156 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVAl’OR 
Progress of the Briiikleyvllle Viaeyards» 
aud some Ultraisms Noticed. 
Me. Camae: — Every branch of agricultural 
enterprise would appear to be entitled to advoca- 
cy i-i periodicals edited expressly to promote 
improvement in the most primitive and useful of 
ail arts. Butin the new world, ifany one branch 
has more claims to a hearing than another, it 
may be s ich an one as is in a pioneer state of ad- 
vancement ; as may be said of the vineyard en- 
terprise — an enterprise that should interest Ame- 
rican farmers generally. 
But there are some peculiar reasons for South- 
ern farmers turning their attention to the vine- 
yard business. A few of these I will briefly 
state. And a very prominent reason is, that 
most Southern climates and soils are admirably 
adapted to the American mode of culture of na- 
tive or American grapes, and the superior excel- 
lency of American made wine. A conclusive 
proof of this position is the very luxuriant growth 
of our forest and other native grapes everywhere 
in the South, and the peculiar zest and healthi- 
ness of our American wines wherever due skill 
and pains are exerted in making them. Let it 
be remembered that, in the agricultural census, 
the Southern exceeded the Northern Statea in 
the wine product, and North Carolina in partic- 
ular ranked highest by some thousands of gallons. 
And it may be remarked that, in some of the 
Southern States, where cotton is no longer of 
profitable culture, the vineyard business fitly may 
take the place of that great staple. 
And besides, a laudable self interest, a patriotic 
motive, should sway our Southern farmers to- 
ward vineyard employment, or that of helping 
to save our country from dependence on foreign 
lands for annual millions of dollars’ worth of 
wine. 
And it may be added, the motive of freeing us 
from an enormous expense for a liquor not so 
unequivocally medicinal and otherwise excellent 
us the rightly American made fermented juice of 
our own native grapes. 
It is related in Goodrich’s standard “History 
of the United States,” that what particularly at- 
tracted the attention of the first voyagers to North 
America was the abundance of fine native grapes 
everywhere seen, compared, for clusters and ex- 
cellency, to the Bible grapes of Eschol. Pity the 
f.rcumstance of abundance of best kinds of na- 
tive grapes had not been availed of by the after 
settlers of the country in order to prevent the re- 
tarding of native American vineyards and modes 
of wine making, through the injudicious intro- 
duction of foreign grapes and modes ! ! 
Here I venture to observe that, as making, U 
is thought, the most wine of any individual in 
the Southern States, I hope it will not be deem- 
ed vanity or presumption for me to state my suc- 
cess as a doer of w hat I recommend to my fellow 
agriculturists of the South. In various periodi- 
cals of our country I have detailed, at some 
length, my principles and practice as to vine- 
yards, and exhibited them as American through- 
out. I therefore merely state here, as evidence 
that my American syst.in is onward in improve- 
ment and profit, that I have circulated my choice 
and most select American vines through all parts 
of the Union, for orders and remittances, (I am 
credibly informed that my native Halifax ranks 
a first-rate grape, sent to France,) and that their 
culture, so far as heard from, is very satisfacto- 
ry; and that of about fifty barrels of wine made 
in two past vintages, (my peculiar or American 
mode of making insures both the safe keeping 
and quick maturity of the wine,) I have sold 
nearly all, with a fair prospect of an increasing 
steady demand far and near in the United States. 
And I further state here, that so aoundant is the 
bearing of my vineyards now, that I calculate 
about 40 barrels of wine, of still improving qual- 
ity, will be the product of the present vintage. 
This abundant vineyard product is one only of a 
worn-out plantation greatly improved in seven- 
teen years. 
And one peculiar satisfaction attending my 
success in the vineyard cause is, that my wines, 
so far as [ have heard and seen, subserve the 
purpose for which, as a leading motive, I first 
undertook the business ; or that besides the su- 
perior medicinil qua.ities of good American 
wines, they indirectly promote the cause of true 
temperance; or, as a substitute for the use of ar- 
dent spiiits, they tend to check the dire effects 
of their excess ; and therefore I look forward to 
the period when our country, like European 
wine making ones, will be temperate, and distill 
ed liquors not used as a beverage, or scarcely at 
all, unless for the purpose of mixing with and in- 
suring the safe keeping of wines. 
