Historical Document · 1826
The American Vine-Dresser s Guide Being a Treatise on the Cultivation of the Vine and the Process of Wine Making
- wine
Historical Document · 1826
» rs si nh. AMERICAN VINE-DRESSER’S GUIDE, BEING A TREATISE ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE VINE, AND TE PROCESS OF wins MAZING; ’ ADAPTED TO THE SOIL AND CLIMATE _OP THR (UNITED STATES: “BY JON CAEES DUFOUR SORMERLE. OF SWISSERLAND, AND ROW AN AMERICAN CITIZEN) . : CULTIVATOR OF THE VINE FROM RIq CMIDECOD, AND FOR THB EAST SWENEY WiVE YEARS, OCCUPIED IN 7 LINE OP ’ BUSINESS, Fin’? t= saserrrenty AND™ ON THE “« ‘BORDERS OF ONIO, NEAR VEvAy, INDIANA. @Ctactuauatts PRINTED BY 8. J. BROWNE, 4? THE BMPORIUM OFFICE. 36 FC4. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INDIANA DISTRICT, ss. _ BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the fourth day of July, im the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty six, and in the fiftieth year of the American Independence, JoHn Jamzs Durour, of said District, hath,deposited in this office the title of a book, ‘the right whereof he claims as author, in the words and figures, to wit: | ‘ “The American Vine Dresser’s Guide, being a treatise on the _6ultivation of the vine and the process of wine making, adapted to the soil and climate of the United States, by Joan Jamxs Dorovur, formerly from Swisserland, and now an American citi- zen; a cultivator of the vine from his.childhgod and for the last twenty five years occupied in that line of business, first in Ken- tucky and now on the borders of Ohio, near Vevay Indiana.— “Then: said the trees to the vine, come thou and reign over us: and the vine said unto them, should I leave my wine, which cheegy eth God and man, and go and be promoted over the trees.” IN CONFORMITY to the act of Congress of the United States of Amesica, entitled ‘an act for the enceuragement of learn. ing, by securing the copies, of Maps Charts and Books to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, ‘and also of the act entitled “an act supplemen an act entitled am act for the encouragement of leaming by seouring the copies of maps, charts and books to the authors ant proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned and extending the benefit thereof to the arts of designing, engra . andetching historica] and other prints. —ArTEs7, veg H. HURST, + Oh, Indiana Districg tary ta Alo NEQUE SANTONAS” . an aupeabuiltteens.. - “CLAUSANNE * ce cee SP UNIVERSITAIRY iN SOME explanatory notes, written after the book had gone te press, will be found at the end of the work. The-auTHor aaving been absent part of the time whilethe work was in press and not so ‘ well acquainted with the English language as he couléwish, an errata has become necessary, to correct sevetal errors, which spme how have ‘been overlodked and impair the true meaning of the text; those of a minor importance being left tothe discretion and indulgence of the rea- ders: Nevertheless, should some sentences still be found obscure, they will soon become clear and intelligible to those who make themselves - familiar with grape vines. by. manual and daily - attendance ‘on them, especially where treating ‘of Vine Dressing and Wine Making is the preg dominant -object of this work, tee PREFACE. — oe Ir will be found something like presumption in me, to _ write a book in a Janyuage, to which [ama stranger. All that is to be published now a days, ought to be stamped with perfeation: But as I had, and yet have to answer so often, verbally and by writing, queries about my avoca- tion, I have attempted to write down, and give to the pab- lic at large, the answers to any questions which may be made about the cuttivaTion or Grare-Vines, in the UNITED STATES—all at once; and have: thought | should be better understood, than by letters, often written in ahurry. ‘The importance of the subject, and the great need of such a work, will plead for the indulgence of the readers, who I expect will be able to understand it—for no pains shal be spared to render it intelligible, especi- ally where it is intended to give the practical or manual part of Visz Dressinc. A little of the history of the in- troduction of that precious plant into Europe from Asia, translated fram the Dictionary of Agriculture of Lazz Rozier, and particularly in the United States, by our Co- lony, cannot bé thought improper: Likewise, an outline of the different modes of culture, and of preparatory works to establish Vine-yards, followed in different parts of the world, and seen by the author, who, in his repeated tra- " yels between Swisserland and the United States, avoided | 1 7 PREFACE. . 