1868 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
91 
bear a rigid comparison with the bestEuropcan"kinds, we 
have ranked it far above the Isabella, and still higher 
above the great mass of those that arc named on our lists. 
It is a fact well known to all, that our best native kinds 
up to the Catawba and including that have been far be¬ 
low the best foreign kinds, both from inherent faults and 
from the absence of excellence. Norton’s Virginia, 
Elsingburg, and Lenoir, are exceptions, but not of suf¬ 
ficient moment to have a bearing on general grape culture. 
An analysis of the qualities of the Catawba will exemplify 
our meaning, and at the same time enable us to show 
upon what ground American grape culture now stands 
among ourselves, and in reference to foreign competition 
This is important at the present time, because a stan¬ 
dard of quality and value has recently been called into 
operation by the introduction of new varieties very differ¬ 
ent from that which obtained no farther back than half 
a score of years. 
We have called the Catawba very good relatively to onr 
own kinds, but it has never been so good that those who 
know what grapes in perfection are, have not desired 
better fruit, and made great efforts to obtain it from the 
vine-growing countries of Europe. And when it was 
ascertained that the fruit of these kinds could not bo pro¬ 
duced in the open air, in our climate, expensive houses 
were erected to obtain it by those who could afford the lux¬ 
ury. We may remark, in passing, that grapes in houses 
acquire a much larger size than in their own country 
in the open air, but do not equal them in fine, rich spirit. 
The good qualities of the Catawba are abundance of 
juice that is sweet and agreeable, with some measure of 
the vinous and refreshing restorative and exhilarating 
power that belongs to fine, pure wine, but, of course, 
without its stimulating property. In consequence of 
these vinous qualities, good Catawba grapes grow upon 
the liking, and the enjoyment from them increases by 
use, but their defects also become more and more sen¬ 
sible. In the first place, the skin is always acerb, bit¬ 
ing, and unpleasant, and must be carefully rejected. Sec¬ 
ond, there is always so much of tough, acid unripeness 
toward the centre, that it would spoil the enjoyment of 
the whole if it were chewed up together in the manner 
of eating foreign grapes. They are, in consequence, gen¬ 
erally enjoyed by sucking the agreeable portion from the 
skin and swallowing the centre portion while it remains 
sugar-coated, all mastication being carefully avoided. 
This greatly diminishes the enjoyment and the dietetic 
advantages which are so important. Those who by use 
are cognizant of the qualities of what may be called per¬ 
fect grapes, find but little enjoyment in even the best Ca- 
tawbas, and many avoid their use altogether. Third, 
even the best portion is always somewhat astringent, 
from excess of tannic acid, and,-besides, is lacking in 
that pure, rich, and refined spirit that is the crowning 
glory of perfect grapes, and which enables them to 
make wine of the highest excellence. 
Some of these defects appear to be very slight, and 
scarcely worthy of notice until brought into clear and 
bold relief by comparison with those that are free from 
them, when their importance exceeds belief. 
The wine of the Catawba was the first of this country’s 
production that gained any extended and enduring repu¬ 
tation. It has the same defects as the grapes, being de¬ 
ficient in richness and fullness, as well as in purity and 
refinement of flavor, with an excess of acid that renders 
it rather hard and unpalatable to many tastes. Its pe¬ 
culiar aroma, which is a greatly mitigated foxiness, be¬ 
comes very moderate under the favoring circumstances of 
well-ripened fruit, careful selection, and mature age. By 
some persons this aroma is esteemed an attractive excel¬ 
lence, but with the drinkers of pure, fine Hock wines, 
which the best Catawba most resembles, it would rank 
much lower in consequence of it, the effect being oppres¬ 
sive to the faculties, as fs the case with all of that im¬ 
purity that is usually denominated foxiness. It should 
be understood that the objection to foxiness in grapes or 
wine is not chiefly from the momentary unpleasantness 
to the palate, but that it deprives both of their animating 
property in proportion to its degree ; it is, therefore, an¬ 
other name for unwholesomeness, which it is the office of 
all unpleasant savors and odors to indicate and guard from. 
The Diajta ripens much earlier than the Catawba, and 
has a superiority over it in quality, for fruit and for wine, 
that has not yet been generally accorded to it. Its intro¬ 
duction would have been an event of much more marked 
importance, if a misunderstanding or disregard of its 
peculiarities of habit and requirement had not hindered 
it in making its way to favor as its merits deserved. 
