Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-11-22

tons Of the country The Isabella always cassed unless
greatly deceived among the natural products Of our
soil and confess 10TH this late date yield up
point which roba North Caroline Of the maternity Of this
delightful table uis So many years have inervensd and
authorities lost that 10 almost impossible at this time
rive at certain conclusion it Is at best matter Of proba
bilea and impressions. While therefore, do net ad
opinion in opposition to that Of scientific gen.
tmsn like Drs. McEE and Tosso are free 10 scknow
ledge that in the abssnce Of conclusive proof pre-
fer remaining under original belief The question has
been narrowed down points the Isabella either
North Csrolna or foreign production other State can
10y claim to We therefore trust that Northern writers Will
hereafter remember this fact and not locate this vine At diff
ferent points in the Union a. heretofore.
DIccorrAux. Noy.xsRR 1, 1851.
Mn. BURR-DEAR Sin In to the letter Of your
friend Mr.. ]. M Rose, of Fayetteville, North Carolina
communicated this day BY YOU may briefly state for
his ed6caton and his Ohio friend that bis queries are A.
many historical problems, not easily settled, owing the
plumbers and confusion COMPOUNDED Of The writers in the
various Northern periodicals that have taken upon themselves
| to solve this moot-point:
aWho If they once grow fond of an opinion,
:" They call IL honor, honesty, and faith.
land sooner part with life than let it go.n--Rowe.
There i doubt that the skoupsrnong (Indisn swee,
Wae native Of the portion Of the State Of North
Carolina, and il is found wild 10 this region as well as pur-
pie variety commonly called with US Bulus
The Csawba its desgnates, is also native Of
this State, and 10 to this day be found wild on the Ca
awba river in Lincoln county, and all over that neiehboY-
hood beeye that it is from THE locality that Mr. AdInm
first obtainedT 1T 10 1920, thereabous and succesulv
cultivated it near Georgetown, D. G.. Mr. N Lonrworb.
Of Cincinnati in letter to states of his having obtain
ed the Catawba that he successfully and protaby
cuivates in that locality from Mr. Album obtained last
winter from Senator Hawks Of Lincoln county, cuttings Of
the Lincoln Grape which, from The appearance Of the
wood, 10 neither more less than synonym for the
Catawba
The history Of the so-caed Isabella Grape is not 90
easily comprised, owing to diversity Of opinion have
taken great trouble investigate its history and az vet have
only obtained links of this broken chain And rs 4
the !" Isabella native foreign grape Dr.. James F.
McKee, Of this place, whose high scientific asnmels and
observation 10 the natural sciences mpar his opinion and
statement Of facts great certainsnd bis testimony IL en-
titled 10 great weight in settling this first ques on-sates
that he distinctly remembers far back 1870 when the
Laspeyre grape Qhe Isabella Of VIM. Prnce) was sold ID
the market Of Wilmington by Mr. Lsspeye who cultivated
In Bladen county, and that be perfectly remembers that
Mr. Laspeyre had stated to be European variety and not
only sold as sus, but il doubted by DR. McRee
ana DINERS that the vine had all the characters Of European
variety and what makes II still more u.s. that even in
this congenal climate it frequently ro and did rot with the
hrs cultivaor of it. Mr. ~ Longworh has entered the
same complaint against to Dr. Mckee states also that
ne heard as early be remember that The said grape
had been imported by Mr.. Laspeyre, and that Caaonan
having seen the grape here claimed being grape
mon IN SPAIN his native country OF Dr. Mcee has
never considered the grape indigenous one but Euro
pean, possessing it does all the characters Of European
grape, and none Of native grapes This s also nv own
conviction In the whole Of this neehbohood the said grape
is to be found in gardens and every where liz origin =
red to the liberal distribution Of cuttings by Mr. Laspevre
SO that Mr. Laspeyre have planted his AZ
least ve years before be brought this market his
rom bIaden county This would carry back to 1906
period far anterior to all the dates Of the supposed cultivation
Of the " Isabella" mentioned by Mr.. Allen in Mr. Down
ing's Hor,culturst
These Northern writer's doubling not on superficial ex
animation Of the many hundred miles distance from
the scene, have undertaken to settle for the GOOD naon e
the state Of North Carolina that which even here on the
spot has required the most asduous diligence to ferret out
ne ac's Inc case and even then prudence and caution
have caused to be very ccumspect how came 10 con-
clusion. So much for this first point.
NOW Tor the history Of the so-csl!ed "Isabea" grspe
On the authority and positive statement Of Nj. r. w.
Gibbs Of Mr. Gibbs Of this place, and the nephew Of
Col George Gibbs after whose wife, (Mrs Isabella Gibbs
the lsabella grape named by VIM Prince He s,ates
mat ms father, Mr. R. Gibbs, At the time he purchased
y, North Caroline, found vine planted ia the garden
by the previous owner which vine was taken up root and
branch some time between 1910 and 1872 Che cannot posi-
lively say, but he knowsha it must be At ths time a. e
shall see,) and sent to Col George Gibbs who VISA
then merchant in New York; and who resided Brooklyn
IN whose garden he planted it, Soon after the mar
rsor Mr. r. w. Gibbs, then boy, sent 10 school at
brooklyn, and resided with his uncle years and half
and found the vine there 10 fourshing condition. and be
helped % take care oft every winter BY laying down and
covering i with earth, &c. When Gen. Swift inhabited
the same house be i'll found the vine in the garden and il
10 there that MI. VIM Prince first saw the vine and named
and propsgated il, as he himself has published.
80 far 20 good but still the identity Of the stock sent to
Brooklyn and the Laspeye grape is completely made
put except in their general resemblance and habits and the
still greater reason Of their identity IT, that the isabella
bad its origin in country where the Laspeyre grape was in
very great pute and very generally cultivated 1t that
lime. s
Conte Odar in his celebrated work on the description and
classification Of the known grape vines 10 the wor eudnr
Q the "lsa6ea says although the Presidents OF several
Vneyadst Congresses have called il excellent and have re-
commended ito cultivation, and though the Marquis Rdo6
distinguished agrcutus end director Of an agricultural
institute in Tuscany, has praised ls supposed advantages
ll unite with many French vineyardiss who think like
Myself that this grape. with fat and medicinal TASTE
good for noihDg neither for making wine for the table
however, we cannot deny it Of being pretty productive.
: But here is rccommendable-we mean the
Caiawba-whch easily known BY its beries very slightly
ed, and its taste has peculiar and agreeable favor slightly
'nous. In this respect il s much preferable the a
ed, which has been brought from the country The
Catawba has appeared 10 rather unpoductive and ito
grapes do reach easily their maturity a. those Of the
stocks Of this chspter though II blooms fs It's lunches
lightly elongated, rather fine, and keep for long time
he berries covered with bloom which desdens lie red
olr they big, round, and well spaced It's wood s ofa
inform reddish brown color its large rourd curling
,nder and their under surface cooDy, which impars
white color"
Be it ss may, Of two things Of this dismms be-
namely That We suppose il European variety, goes
nd nauralized in this country far North and that
many others may he found to do the same and This holds
ut the hte Of successful cultivation Of European kinds
lie thoc hs,J sho