4 purposely to follow the same route, that he might see more vine-yard countries, and find out the mode of training and cultivating the vines, that would suit best this country, and would offer the largest produce, with the least work and attendance, without regard to the’ quantity of ground employed, being so plentiful, tha! the main object ought not to be, to get arent for the land, but to obtain the most wine from the least labour; nevertheless, eur vine- yards, by the mode of training adopted, have proved to be as productive by the acre, as the generality of the vine- yards in’ France—as Cuarratsays. To obtain what was intended, I found it to be necessary to lay asidé the mode ef cultivation I had been accustomed to, as not suitable for a country where there is too much lund, and a lack of © people, and invent a new way—for none of those { had seen, would suit a new country; it will be found, however, in the sequal of the book, where I have seen somethiag nearly similar. As this country, like Lombardy, may and ought to entwine the. grape-vine with thé mulberry ‘tree, and make good silk with our é6Wn: indigenoys mulberries, I think I shall not intrude on my subject by trying to en- courage that branch of rural economy. When I last came from Europe, I purposely travelled through silk countries, to obtain information about it, from thé farmers them- selves; and what knowledge ] have acquired, wili make. the subject of a good part of a chapter, and’ I expect it will be an acceptable addition to the work: Likewise, I shall notice briefly something of the quadrénnial retation of culture, adopted as the best by out intelligent agricultu- ralists, and followed in Lombardy among their mulberries and vines, since time immemorial; to show the possibility efmaking good and rich farms out ef the poorest land of 3,¥ + PREFACE: ‘ 5 the Southern States, by imitating Lombardy. That way of cultivation being very little known, hints.of its’ practica- bleness and enriching character, on both the land and its owner, can'never too often be given; besides, it will suit very.weJl any farm on whith there is a vine-yard, by the ‘ abundant production of maaure, so much wanted by tines, On manure I-shall ge somewhat into detail—for it is the main pillar in good husbandry, ezpecially in vine-yards, about the-use. of which, I shall differ in opinion with many . book-makers, but not with aaingle practical vine-dresser that I know. I will also try to save the character of our Cape grapes from being made merely wild grapés, be- cause some are now found ia the woode; and, to put any one jn the way. to distinguish wild from tame grapes, ! will give the description of the botanical characters of the blossom .of both sorts.. .Fshall try also to encourage those " who can do it conveniently, to keep sowing grape seeds, to pypdite somgnew variety of grapes, which would perhaps answét better than any.je have. Rajsing vines from seed, is-the best means we Tare to obtain varieties. Particulars apout that sikogss of vipea through the United States, which prevent the Eqropean grapes from growing well here, shall be noticed, te excite the attention of the people to it, that the- cause may be found, and of course the (remedy) preventiye. ‘fhe history of a curious discovery to make brandy out dfWater, fétnd out the last year I was in Swisserland, {1815,] af which £ have great reason to believe I was the cause, will, I expegt, be acceptable: but more so, éf another discovery of my own, in the ma- king of wine, of which. 1 cah aver, that it is a very valua- ble thing to any man who, hag ‘to. ‘make wine; and Texpect it will prove the same fer cider, “HW the United States 7 . 6 PREFACE. were planted with vine-yards like France, as they. will be at come future day, the patent right for it alone, would produce ten fold the*income for this book. Another in- vention of mine,—the best way to graft grape vines,— must not be omitted, and many other experiments and re- marke I made, to study their nature and their way of growing: they will be found through the book where 1 think they will be necessary to illustrate some of my positions. I might have begun this preface, by the praise and encomium ofthe grapes and wine, and show the con- sequence on the health, temperance and cheerfalness of the people generally in any country, whete there is a sufft- , eient supply of genuine wine, which is equal’ to the pro- vision of bread stuff; and as evidences and authority, I shall copy here what Mr. Speecuiey says ‘inthe preface | of his treatise onthe culture of vinés:—* Of all the nume- _« rous sorts of fruits, indulgent nature. produces for te “ use of man, that of the grape must be esteemed her no- “blest gift: For although various others not osly sfford “ comforts, bat muny eftiem even contribute to the luxury ‘of the human race; yet none of them tend so eminently * ag does this fruit, ‘to gladdes thé heart.’ Hail then pre- “cious vine! Let me modestly presume to treat of thy ‘culture, and to set forth thy virtaes—a theme worthy “of the immortal gods! -O may thy superior extellence & everlastingly inspire man with duty, and with unfeigned “gratitude ta the all bounteous Giver.” - What Mr. Speechley says here, is highly corroborated by what we read in Ecciesrasricus, ch. 31, v. 27 & 28,—** Wine is as “ good as life to man, if it be drank moderately: what is ‘life then to a man that is without wine, for it was made te (te PREFACE. 