It is exceedingly vigorous on generous soils, and has large 
leaves ; consequently its bearing canes should be more 
sparsely “ laid in ” than those of the Catawba. It often 
fails to ripen the fruit of its first bearing, and docs not 
ripen very early until the vines become well established ; 
and when the soil is excessive in richness it does not bear 
young. It is richer and more spirited than the Catawba, 
and makes better wine, and when in best condition, it be¬ 
comes ripe nearly to the centre. The berrios are good to 
eat by thorough mastication, the skin affording a pleas¬ 
ant, spicy addition to the rich, sugary, vinous juice. It is 
free from tire astringency caused by excess of tannic acid 
in the Catawba, and has none of its foxincss or acerbity 
of skin, but it has an odor quite its own, that is unpleas¬ 
ant until the fruit becomes quite ripe, when it is but very 
slightly perceptible. Its wine is more rich and full-fla¬ 
vored, and less hard and rough than that of the Catawba. 
Compactness of bunch should be named as one of its 
defects, lessening the vinous spirit of the fruit, and some¬ 
times delaying or preventing thoroughness of ripening. 
It is one of the best late keepers, and is gaining in esti¬ 
mation as it becomes better known. It is generally less 
disposed to rot than the Catawba, but is not exempt. 
The introduction of the Delaware advanced the ideas 
and the prospects of American grape-culture by an im¬ 
mense stride. Its influence is gaining strength contin¬ 
ually by educating the taste, and making manifest the 
characteristic excellence that belongs to perfect grapes 
for fruit and for wine, and which places them in rank 
above other fruits. 
In the Delaware there is the high degree of purity, re¬ 
finement, and rich, vinous spirit that belongs to the best 
European kinds, and needs no excusing for harshness, 
astringency, or foxiness. The flavor is full and satifying, 
and the severest criticism cannot detect a fault in this 
respect. It is a grape to be eaten, although its skins are 
nearly flavorless, and do not add much to the enjoyment; 
but they do not detract from it. When in best condition, 
it is good to the centre, but it is not always thor¬ 
oughly so, and it is never quite uniformly tender to 
tlie centre. The berries are not large—often small—but 
the skins are so pure and unobjectionable, that they may 
be made to furnish the large, luscious mouthful that 
berries of greater size would afford, by taking several 
at a time and masticating thoroughly. 
The defects of the Catawba are brought out clearly by 
comparison with the Delaware—we should say contrast 
rather, for that is the relation that these fruits appear to 
take toward each other. 
The wine of Delaware partakes largely of the character 
of the fruit, as it does also in the two instances previous¬ 
ly considered. The wine of the Delaware is unexception¬ 
able in its purity and refinement, and has a peculiar at¬ 
tractive richness that distinguishes it from all other kinds; 
but it affiliates much more nearlj' with the warm, rich 
wines of Burgundy than with the Ilocks of Germany. 
But the quality of the Delaware wine varies very greatly 
according to the latitude, climate, and condition under 
which the fruit ripens. In the warm climate of Cincin¬ 
nati. in favorable seasons, it approaches the character of 
Hermitage or of Sherry. Towards its northern latitude it 
becomes nearly a Hock, but always maintains its distin¬ 
guishing characteristics in purity and refinement of flavor. 
We have considered the Delaware in this connection, 
not because we believe it to be a descendant of the Ca¬ 
tawba, but because its affinities are sufficiently with this 
family to be considered with it in its bearing on the 
present state and prospects of grape-culture. 
The Iona is an advance on the Delaware, and now pre¬ 
sents itself for a critical examination of its character and 
qualities, and a searching inquiry into its history before 
and since its general dissemination. While it is found to 
be thoroughly native in habit of vine, it is so different in 
the essential character of its fruit from that of our native 
kinds, as represented by the Isabella and Catawba, that 
wrong and defective ideas prevail extensively concerning 
it, which it is important for the interests of grape culture 
to have corrected. In order to have a general clear un¬ 
derstanding of these differences, it is necessary that they 
should be pointed out and accurately defined. They are 
no less than those that constitute the distinctions bo- 
tween the best foreign kinds and our natives. 
