 
from fifteen to twenty-five feet, and they have until Dec. 
next to grow, when foreign varieties commence dropping 
their leaves. The native varieties drop their leaves some 
six or eight weeks earlier, except the Scuppernong, which 
continues to grow till sometime in December. 
‘ 1 train my vines on a trellis from seven to eight feet 
high (of wire) but cannot follow the rigid system of pruning 
recommended in European culture, and practised at the 
North. Where the vines are allowed to grow with but 
little pruning, a trellis is far preferable to the arbor, for 
many reasons; but we have to so train our vines, that not 
a ray of sunshine ever touches the fruit; otherwise the 
fruit loses much of its fine flavor and is altogether robbed 
of its bloom, which, if it does not preserve its flavor, at 
least adds to its beauty. The grapes I raise*(as an ama- 
teur) are said by Northern gentlemen here, to be far su- 
perior to any they ever tasted from the hot houses at the 
North. There can be no climate in the world superior to 
this section (West Florida) for the foreign grape. I have 
tested the raising of the foreign varieties, at least for six 
years, and have no doubt as to the success of any one of 
ordinary intelligence undertaking the business. The only 
objection in this place and immediate neighborhood^is, the 
soil is too sandy. This we have to remedy, which we 
partially do. I manure altogether with bones (whole), 
shells, and palmetto roots, all deposited in the ground 
when the vine is planted; they will last, I believe, twenty 
to thiity years. The latter article contains a great deal 
of potash, and it affords a fine manure, though of course 
not so durable as the former. Animal matter I never use, 
unless decomposed, in which state it is very superior. 
There is no substance, however, rqual to bones, and the 
larger and fresher the better, as they afford, by their gradu- 
al decomposition, the very nchebt and most suitable ma- 
nure for the vine If, however, wine and not table fruit 
is the object, vegetable manures should be used to the ex- 
clusion of bones and other animal matter, and this for obvi- 
ous reasons. 
“Allow me to say ihat I have derived much satisfac- 
tion in reading your work on the Grape 1 he arrange- 
ment and your own remarks on the views of other wri- 
ters are most judicious ” 
“I have, I believe, all the publications on the subject 
extant, and thinking, as I do, tliut it is superior to any of 
them, have recommended it o many of my friends.” 
Quincy, Florida, Dec. 22, 1852. 
“Yours of the 5th instant has just been received, and I 
reply without delay. The severe gale of 1851 destroyed 
my vineyard in Apalachicola Being located some 150 
yards from the bay, the waier swept away my dwelling, 
and killed many of my most Vulu ible vines. 
“The remnant I brought with me to this place, where 
I removed last January. 1 had some 000 vines, out of 
which I have saved 20 or 30. The cuttings you sent me 
were all growing finely, most of them having been grafted 
on native stocks. This year would have tested their 
quality and adaptation to this climate ; out, i regret to 