9 “make mao glad? Wine measurably drank, and in seqson, “ bringeth gladness of the heart and cheerfulness of the * mind.” It is, to contribute all in my power, that I un- dertook to write this treatise, to engage and enable the people of this vast continent, to procure for themselves and their children,the blessing intended by the Almighty; that they shguld enjoy, and not by trade from. foreign _ countries, but by the prodace of their own labor, out of the very ground they tread, from a corner of each one’s farm, wine thus obtained, first handed from the grand Giver of of all good, pure, genuine, and unmixed by avarice, that it may have the effect on his heart and family intended by, the Creater: ‘Then in the cheerfulness of his heart, he will bless and thank him, who thus so bounteously prori- deth; then that offépring of fire—distilled: liquor—so cor- rosive and acerb as its parent, which crisps the heart and maketh man-mad, will be left for the poor inhabitants of , {Pozen countries, to whom both grapes and apples have « been refused: and if this my humble performance, should 1 ontribute to bring such blessing in the country, 1 could. ggjoice to have quitted my first home to come here. ~~ When | took the resolution to come to America, to try the cultivation of the grape, | was but fourteen; and I came to this determination by reading the newspapers, which were full of the American Revolutionary War, and con- tained many letters from the officers of the French army aiding the Republicans, which complained of the scarcity of the wine among them, in the midst of the greatest abun- dance of every thing else ; and by inspection of the maps, I saw that America was in the parallel of the. best wine coun- tries in the worki—like Spain, South of France, Italy aod Greece: I then made the culture of the grape, of its nate- 12 8 PREFACE, ral history, and of all that was connected with it, py moat serious study, to be the better able to succeed here. It is that resolution which made me a vine dresser, although, some may tbink I am not fitfor it, being maimed in my left arm. It was it, which made me lose several chances of getting rich, in my journeying through America, because it had so completely absorbed all my other thgughts; and it was also that resolution, which made me accapt a proposal of an association for the culture of the grape in Kentucky, under the same principles of the one established at Phila- delphia, though not knovging, however, which of those so- cieties had been the first; but the Keptucky Vineyerd Society, may be with great propriety covsidered ag the beginner, the true introdacer of the cultivation of grape vines into the United States; although .it proved to be a ruinous affair, both (o the shareholders and their vine dresser—nevertheless, millions will accrue to the country . at large, from the school made there. Some of my rea- ders, who may, like me, have teen loosers in that under- taking, will see here with satisfaction, the reagons: why it has failed, and how by a diflecegt management, it may now be a more profitable establishment even than. the United States’ Bank. When I first came to Lexiogton, I was requested and encouraged, to make a trial on the cul- ture of the grape; but J was left with litle courage by what Ihad seen done: They offered to help, and the fol- lowing scheme of an association was agreed té:—T'o sub- scribe 200 shares, at $50 each—40 of the shares were to be mine as my salary to conduct the businees, wntil-it would become productive; after that, I was to have $1000 per year out of the produce, and nothing, if there should be none,—so that the subscribers put their money; abd I my ad PREFACE. | 9 time, atatake. The produce of the.160 shares, was té be appropriated as follows: ° -For 633 acreg of land, , § 638 For 5 families of negroes, 5000 For togls, vituals, aud other support, until 1000 the place would be productiv<, . Expenses of getting vine scions, 800 Incidental expences, - . 567 . Torat, $8000 Theplan was well laid, if we had perfected it; but in 1799 too anxious-to begin, w¢ went into business before all the $460 shares were subscribed for, and while there was but very little money collected—five acres. were planted with 35 different species of the best grapes, a great part was obtained, by purchase from Mr. Legau, at Spring mill, vegt Philadelphia, and others gathered in-the gardens of “New-York, a small part bought at Baltimore frem a Ger- aD nursery-man, aud another smal part brought directly from my ‘own vineyards in Swisserland;when my brothers came over to joimme; three years. we'were in full ex- pectgtion, and worked with great couragé—a great many species of vines showed fruit.the third. year;one vine of the sweet water was full of eminently good grapes, fully ripened by the first of September. A few bunches that J carried te Lexington, were admired-heyond any thing. But alas! it was the first and last, year that that vine ever