The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1862-06-12
DUBUQUE FARMERS CLUB,
GRAPE CULTURE.

Question came next in order. :.
Mr.. Lucius H. Langworthy said he
had seen the Catawba and Isabella
Grapes growing without pruning, un.
der most favorable circumstances that
the fruit seemed to be as large and as
plentiful on such vines as those under
the dwarf and Renewal System rec
commended by Mr.. Blocklinger. He
wanted to know why Mr.. BIS system
shon!d be eperferred to allowing the vine
making its full wood growth.
Mr.. Blocklinger stated that although
vine under favorable circumstances
might do vel. without pruning, still the
advantage of the system he recon
mends, superseded the uleultivated
plan in many respects The grapes Of
necessity are much larger, all the sap
going towards the growth Of fruit. In
stead Of a large expenditure of unncc.
essary sap in wood growth. the fruit
would mature much earlier, the crops
would be more sure, the vines wonld
be under the perfect control Of the cul
tiyator, and above ali, & consideration
Of maximum Importance in this climate
the vines could be laid down and eov-
cred in the winter with little trouble.
which would be almost impossible
with vines Of bulky dimensions. NOT
could lie wood be as well perfected
and cipeiel - in the dwarf system.
The Secretary a,ke! Judge llin2
for information to the Gl0D in regard
to his success with the Crorto Grape,
variety tia, he exhibited 1T oar Ar
rirn'tural FAR last fall and from whief
lie had lately made some wine, as a
proof Of the quality Of the wine, >he
.Iud-e presented to the Club 4 bottle o.
the Oporto manufactured for him by G.
] Blocklinger, and Which was partake.
of by the C.nb. a'l pronou.cing it ex
icclient, resembling IN all respects Oc
Port, OF fine ruby color, rich, and
possessed Of an excellent aroma. eq,:al
! almost to the Nectar Of the Oiympians
and would have taken tho first prcmi-
um there, il those Ce'esict Gentlemen
bad been as progressive as Horticul,ur-
alists Of the l9sh century. l5acchus, il
he had tasted it, no doubt would have
smackea his lips and pronounced i,
FIRST rate.
Judge King then went on to state
tha, h obtained the wine en- a visit to
Nicholas !.ongworth Of Cincinnati On
| parting NJ. l.. presented him with q
number ot''ehoice vines among which
was the Oporto. = He Judge King)
planted it, snrposin@ i was an Isabella.
after fruiiing he found it entirely dis
similar from the Isabella, or any other
variety that he then had. The Fruit
Committee Of our last Agricultural
Fair examined it, but could not give it
a special name but were struck with
the remarkable dying quality it possess
ed, and its juiceness. The juice taken
from directly unde, the skin Of the
grape dying everything i touched from
a dark purple to All almost black color.
Judge Hing, learning Of the Oporto
and its peculiar properties, wrote to
Mr.. Il. ". Sylvester, of Lyons, N. Y.
(who was growing the grape) for fur
ther information. Mr.. Sylvester wrote
him full description Of the grape, and
also sent him small bottle of the wine,
which corresronaed in all respects
with the wine Nj. Blockiinger had
manufactured, and also with the grape
in Judge Kings possession. The op,
orto Grape had for. some time been
cultivated by farmers and amateurs in
certain districts Of N. T., as wine
grape-the wine manufactured for med
ical, sacramental and 50 :ial purposes.
Theskin is black. covered with bloom
juicy, and when fully ripe, dark red,
and .imparting to the wine made from,
It, without water, the dark color usua!
to Port. The original wine is suppos.
ed to have come directly from Oporto,
Spain, being brought over by sea
Captain, and presented to lady
friend in this country bu, the growth OF
the wood, the shape, and texture Of the
leaves, its perfect hardness with tho
vines never reqairing .o be laid down
in 430 North latitude. Those reasons
have led Horticulturalists to believe it
an American Seeding, though child
Of foreign parents. The wine has the
flavor and peculiar bouquet Of old Port,
and is pronounced by good juslgas to