580 
STATE HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 
Gentlemen, with these few and unstudied expressions concerning our 
pursuit and ourselves, I would tender you a sincere welcome and express the 
hope that our meeting will not only be a very'pleasant one, but profitable to 
all who may take part in it. 
Haying thus performed part of a pleasant duty and finding that our Secre¬ 
tary, Mr. Willey, is prepared to do [another part, formally giving you a full 
report concerning our society doings, its policy and prospects, I have only 
to acquit myself of the remaining part, by redeeming the promise I made you 
at the State Fair, to tbe effect that I would give you my views of and ex¬ 
perience in grape growing in Wisconsin, aud will now address you on this 
subject, if agreeable. 
GRAPE GROWING IN WISCONSIN. 
Gentlemen, you who are acquainted with me know that I have a “hobby,”" 
and that my hobby is experimenting in grape growing—with mode of culture^ 
for this state. That I have ridden my hobby pretty Avell and pretty faithfully 
needs no other evidence than the position I occupy here to night, as your 
president, a position unsought and unexpected, and which, though it has 
given me some labor and occasionally encroached upon my time, has given 
me also much pleasure. 
I allude, gentlemen, to my position and to my hobby only for the purpose 
of showing to those who are unacquainted with me, or who may, hereafter, 
feel any interest in what I shall say,that if not to the “ manor born,” that 
is, if not a professional vineyardist, I at least know of what I speak, and that 
you were in some measure, if not justified, at least not blameworthy in asking 
me to give you this address. 
Some nine or ten years ago, after having become tolerably well acquainted 
with our climate, our soil, its surroundings and indigenous vines, I became 
firmly impressed with the belief that this could be made a grape-growing and 
a wine-producing state. I then began to plant a few varieties of vines—or 
rather the same variety of vines with quite a variety of names—(such were 
the manny modes of doing business in those days), in order to test my opin¬ 
ion. Soon after, I visited Peter Kehl’s vineyard of Isabella and Catawbas, at 
Sauk, (sent him his first Concord) and came back established in the belief that 
my opinion was correct. From that time to this I have planted in my gar¬ 
den, probably some 129 to 130 of what have been consi.ered the best varie¬ 
ties. Now, I make it a rule never to plant a vine became it is a vincy but only 
after learning something good of it, or receiving it from those, whose send¬ 
ing is a guaranty for its trial. Every fall I continue to throw out a number 
and to replant with other varieties—retaining none that are not good, good 
in ripening wood in due season, good^n fruit and in bearing, and good in 
being free or comparatively free from disease. Under this mode of acting I 
still have '72 varieties left. Not that I mean that I have tested all these—for 
some are still undergoing their trial—but a sufficient number for eating and 
■wine-making I have tried, proved, and shall give you some account of 
presently. 
