238 
CULTURE OF THE GRAPE AND MANUFACTURE OF WINE. 
upon them, by habit, if from no other cause, that 
their fruit is essentially different from that borne on 
the parent tree; and both stocks and scions, in 
being transferred to different soils or situations, 
often improve or deteriorate in the character of 
their fruit, sometimes becoming more healthful, and 
at others more sickly and diseased.”—p. 30' 
On the question at issue, Professor De Candolle, 
of Switzerland, remarks :—“ We may easily con¬ 
ceive that every cultivated variety owed its origin 
to some special circumstance, which once occurred, 
and but once. In such a case, the variety has 
been multiplied by division, and every plant so ob¬ 
tained from it has been a portion of the same indi¬ 
vidual ; which accounts for their all being exactly 
like each other. An identity of origin in all the 
plants of the same variety, has led some physiolo¬ 
gists to imagine that these varieties or fractions of 
an individual might die of old age. This was 
founded upon circumstances observed by Mr. 
Knight with regard to the Golden Pippin. But it 
appears to us difficult to admit, upon such a single 
fact, an hypothesis opposed to all other facts. 
That varieties will last, so long as man takes care 
of them, appears to be proved by many of them 
having been preserved from the most remote 
periods. But it is also certain that negligence 
will cause some to disappear, just as accident or in¬ 
dustry bring others into existence.”— Plnjs. Veg. 731 
The same question has been ably discussed and 
refuted by Dr. Lindley, from whom we cite the fol¬ 
lowing incontestable arguments : “ What are called 
facts,” says he, “ the real value of which we shall 
presently discuss, have been adduced to prove that 
if plants do not die of old age in a wild state, yet 
that they incontestably do wear out when artificially 
multiplied by division. In opposition to this it is 
sufficient to quote the White Beurre pears of France, 
which French writers assure us have been thus 
propagated from time immemorial, and which ex¬ 
hibit no trace of debility ; or the cultivated vines 
of which the very varieties known to the Romans 
have been transmitted by perpetual division, but 
without deterioration or decrepitude, to our own 
day. The Vitis prcecox of Columella is admitted 
by Dr. Henderson, on the authority of the most 
trustworthy writers, to have been the Maurillon , or 
Early Black July Grape of the present day; the 
nomentana to have been the German traminer ; the 
grcecula the modem Corinth or Currant; and the 
dactyli our Cornichon-s or Finger Grapes. 
“ But it is affirmed that some cultivated plants 
have really worn out. The Redstreak, the Golden 
Pippin, and the Golden Harvey apples, are among 
the number quoted. The first of these is little 
known to us, and we have no evidence about it; 
but the Golden Pippin and Golden Harvey are cer¬ 
tainly not capable of being employed in support 
of Mr. Knight’s theory. Both are to be found in 
■various places at this moment, in as perfect health 
as they ever enjoyed. The Golden Pippin is 
among the most vigorous apples of Madeira ; the 
Golden Harvey is in all good gardens. Of the 
former, healthy trees were many years since shown 
to exist in Norfolk; in warm dry places it has no 
particular appearance of suffering. Recruited by 
the fine climate of France, the Golden Pippin has 
been received back to this country in as healthy a 
state as ever, and is now growing in the garden of 
the Horticultural Society. The old Nonpareil was 
well known in the time of Queen Elizabeth ; in 
cold places it cankers, and no doubt always has 
cankered ; but what can be more healthy than that 
variety in favorable places ? In short, what is 
called evidence breaks down wherever it is ex¬ 
amined ; and the argument about the wearing out 
of races proves to be baseless.” 
“ Wild perennial plants, whether woody or her¬ 
baceous, whether forming a trunk or a mere per¬ 
manent root, have never yet been shown by any 
trustworthy evidence to be subject to decrepitude, 
arising from old age. On the contrary, every new 
annual growth is an absolute renewal of their 
vitality, in the absence of disturbing causes. 
Hence the enormous age at which trees arrive. A 
thousand years is still youth to a forest tree which 
no accident has injured ; and there is no intelligible 
reason why it should not, if guarded from violence, 
continue to grow to eternity. It is very true that 
plants do in reality perish commonly without at¬ 
taining any such longevity; and that constitutional 
feebleness is notoriously one of the accompaniments 
of advancing age. But this arises from external, 
not intrinsic causes. The soil which surrounds 
them is exhausted, their roots wander into uncon¬ 
genial land, water in unnatural excess is introduced, 
the food they require is withheld, violence rends 
them, men mutilate them, severe cold disorganizes 
them, and these and other causes produce disease , 
which may end in death. But this is very different 
from dying of mere old age ; and for practical pur¬ 
poses it is most material to draw the distinction.” 
“ Although an examination of evidence leads us 
to the inevitable conclusion, that the wearing out 
of the races of plants by old age is a delusion, yet 
we are far from denying the accuracy of the 
statements made by some recent writers on this 
subject. We may admit their facts, but reject their 
reasoning, and protest against the inferences they 
would have us draw.”— Gard.Chron. 1845 p.833. 
CULTURE OF THE GRAPE AND MANU¬ 
FACTURE OF WINE. 
Our readers will find several articles on these 
subjects in the two first volumes of the Agricul¬ 
turist. We were sanguine in their success, if pro¬ 
perly undertaken, particularly in latitudes south of 
40 c , and cited several examples, giving the method 
of culture, and making wine, on a tolerably exten¬ 
sive scale. Since this, the culture of the grape has 
greatly increased, especially on the banks of the 
Ohio. N. Longworth, Esq., of Cincinnati, has 
recently sent us a pamphlet on the above subjects, 
and as he is a gentleman of considerable expe¬ 
rience, and the owner of extensive vineyards, we 
avail ourselves of the following valuable extracts 
from it. 
“ I have seen a late article from Mr. Resor, on 
the cultivation of the grape and manufacture of 
wine, in which he praises the Isabella grape, as 
being valuable for cultivation as a wine-grape, and 
remarkable for ripening its fruit. If my experience 
is to be relied on, his article is calculated to do 
great injury to those now planting vineyards. Iri 
all my early vineyards, I cultivated the Isabella ex- 