bore fruit, a sickness (of which ] shall make the subject of a chapter) took hold of all our -vines except the few stocks of Cape and Madeira grapes, fromeach of which we made the fourth year tome wine, which was drank by the Shareholders ia Lexington in: March next. The fail- ure of thé first plantation caused a relaxation among the * ‘ , ‘ . : ° 10 . PREFACE. shareholders, and not only a great difficulty was experien- ced in collecting the subscribed money, but the subscrip- tion of all the shares was never performed, so that all our stock was made use of, for paying the hiring of negroes and other hands, and we were never able to purchase a single share or even to pay for the Jand: then the whole burthen of the establishment rested on our family, who kept good courage, for, we had begun anew, withthe Cape and Madeira’ grapes, of which we had so few at first, that _ it required several yearg to have enough of them; although _ we used great industry to multiply them; thus we went on until 1806, when I was obliged to go back to Europe, and our family parted. My two young brothers, who tried to | keep the place, found themselves too weak to support it; and one frosty spring having took aH their crop; and know- ing that those of the colony, who had begnn in 1802 on the borders of the Ohio, were successfal & bad suffered nothing by the frost, they abandoned the place to an American ten- ant, who supposed we liad a bad title to the land, obtained a new warrant, and became owner by a patent, &let ali the vines go to destruction. At My-return, which was in 1816, an account of the war which prevented my coming soon- er, I found the vineyard grown up with briars, and { had to have recourse to Jaw, to have the intruder ejected. Now let us see the difference, if we had punctually fol- lowed the plan, and began first by the collection of the $8000, and the purchase of 5 families of negroes, for five thousand dollars, we could then haye had from 16 to 20 head, big, and small, I could certainly have procured byour joint labor, enongh to gupport us all, after the second year, besides planting as mdny vines as we have done; and al- though the first planting had failed, we would surely, in é 4 . oo . so PREVACE. . re 1809 or 16, have at least 20 acres of bearing vines of the Cape grapes,which, atthe average of 180 gallons per acre, as thatis the product on the Obio, would give about 15 gal- lons per, share, besides paying what was coming to me. The wink then fetched $2 per gallon, and the vineyard would ‘have been yearly increasing. By this time, _ with only common good luck among the slaves, there ‘would be-at leasthirty- abléhands of both sexes, besides a gréat many youugsters, with whom I could tend 100 acres , of vineyards, beside raising enougli for the support of all, at #80 gallons per acre, would give 85 gallons per share,. worth as many dollars besides my reserve: and the capital _stock would-be wortlt. about ‘tenfold. Those who doubt the aforesaid calculation, have only to: come and see our vineygrds ind vintage on the Ohio, and calculate for them- “selves. If by chance my opinion differs from others or I Should. expres somé original idéas, I ehall not enter into coutradictor} arguments: a¢ Fedo not pretend to infallibili, ty, I submit all to the judgment of candid-readers, wha however are respectfully requested, to postpone, propoun- cing, untilyetperimental trials have been consulted, as well asthe gtand bgok-of nature, from which most all I ‘have to say has beendaken, for want of other books, and evenyif I had them, among the many IJ have read on the cultare of the vine, hut few could be quoted, for none had the least idea of what a new country is.—I had the loan of Cuarrar and Apiym-for a few days, and | owne Rozier, Peecuecy and Coxe, to all of whom | have made some few references, of facts unknown to me before, or when I had to say the same thing. ‘Pezoutty, ah English author on the oultivation of vines, in hot. houses Tey England, where they. can get no good grapes out of doors, studied the ~ . - . . \. 12 PREFACE, vines by handjing them himeelf, and not in books; and has made several remarks on théir nature in England; as Ihave done in Swisserland and in America, the author [ would have quoted often, had I his book it would be the Onrver pe SERRE, who was with propriety called by the French authors the father of agriculture; because, all those whe have written after him, on that science, have chiefly beea his copiest, but it is more than ten years since 1 have seen his “ Theatra” of agriculturé: although it has been lately reprinted in its original old French, by Lasrerte, or was intended. to be.reprinted ; when } left Europe last. . J.J. DUFOUR. . = :. a a. S woe ' AMERICAN nd 7 VANE 2» DRESSER'S GUIDE. te B riof history of the sinteodustion of Crape—-How dt was introduced «nto Europe—Domitian’s disastrous law to destroy.vines in Gaul—Res- toratiop of them by Probus, two centuries af- ter—Emigration of the Helvatians to where grapes