And after mature observation and reflection on 
the temperance movements of our day, as well as 
participation therein, I opine that a good Chris- 
tian church, whose members are under most 
solemn vows to be temperate in all things, is a 
most excellent Temperance Society. But I am 
so far from supposing that other than Church 
Temperance Societies, even if ultra in some of 
their leading features, are militating against the 
desirable consummation of the vineyard cause 
just named, that 1 consider them also as subsi- 
diary thereto. Yet, I consider all really ultra 
views and action in any cause, however good in 
itself, as calculated to injure by reaction that 
cause, or that so fa: as ultraisms may have any 
effect, sooner or later, they will prove deleterious 
unless counteracted in someway. A wrong prin- 
ciple, or a right one overstrained to a wrong, is 
uncharitable injustice of one part of manWnd 
to another. Suchis ultraism. but roe rife, as to 
some things, in our day and country. But per- 
nicious ultraisms will predominate long only in 
despotic lands, not in free America. Yet to this 
end, or their correction, they need public exposi 
tion like other bad causes. 
The denunciation of others for temperately 
using things lawful is a crying anti-republican 
sin against the right of private as well as public 
judgment and action. The maxim of such de- 
nunciation is : “ Not right to suffer others to go 
wrong.” (This maxim will do when station and 
authority demand its appliance.) And to deter- 
mine the settling of the right in their own favor, 
and the wrong against all others, the despotic in 
church, state and physic, have another maxim 
very convenient for their purpose, viz : “ No man 
(not of us, or our party, the Simon Pares, of the 
earth,) has a right to think for himself;” and by 
consequence, those so fortunate as to be listed 
in the cause of such despotism, must think for 
all others not in their way of thinking. Hence, 
in matters of religion, (wlrich, if truly Christian, 
requires the highest energy of individual 
thought,) those thus despotically inclined put 
themselves in place of Deity himself, as to others 
differing from them ; and hence infer that it 
does not pertain to Roman Catholic despotism 
alone to teach that, “ the more ignorance and ab- 
jectness of mind, the more piety. 
The maxim in contrast with the above abhor- 
rent ones is, “ that in all things lawful, others 
and all others, have as good a right as we to think, 
judge and act for themselves ;” and therefore 
we would be detestable tyrants to interpose perse- 
cution of words or deeds to prevent others from 
the free exercise of those righ ts conferred on all 
by the Father of all. In short, to end these gen- 
eral views of ultraisms, 1 remark that it becomes 
freemen to be “ eternally vigilant,” or to thus 
pay the price of liberty in order to its continued 
possession. 
Many reformation and revolution devotees of 
genuine religious and republican liberty (center- 
ing in the right of the people’s private judgment) 
as well as true freedom of the press, sacrificed 
their lives as the bloody price thereof. And we 
should preserve it by vigilant watchings against 
encr lachments upon ourdear-bought rights fram 
every quarter. 
To apply the above general principles, to the 
cause of temperance in particular: well to exa- 
mine whether it is not selfish ultraism to de- 
nounce Temperance Societies, or, in other words, 
the perfect right of all citizens to form themselves 
into Societies to promote any lawful object ; and, 
it may be added, to abstain from meats and 
drinks, as swine’s flesh or wines, or, say luxu- 
ries of any kind in eating, drinking or wearing, 
as tobacco, ardent spirits, or silks or satins On 
•he other hand ; well to reflect whether either 
individuals or Societies denouncing others for 
refusing or not choosing to farego any of hea- 
ven’s blessings, is not the same kind of selfish 
ultraism as the opposite extreme. Let us here 
notice such ultraism as to wine in particular. 
It appears as plain almost as any other truth 
in the Bible that wine is ranked as a blessing 
alongside of bread itself, the staff ef life, yet lia- 
ble, like all other blessings, to intemperate ab ise. 
