AMERICAN WINE.-THE POTATO DISEASE 
351 
viz.: Ordinary, 8ia8|; Middling, 83 a 9 ; Good 
middling, 9 a 93; Middling fair, 93 a 9i; Fair, 9| 
a 10 ; Good fair, 10! a 11 ; and Fine, Ilia 12i cts. 
These prices will, we think, prevail for some time, 
and will approximate the average of the season, 
unless the crop should he much less than our 
figures indicate. J. A. Ruff & Co. 
New Orleans, Oct. ls£, 1846. 
We place the above valuable estimate of the cot¬ 
ton crop before our readers, as a present guide and 
future reference. W e will add, however, for our¬ 
selves, that the weather, since the date of Messrs. 
Ruff & Co.’s letter, has generally been favorable for 
the cotton plant, and increased receipts are antici¬ 
pated. Judging from more recent advices from dif¬ 
ferent parts of the South now before us, we are of 
opinion that the present crop will not fall short of 
1,900,000, and may go up to 2,100,000. As an evi¬ 
dence of this, cotton (at the time we are writing 
this article, Oct. 19th) is dull in the market, with a 
slight downward tendency in New York. We 
may have advices of an advance by the Liverpool 
steamer, hourly expected, which of course will 
cause a corresponding advance on this side of the 
water. 
AMERICAN WINE. 
Among the valuable contributions to the late Fair 
of the American Institute, were fine samples of 
wine from Mr. N. Longworth, of Cincinnati, and a 
few from other sections of the Union. These speci¬ 
mens were superior to any before sent for exhibi¬ 
tion, showing a decided improvement in this branch 
of husbandry. Two samples of pure wine from 
Ohio were made from the Catawba grape, and 
possessed a good body and an excellent flavor, 
nearly resembling, but much surpassing the dry 
imported Hock. Another from a native grape, had 
a fine body, and a peculiar flavor, which use would 
undoubtedly soon render a favorite. A specimen 
of pure sweet, or lady’s wine, with a small quan¬ 
tity of sugar added to the must, possessed a rich¬ 
ness and delicacy of flavor similar to the Malmsey, 
but more delicious, having the taste of a rich, fresh 
grape. Two other samples, one from a native 
grape of Alabama, and another from our own State, 
showed a body and flavor which gives every pro¬ 
mise that the subject needs only to be carefully 
studied and pursued, to reach a point in production 
when we can soon dispense with the importation 
of all foreign wine, excepting some peculiar 
varieties. 
American enterprise has not fully considered the 
peculiar circumstances of soil, manuring, cultiva¬ 
tion, &c., which affect the quality of wine. One side 
of a hill will frequently yield an article totally 
different in quality from an opposite side, and the 
character varies with almost every field where the 
grape is produced. Generally, the best wine is 
made from grapes raised without manures, or such 
as are peculiarly mild in their character, and impart 
no flavor to the fruit. One of the best vineyards 
of France was seriously deteriorated for years by a 
dressing with fresh animal or putrescent manures. 
Some of the most delicate wines are made from 
grapes manured only from the trimmings of their 
own vines. The great difficulty generally with 
American wine is the deficiency of body and rich¬ 
ness in the fruit, which renders it necessary to add 
sugar when this deficiency exists. This is always 
done even with the best wines abroad, when a cold 
or wet season impairs the accustomed richness of 
the fruit. We believe our fruits may be much im¬ 
proved, especially for the purpose of wine, by 
planting seeds from the best foreign varieties. Out 
of numerous specimens thus obtained, some would 
doubtless be found combining great richness and 
sufficient hardiness to endure our climate. The same 
care used in the cultivation of the vine, we may be 
led to expect will result in equal success with the 
cultivation of the peach and other fruits, which are 
natives of hot climates, but of which continued care¬ 
ful and scientific propagation has succeeded in 
producing the choicest kinds in profusion, and 
hardy enough for our severe climate. 
Choice kinds of beverage are also made from 
other fruits. The pear yields perry, from which 
the most delicious champagne is made, with the 
addition of a little sugar. The red and white cur¬ 
rant yields a good wine when properly treated with 
the addition of sugar. The quince, when grated 
with water, and sugar added, undergoes a fermen¬ 
tation, which, if arrested at the proper period by a 
small addition of brandy, yields an excellent wine. 
The best cider, with the addition of bruised or cut 
raisins, will undergo a fermentation, and if properly 
treated, subsequently yields a wine of excellent 
flavor and quality. The introduction of some or 
all of these may be made for our own use with 
reat advantage; and they are certainly far more 
esirable than the drugged, pernicious stuff which 
is loo often, we may almost say generally, import¬ 
ed for the use of the sick. 
THE POTATO DISEASE. 
At a late meeting of the British Association, 
Mr. Hogan read a communication which had ap¬ 
peared in a continental journal, in which it was 
recommended that the potato plant should be pro¬ 
pagated by seed, as the best means of guarding 
against the disease. 
Dr. Lankaster said, that the number of facts 
brought forward by Mr. Hogan to substantiate his 
plan of remedying the potato disease, were quite 
insufficient. Unless this plan had been extensively 
adopted, and found to be extensively successful, 
it would be folly to proceed on it, with the amount 
of evidence that could be brought against it. 
W ith regard to the causes of the disease, he said 
that there had not been one theory borne out by 
evidence that would lead to its being adopted by a 
man of science. That it depended on atmospheric 
changes was assumed, and there was no proof of 
it. There was only the coincidence of certain kinds 
of weather and the disease. That it arose from 
debility in the potato plant, was also an assump¬ 
tion. No debility had been proved to exist. He 
thought it right that it should go forth to the 
world, that the only conclusion yet arrived at was 
negative, and that the more they investigated the 
matter, the more evident did it become, that pre¬ 
vailing theories and remedial recommendations were 
founded on ignorance and assumption 