The fruit of the Iona has no harshness in its skin, and 
nothing of foxiness or unpleasantness of aroma, but on 
the contrary the skin has a spicy vinous flavor, and is 
good to eat. In ripening, the process is first indicated by 
a general “ clearing” of the berries, as the tendency to¬ 
wards transparency is designated by Europeans, and 
it does not begin about the circumference and proceed to¬ 
wards the centre, which it never reaches, as is the case 
with Catawba, Isabella, Diana, etc., but it begins at all 
parts of the flesh at the same time, and proceeds evenly 
throughout. The flesh or juicy part has something of 
meaty consistence, but this is uniform through its whole 
mass, and yields like delicate jelly to a very slight pres¬ 
sure of the tongue. This being the case, a ripe Iona is 
all ripe, having no fibre or toughness in any part of it, 
and it is all good to eat except the seeds, which are few 
and remarkably small. The juice or flesh, or, as we 
should rather say, pulp, is all sweet, rich, spirited, and 
agreeable in flavor, without any degree of harshness or 
impurity, leaving a peculiarly cleanly and healthful sen¬ 
sation in the mouth that is indicative of its stomachic 
qualities. A very common idea of “pulp” is that of 
toughness, which is wrong. The idea of pulp, as used 
by Europeans in describing grapes, is that of a homoge¬ 
neous, non-fibrous mass, like that of which paper is form¬ 
ed, or that of the finest yielding flesh of a perfectly baked 
apple. The must or expressed juice of the loud is as 
characteristically distinct from that of ail others, as is its 
fruit, being exceedingly sweet and spirited, with a very 
agreeable wine-like fragrance and flavor. 
It will be noted by those who are familiar with the best 
foreign kinds as grown in their native country, that the 
foregoing description of the Iona is equally applicable to 
those, while it is essentially in contrast with those that 
have heretofore been our best native sorts. The wine of 
the Iona is even more remarkable than the fruit. Having 
no unripe, fibrous portions, very little'remains after 
pressing except the skins and seeds, and the juice is all 
pure and rich to the last drop, and is so free from all 
acidifying matter that the process of vinification may be 
as safely conducted in a warm room as in a cellar. The 
wine is characterized by the extreme fineness, richness 
of flavor, and fullness of body that belongs to the best Ger¬ 
man productions, with the same antifebrile and stomachic 
qualities that are the crowning excellence of the famous 
Steinberger and Johannisberger, with a little more of 
animation and less of acidity. The reports of our best 
wine-makers fully confirm the highest- expectations that, 
have been entertained as to the wine-making ability of 
tiie Iona. A fact that bears strongly in favor of American 
grape culture is found in the productive habit of the Iona, 
while all of the excellent kinds of Europe are either mod¬ 
erately or little productive. 
The question that has risen and must be answered, 
practically at least, is: “ What rank is the Iona destined 
to take by its merits in American grape culture ?” A 
proximate solution may be gained by scanning carefully 
the chief points, and making comparison not only with 
our own kinds, but with those of Europe also, for the 
wines of Europe will dominate over those of America 
until something shall be produced far better in quality 
than has yet been done by the Catawba or the Isabella, and 
any of its congeners that are now before the public. 
For the production of fruit, which is the part of most 
general immediate interest, the question is to be decided 
on domestic considerations only, but the same charac¬ 
teristics of quality will rule. I have endeavored to set 
forth the chief points by which both public and private 
considerations of the subject may be more understand 
inaly conducted, so that truth may be elicited, and facts 
established. The subject is naturally becoming of great 
importance in general estimation, for what family is there 
that is not interested in good grapes, such as all have 
heard of, but few have known ? And in wine, too, that is 
able to aid the sick, and invigorate the weak ? • 
Raising Evergreens from Seed. 
BY JOSIAH HOOPES. 
[The large number of letters we have had 
asking the method of raising evergreens from 
seed indicates a gratifying interest in tree plant¬ 
ing. Mr. Hoopes, whose Book of Evergreens 
is now nearly ready, has at our request furnish¬ 
ed the following timely article..] 
Seedlings of the evergreeens are the most 
difficult to manage of any that come under the 
care of the propagator. The seeds abound in 
an oily, resinous fluid that quickly becomes 
rancid and destroys the germ, if they are taken 
from the cones a long time before using. The 
seeds of most species may be preserved for 
several years, if allowed to remain in the cones 
until wanted for planting. Most kinds germi¬ 
nate easily, but the critical season is when the 
true leaves are being developed, and before the 
stem becomes firm and woody. At this period 
the propagator should be on the alert to guard 
against sudden changes in the atmosphere, or 
an excess of moisture. Damping off is the bane 
of young evergreen seedlings, and the most ex¬ 
perienced hand not unfrequently finds himself 
at fault to counteract it. A sprinkling of sul¬ 
phur will destroy the various fungoid growths, 
so destructive to young evergreens, and dry 
sand counteracts the effects of too much moist¬ 
ure in the soil. 
The fundamental principle ingrowing Conifers 
is to plant at the very earliest moment in the 
spring, as no amount of care or forcing by arti¬ 
ficial heat will compensate for lost time. Some 
of the more hardy species will succeed in our 