Temperance is emphatically the right use of 
things lawful. And to say that scripture wine 
wa» not, aathe modern, capable of abuse by in- 
toxication, is like the pitiful subterfuge, or beg- 
ging the question in diapute on the part of the 
abolitionists, when they say that the word ser- 
vant in the Bible never means slave. Let them 
prove that. The curses ol scripture against 
drunkenness by wine, and the many caveats 
against its intemperate use, show clearly, with- 
out other proof, that scripture wine was the real 
fermented juice ol the grape, and therefore, not 
mere grape juice, but genuine wine, capable of 
producing intoxication whenever taken to ex- 
cess ; and although I consider it a sound tempe- 
rance principle that the j oungand healthy should 
never resort to the daily or habitual use of any 
stimulant; yet the instance of our Saviour, the 
greatest pattern of true temperance, making and 
using wine at a wedding, fully countenances the 
use of wine for all, on convivial occasions. 
One of the greatest of imposters, Mahomet, 
forbade wine to his followers. But the great 
and true Messiah so made, used, and openly 
countenanced wine, that by the hypocritical 
Pharisees of old, he was reproachfully called a 
“ wine bibber.'* 
I am aware that while the foregoing senti- 
ments coincide with those of the great body of 
true Christians in all ages, that they also may 
disagree with the views of a portion of the now 
existing Christian public in our land 
But I am also fully aware that ultra views and 
action against true, moderate and benign Bible 
positions are rife in our day on diverse matters. 
F or instance : the Bible sanctioned slavery ; that, 
in course of Divine Providence, renders the low- 
est class of our Southern population, the blacks, 
greatly better off than the sameclassin the North, 
and especially the degraded starving white poor 
of Europe, and elsewhere on the Eastern con- 
tinent. This is denounced by so me called Chris- 
tians; who, not content with not owning slaves 
themselves; or refrai.iing from availing of a pri- 
vilege (proved by stubborn facts, benign in its 
tendencies) conferred by thtir Bibles, and confor- 
mable to the usages of the most enlightened and 
moral nations, and people, of all ages rf the 
world; would also, like the fabled dog in the 
manger, cut off all others from said privilege. 
Another gross instance of ultraism, as to capi- 
tal punishments for most atrocious crimes. 
Some in Christian lands not only would sub- 
ject the good citizen to the destruction of the 
merciless and bloodthirsty assassin, but virtual- 
ly denounce the Bible declaration : “ that who- 
so sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood 
be shed.” 
Other pseudo nhilanthropists and infidel ultra- 
ists, would, in despite of Heavenly precepts, 
banish the rod of correction from schools and 
families. 
But I forbear, though full of my subject; con- 
sidering that the few hint?, which I have just ad- 
duced, may evince my position in regard to true 
temperance, or the benign cause I aimed to 
promote by vineyards and wine making. 
In haste, yours, &c. Sidney Weller. 
Brinkleyville, Halifax Co., N. C., SepL, 1846. 
Sowing Wheat. 
Mb. Camak : — On reading the last number of 
the Albany Cultivator, I notice some remarks 
made by a farmer of Louisville, Ky., on sow- 
ing wheat, which accords with my views 
and practice for several years, and as the time 
of sowing is near at hana, I will give you my 
plan; perhaps some one may be induced to try 
it. In the first place I sift my wheat thmugh a 
coarse sand sieve, that the small and imperfect 
grains may be separated from the good. I then 
put it gently into strong brine and skim off and 
throw away all that will float. The seed remain- 
in the brine about twenty-four hours, then taken 
out and rolled in lime. This is to prevent smut 
as we!! as to separate all imperfect grains from 
the good. 
I prepare the land by breaking and harrowing 
until it is in good order, and always harrow in 
my seed instead ol plowing, and try to get it in 
by the last of September or first of October, 
when the earth is moderately dry. The quanti- 
ty I sow per acre is three gallons, (broadcast,) 
and I generally find my wheat thick enough. Al- 
though a great many of my acquaintances .sow 
a bushel per acre, I don’t know any that make 
better wheat than I do. 
Then why all this waste of seed? Every 
farmer knows that a grain of wheat, if favored, 
