The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-12
The Cape Fear Country--SPlen-
did Section for Grapes.

The lecture before the Historical and
Scientific Society at Library Hall, on
Monday night, by Mr.. X. IL. Mckoy,
ON the subject of wilmington As 1t Is
and As 1t Should Be" was listened to
by a good and app~reciatlve audience.
He adverted to the great need OF Judi
cious system of immigration to assist In
the development of u resources, and
contended that the large landed proprle.
tors should cut up their lands into small
farms and dispose of them at reasonable
figures to Industrious immigrants
Mr.. Henry Mutt called the attention
of the Socic.v to the fact that he had
been reliably Informed by intelligent
Europeln. that the climate and soil OF
Wilmington aud It's vicinity was special
" aiaptel t. the profitable cultivation
of the grape IL had also been brought
10 his attention that the geographical
situation OF u taIln-ton, it clluIate and
soil, we're the SAME ~ those Of Bordeaux
France. tine greatest grape growing and
wine making country in the world, and
he contended that the culture or the
grape ought to be encouraged by our
people, on the ground that 1t might be
made a great source Of wealth to the
community. lie said that fruits OF all
kinds could be raised pr1fitaDly IN our
immediate section, aud 1t was well
known that all the fruits grown IN this
country were swccter In taste than those
grown anywhere else.
Mr.. Alex Sprunt also stated that he
was well acquainted with the locality
and climate of Bordeaux, and it bore a
great resemblance to that OF this llnme-
date vicinity that it resembled 1t IN a
two fold sense, Inasmuch az 1t was the
great rosin country Of Europe, while the
soil was really almost the same. He
stated that he thought our citizens
should appoint a committee to procure
the immigration Of ten or a dozen good
men from Bordeaux 10 settle here and
experiment in the culture of the grape.
Mr. Mutt remarked hat he had rails
ed the Malaga grape here, and that it
yielded heavily and the fruit was larger
and finer than he had ever seen, and
that he had known others to do the
same.
Dir. Kidder said that he had tried the
experiment with some Of the foreign
grape and had not been SO successful !;
but he had never given the matter the
attention that he thought it deserved.
In the course ofthe discussion it was
mentioned incidentally that Mr.. L. A.
Hart had, a few miles below the city, a
very fine vineyard, from which he made
annually a large quantity of excellent
wine, and that he also made a cham
payne which had now obtained some
celebrity throughout the country but
that he cultivated only the native
grape.
In the course of the pleasant discus
sion of the evening Mr.. Mutt brought
to the attention Of the Society a matter
which, as he said, was not kindred to
the subject under discussion, but he
thought ought TO be explained. He
had been informed by Capt. Gabrielson,
of the United States Revenue Cutter
CoLdr, that sea, about six or seven
miles from the Frying Pan Shoals.
there were spots in the ocean of consid-
cradle dimension that were as clear as
crystal that when the water was calm
fish could be seen swimming and objects
lying on the bottom at the depth of
thirty feet. No member present being
able to explain the natu of the pha-
nomenon Mr.. Mutt was appointed by
the President to deliver a lecture on
that and kindred subjects at the meet
ing Of the Society in June.-Star.