Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-05-14
OUR COLUMBUS CORRESPONDENCE.
The Crops-AgricultuKaI Distinguishing
Appeal from Capt. Ellts-vlneyards-
scuppernong-Mr. Stanley's Vineyard
Wine-making.-W Lake.
WHITEvILLE, May, 1869.

CcH cOwNW. l. udU ID AuuOtCO A4OAc
things to tell you about Charlotte and the
country around it, but have been so con.
stantly sin transit" that no time could
be spared for writing. The crops, as fal
as developed in all the counties I visited,
were very promising, the wheat looking
fine, with good stand There is this to
say about the crops, that if he same lands
were in the hands of a Pennsylvania
farmer, instead of expecting from eight to
twelve bushels of wheat per acre, he would
look for yield of thirty to forty bushels.
But the farmers in this part of North Caro-
lima plough two or three inches deep, use
little or no manures, and of course can
make but small crops.
am down in the southeastern part Of
the State again, and am glad to find that
in this Columbus county the farmers are
determined to make an effort to improve
their system of farming, or adopt new
one. Capt. J. W. Ellis, President of the
Columbus Agricultural Society, has issued
call to all the farmers OF the county to
assemble in this place On the fourth Satur-
day in this month, bringing their wives
and daughters with them, and hold an "al
fresco" meeting for the promotion CT the
interests of the agriculturists. he has
issued a stirring appeal which is to be
placed in each family, and which contains
sentiments Of true wisdom worthy to be
written in letters of gold. This matter SO
directly affects the interests of your city
that hope you will persuade some of your
orators to grace the occasion with their
presence and aid in initiating the good
work
[ have visited the vineyards again to see
what effect the late cold weather and frosts
had had upon the vines. The prospect for
full crop is good, and nothing but great
hail could now prevertit. This more than
ever convinces me that the "Scupper-
nong " and its varieties are the grapes for
North Carolina cultivation. I visited the
immense vineyard of Mr.. J. 3. Stanley,
who is one of the pioneers in the enter
prise, having been nearly twenty years at
the business, and SO far as We could per-
ceiye there was not vine that was not
full
just here let me say that in my hurried
letter some two months ago did not give
the grape culture in many of its bearings
such prominence as it deserves, and par
ticularly did not allude to the fact, which
was much impressed upon me by this visit,
that eCiae cannot be made IN one year. saw
to-day barrels of wine in Mr.. Stanley's
cellar, made too gears ago, which were in
for market, and will not be offered by him
at all until after this, it's last fermentation.
He makes aci1e before he offers it for sale.
What comment on the usual course of
many who throw their wine (?) into market
after it has undergone the first fermenta-
ton, which spOils very soon on the hands
of the purchaser, creates dissatisfaction on
his part, and pre- JUDGES the consumers
against all wine called Scuppernong.
The article sold was simply what the French
call "grape syrup and not wine ut all. /
feel very much like being personal and
making an expose of some of the frauds on
the travelling public, which are being prac-
ticed to the great injury Of the reputation
of Scuppernong wine" Let it pass for
the present. The wine makers here are
striving to make wine that will have q
reputation, and feel sure they will do
tanning that object.
About ten miles east of this lies the
Waccaraaw Lake which I visited on one
of those clear, bright, windy mornings
we had last week. You have so often seen
this place that for you no description need
be written, but there are some of your
readers who may never have the oppor-
tunitY to visit, and therefore / shall give
them q rough idea of what and where it is
Waccamaw Lake is situated in Columbus
county on the line of the Wilmington &
Manchester Railroad thirty miles from
Wilmington. The station at the Lake is
called Pennington. After taking one of
the delightful breakfasts which Mrs.
Brothers knows SO we'll how to get up, we
walked to the lake. about quarter of
milo, and getting into canoe with two
oarsmen pulled out to take a survey. The
lake is about five miles across in the mar
rowest part and about seven miles long,
lying the long-way about southeast and
north west. All the north western part
makes sweep embracing as you sit in the
middle nearly q semi-circle, with bold and
rather high banks, while the shore is
line of.white sand. As We left the shore I
sounded ont distance which I supposed
to be a mile and the water had deepened
with straight even slope and sandy bot
tom to only four feet, which increases to
about fourteen feet in the centre. OF
course there are some channels and holes
at various points which are still deeper. -
Ii you will make little calculation you
will find its area embraces about twenty
seven square miles. This morning, the
wind being high, our little canoe was tos-
sed about in manner far from comforta-
BILE, shipping little water now and then
and showing that with a gale blowing
some more substantial craft would be need
ed to navigate its waters. We ran into
one of the creeks which enter from the
north east, took out our lines and went to
fishing, of the result Of which and of the
subsequent visit to the great works being
carried on around the lake you must allow
me to speak in future letter, when am
not SO rapidly Yours,
"IN TRANSIT
Sailing OF Cuban Sympathizers.
KEY WEST, Fla, May 6.-The British