Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-06-10
AMERICAN FRUITS.

One of the most successful and intelligent
cultivators of the grape in this country is Mr..
LOngwOrth of Cincinnati. He however,
has given up mostly, if not altogether, the at
tempt TO cultivate the European species, and
has taken pains to procure some of the in
digcnous vine. There are as many different
kinds of the native grape as of the European,
and our forests have been mpertectly explo-
rcd for the finest.
In the May number of the Horticultural
Magazine, just published by |. Post of this
city, is the following letter from Mr.. Long
worth.
l was surprised, on reading commune
cation in your Magazine, (Vol VII p. 33l, }
from an intelligent gentleman at Marietta,
Ohio, in which he speaks Of the Isabella
grape as the best native grape cultivated by
them, and that they commence using it for
the table as soon as it assumes a red cOor.--
| should suppose he alluded to the Bland
Madeira, did he not speek Of that grape in a
subsequent part Of his letter. have ceased
to cultivate the Isabella for near twenty
years, deemng it inferior, as table and wine
grape, to most others. He gives it the pre-
ference over the Catawba, as table grape !;
with us, it rpens badly, and is subject to rot,
and IN its best state far inferior to the Cataw-
| ba, either for the table or for wine. | have
had bunch of the Catawba to weigh twenty
four ounces. have white variety of the
Catawba producing frui, THIRD larger than
the Catawba of Album. | say the Catawba
Of Album, Tor Major Album was the first to
bring il into notice.
have three varieties of native grapes,
which consider far superior to the Catawba
| for the table. They have none ofthe hard
pulp common to the Catawba, SchuylkiIl,
Muscadel, and the Isabella. For the table,
they are equal to the Meunier, of Mlller's
Burgundy, and as free of pulp. One of
them, which first met with few years since
| call the Ohio grape. The vine is perfect
" hardy, fine bearer, has never had the
mildew or rot, and the lunches very large,
say four times the size Of the Burgundy. |
sent IA bunch of these grapes to Boston last
fall, but it was too long on the road to be in
perfection. will give five hundred dollars
for root of a native grape that, in quality
of the fruit and size OF the bunch, shall sur
pass it. The other two are equally good for
the table, perfectly hardy, great growers,
but the punches of fruit are not so large.
was surprised, when east, 10 find no good
native grapes. At my different vineyards, ]
have about sixty acres in grapes, but not all
in bearing. Last season, | had not half a
crop, with the exception of one vineyard
where the fruit was abundant and fine.
made about two hundred barrels of wine and
some brandy. am now raising large guam
titles of vines from the seed of my best va
rieles of native grape, having cleared piece
of new land expressly for that purpose.
The Bland grape is not native. 1t was
introduced into Virginia from France, about
fifty years since, by French gentleman, us
| was informed by General Harrison, who
knew the gentleman, and had seen the fruit
on his table, more than forty years since
1t is good table grape, but subject to mil
dew, and does not always ripen its wood OF
its fruit. Yours, respectfully,
! N. LONGWORTH.
Cincinnati, Ohio, March, 1872
Here is an opportunity, perhaps for some
i of the explorers of our vegetable productions