The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-06-09
From the Asheyille News.
The Grape.

| Iu6 Ufdp6.
AS this noble fruit is becoming an object OF
special attention in many OF the States, deem il
proper to give part ot my own experience lii at
,enpting to cultivate the vine, as well as fifty
years acquaintance with it.
| In the Autumn OF the year 1903 [ saw, fol
the first time, two cultivated varieties of native
grapes, one Of which Was called the Black" and
the other the White English grape" 1t was
loo Years after this that learned that both OF
these were native American grapes-the very
iirst that ever had been found, OF good quality
Cn the Northern division OF the continent-and
that they were known, now, by the respective
uames OF "lssabella' and Bland" |, also, at
he same time, learned this further fact, to wit
Ethat III the years 1914 and 1915 two other varie-
ties OF good grapes were tound-one IN Warren
,ounty, Ga., the other in Buncombe County, y
e., and that one Of these Was known by the maine
VI "Herbermout' aud the other by that OF
< >atawba." also learned, that there was ali
excellent native grape OF the Muscadine species
II Eastern n. Carolina, but on inquiring after
It's history all that related to origin into thu
log, and all knOwIedg re from whence it sprung
Was merely presunptiye evidence, to wit: its
name, "Scuppanong," and hence the river OF
that name is presumed to have had its margin
decked by Its original vine.
There now seems to have been long pause
before there were amy further valuable acquisl
lions contributed to the small list OF good native
grapes, and there nothing further contribu-
ted, until Nicholas Longworth, Of Cincinnati,
gave impetus to further new discoveries; after
which the names Of new native Grapes followed
each other in such quick succession as to suggest
short, but comprehensive name, and call them
''ieslon.' AT the present time the catalogue OF
native grapes numbers some hundreds, varying III
4u,h,J, good, better, best.
-uy own experience with the Grape, for the
last forty -tour years, has been confined neary
ciuslveiy, to the isabella and Catawba, and / am
constrained to say that neither OF these Grapes
can give employment to industry, where planted
III our humid valleys, that will pay OF recent
years have eXperliuented with new varieties,
and learned sufficient to know that grape culture,
When Conducted III a low humid valiey Is dan
Serous experiment.
husbandry, as profitable branch of industry,
but 1t VIII be where the vines planted high
up On the Warm sunny slopes OF the mountains,
and where the rains, when they fall, will pass ini-
niedlatey from their roots and before they become
Water-2urSed.
These are facts that [ know to be so, and one
OF nay nelyhbors has planted Vineyard III lsa-
bells, at my suggestloh, aud 1t has not, and viii
not lsl, any ear III producing sound Grapes, irec
from rot Uf disease oi any KIND. Zach Jea sincc
1874 L have had isabella vines growing Ill ouI
nu....d valley, and what has been the result
but one sln.le vine has ever produced Il perfect
ly sound bunch OF Grapes; and this one vine 10
mtwined amongst the limbs of a Balm tree, nor
has 1t tailed OF heavy load OF grapes in Az years
he TACT is, L am now employed grating the
roots OF my lsabelias and Catawbas with more
hardy varieties, and that have shown no DISPOSE
ton to rot All my other varieties shall graft,
u L have patience to be working and
get III return no tIult. but the Balm-ot- u leau
tree! " no wishes to advance a theory, and ac-
count for the cause OF its leaves preserving the
Grape trom rot? That the TACT Is 50 | have this
Iur,llvr testlnlony: A few weeks back L spent ID
night with my worthy friend, ,ol. Iathey, Oh
81 orks OF Pigeon" aud L named to him my pro-
life Isabella vine on the Balm tree; when the
Col remarked: Il hat reminds me OF an incident
that trausplred in my boyhood, when my mother
planted small Balm bush IN rich spot where
large quantity OF manure had concentrated,
and al Isabella grape vine at Its root; and tie
consequence was the vine lntertwlned itself
amongst the limbs OF the Balm, and In height
kept equal pace until the top stood 50 feet above
the root, and the vine, each year yielding heavy
crop OF delicious Grapes. 1he last year that 1t
Irulted 1t was ID the month Of August, when
there WIS at least 30 bushels Of grapes on the
vine, just beginning to blush into mat unity, when
the top the tree heard to snap, and 1t tell,
carrying the vine, the Grapes and all the lower
uIbs; both hubs vine and grapes reached the
ground below, making one vast pile OF ruin, and
leaving the trunk OF the tree a tall bare shalt.
| afterwards untangled the vine: and trained it
Oh d long scattold but it never more bore sound
grapes SILAs MCDOWELL
Franklin, No, May 10Th, 1868.