GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE MAKING IN OHIO. 
113 
along the shore and climbing the hills in her rear. 
There is the Whitewater Canal, leading into Indi¬ 
ana ; here the Miami, reaching to Toledo on 
the northern lakes. On the opposite side, the rail¬ 
road extending to Sandusky, and at a lower point 
on the same waters, it is soon destined to connect 
with Columbus and Cleveland ; while another will 
ere long reach the tide waters of the Atlantic. Fine 
McAdam roads radiate to every important point in 
the interior; and over all, from east, north, south, 
and west, flashes the electric telegraph, with intel¬ 
ligence from every quarter of the globe. Such are 
the advantages, and such the achievements of 
American freemen, for a single half century. 
Although heretofore, and probably destined for 
a long time to remain, a large element in the pros¬ 
perity of Cincinnati, there is one feature w^hich de¬ 
tracts much from the interest that would otherwise 
attach to it. It is the Porkopolis, not only of 
America, but of the world. No other place on its 
surface, ever witnessed the annual slaughter of so 
many of the 11 swinish multitude” as is here com¬ 
pressed within the limits of a few weeks. It is es¬ 
timated that nearly 400,000 will yield up their 
greasy lives at this place the present year. It is 
the height of the packing season, and the streets are 
filled with their unwieldly forms, wending their 
weary steps to their last home. The air is redo¬ 
lent of their grunts and odors; and the tables 
groan beneath their spare ribs, their joints, their 
hams, their head cheese, souse, sausages, and sides. 
Every waggon you meet is loaded with them, piled 
up like ricks of hay; and every warehouse is 
crammed with these precious freights. I have seen 
piles of coffee and cotton, before at New Orleans 
and elsewhere ; but the piles of dressed swine here 
far exceed (relatively) anything of the kind I have 
ever witnessed. 
I called on our friend, and the friend of agricul¬ 
ture, Mr. Neff, who has recently turned his atten¬ 
tion to beef packing. This is now second only to 
that of pork in importance. The introduction of 
the best breeds, and especially the Short Horns, has 
largely increased the value of cattle for packing. 
Although not fed to the extent I think they should 
be for the best interests of the farmer and the 
packer, they are highly improved from what they 
were but a few years since. In this career, no one 
has been more conspicuous than Mr. N., or has pur¬ 
sued the subject with more constancy, intelligence, 
and liberality. He has a farm in Illinois of 6,000 
acres, where he annually fats from 1,000 to 2,000 
head, which are brought to Cincinnati for packing. 
He considers $400 to $500 well expended in a good 
bull, whose services he is willing to bestow gratui¬ 
tously for the purpose of getting the progeny, when 
ready for market. These, he thinks as ripe at 
three, as the common cattle of the country are at five 
or six years old. A handsome fortune has attend¬ 
ed his efforts. It is to be hoped that others engaged 
in the rearing of stock, will follow, with equal 
perseverance and success, so laudable an ex¬ 
ample. 
Cincinnati , Nov. 24th, 1847. 
Theory should not be adopted, except as a 
mere formula for the expression of existing know¬ 
ledge. 
THE GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE MAKING 
IN OHIO. 
In the January number of the Agriculturist, I no¬ 
tice a communication from Mr. S. B. Parsons, of 
Flushing, relating to the grape. It is an interest¬ 
ing article, and gave me information on a subject 
in which I have a deep interest, particularly the 
qualities of the 101 American new seedling grapes 
advertised for sale, and all represented to be of un¬ 
rivalled excellence. Our horticultural societies, as 
at present organized, devote their money and time 
to the exhibition of flowers, and granting premiums 
for them, and where a new seedling fruit is intro¬ 
duced by a member, it is often praised too highly. 
Much more good, I think, would result, if premiums 
were offered for new seedling fruits of superior ex¬ 
cellence, and a committee were to report on their 
quality. I have been anxious to obtain all the new 
varieties of native grapes, in order to test their 
quality, both for the table and for wine; but, like 
Mr. Parsons, I have found so many worthless, which 
have been highly praised even by our horticultural 
societies and magazines, that I have been deterred 
from it. 
Mr. Parsons deems the Catawba and Isabella, 
the only good native grapes. I cannot concur with 
him in this opinion, at least in our latitude, as re¬ 
gards the qualities of a few kinds, claimed to be 
natives. The Isabella, we deem an inferior grape, 
with us, both for the table and for wine. It suc¬ 
ceeds better with you. The Cataw ba will be worth 
millions to the nation though we have some grapes 
that are hardy, and called natives, that would gene¬ 
rally be preferred for the table. The Herbemont, 
Ohio, Lenoir, Missouri, and Elsanborough, are of this 
character. The fruit of each kind is small, and free 
from the hard pulp common to most American 
grapes, but generally equal to the foreign, Miller’s 
Burgundy, for the table, and the bunches of some 
of them much larger. The origin of the Herbe¬ 
mont and Lenoir, is not certainly known, but both 
are as hardy with us as the Isabella. These, by 
some cultivators are considered the same grape. 
There is a marked difference, however, in the leaf 
and wood. The fruit of the Herbemont, is some¬ 
what larger than the Lenoir, and the bunch less 
compact. I am inclined to the opinion, that the 
Ohio grape is the same as the highly-prized Jack 
grape, of Mississippi. I have had bunches of this 
grape measure 10 inches in length. The Elsan¬ 
borough, is believed to be a native of New Jersey, and 
I have but little knowledge of it. It is there said to 
be a good bearer. The few vines I have, do not 
bear well, but the quality is good. We have two 
or three other new grapes that promise well, but till 
we have further experience, I will not venture to 
recommend them. I do not believe the Ohio will 
succeed at the east. It does much better with us, 
in town, than at my vineyards, though hardy in 
all its locations. I now have the Jack and other 
native grapes from the Mississippi, but not in bear¬ 
ing. The Catawba ripens with us as early as the 
Isabella, and I have had a bunch of it at one of the 
vineyards, that weighed 24 ounces. 
In a late letter, Mr. Buist speaks of Brown’s va¬ 
riety of Catawba as superior. Is this a new 
variety? If Mr. Parsons has tried the grapes I 
have named, as succeeding here, and found them 