grew—Introduttion of vincs into the “United States—The Jeswite vineyard at Kas- kuskia—Wine made at Marietta with sand grapes—Trallition among the French on sand grapes. . THE. Seriptares: of Holy. Writ, tell us that Moah was the fest niar “who. made wine. from grapes; profane history, says that it was Bac- ehue for the. Greeks, .or Janus for the Latigs. It is very. probable, that all those different wameshaverefevencd {0 the same mabyaad that 4 | " <PHE AMERICAN - . they have the same meaning, but in different : languages. Be it as it may, we learn at leat, by it, that the culture of the grape, and the art of making wine, are old; and that it was in Asia that it begun, and from thence came to Europe. What follows, is the translation of part of what the celebrated Cuaran has told — - usin the ‘ Dictionary of Agriculture of Labe Ro- zier,’ in the tenth volume, at the article vine :— “ Europe is indebted to- Asia,: not oply for sivi- “lization and arts, but for most of its grasses, “ fruit, pulse and viries. ‘The Pheniciats,’ who “often explored the coast of the Mediterra- “neay, introduced its culture on the Islands of “the Archipelago, in Greece, to Sicily, at last “into Italy, and in the territory of Marseilles, “that culture had made but a small progress. “into Italy in the time of Romutvs—for that “ prince forbade the libations of wine, which “were in use in all the sacrifices of Asiatic “nations. It was Ruma who first permitted mit ; and Pury adds, that it was one of the means made use of by the politicians, to en- “courage the propagation of that culture: —for “soon after, its produce became, in fact, so “abundant, that the people could make a free “use of wiae, such that the Roman Fair were ¥INE DRESSER’S GUIDE. 15 “accused of going too far in that enjoyment; “ which abuse by the ladies, caused a law to “be enacted, that women were forbid to drink “wine under penalty of death; and at Mar- “‘seilles; the same law had been enacted for “that republic; put there, as well as among “the Romans, the too great severity of the “law was an: obstacle to its execution, and “soon after they fixed atthe age of thirty years “on bath sexes the right of drinking wine; but “they soon found out that that restriction was “too great on the use of such a precious pro- “duct, which had become very common and “abundant, that they were obliged, at last, to _ ¥leave the use of it entirely free. " “ However, the culture of the vine, was gra- “ dually extending among the Gauls; it occu- “pied already a part of the hill sides of the “Department of the middle and south of “ France.’ When Domitian, either by ignorance “or weakness, as Monrgsquieu says, gave or- “der. to root out unmercifully all .the vines “ growing in Gaul; because one year, the crop “ of wheat or grain had failed—as if'any thing “analagous exists between the way. of living “and growing in these two sorts of planis—as “if the produce of one might ever be an obsta- 2 ; 16 THE AMERICAN “cle to"the crop of the other; and as if then, “as well as now, the ground occupied by “vines in France, was not the worse for the. . “production of grain, Any how, our forefathers “by the disastrous law, found themselves con- “demned to drink beer, metheglin, or a sorry “decoction of bitter plants. That privation, “which began about the ninety-second year of “the new era, continued two full centuries. It “was the wise and valliant Progus, who, after “having given peace to. the empire, by his nu- ‘‘ merous victories, restored to the-Gauls, liber- “ty to plant vines. The remembrance of that “culture, and of the great advantage procured _ “by it, was not yet all gone from the memory “of men; the tradition had kept even the details, “the most necessary in the art of vine dressing. “ The vines, brought again from Sicily, Greece, “the Archipelago, and Africa, became the “ origin of those innumerable species of grapes “that now cover the territory of France.” It was accordingly the saying of Dunop:—“A “ charming and grand spectacle, to see crowds “of men, women and children, spontaneously “and eagerly devoting themselves, with enthu- “siasm, to that grand and sublime restoration “of liberty—to re-plant vineyards: Effectual- VINE DRESSER’S GUIDE. 17 “ly, all could take part in it—for the culture of “ grape vines has that peculiar to itself, that in “ the details, it offers occupations to suit the “ strength -of both sexes of all ages.” In thie time of Julius Cesar, about 600 years before the Christian era, there were no grapes growing yet in Swisserland, called then Helve- tia ; and, probably, none in the whole of Gaul; for a Swiss blacksmith, having crossed the Alps. into Italy, whence he brought back to his native -country,some grapes 3nd some figs. The whole nation of the Swiss undertook to-emigrate, into that desirable country, where such fruit was growing, after having set fire to their towns and villages; but were repulsed by Julius Caesar on the passage of the Alps, as, indeed, they were _in attempting, to cross the river Saone again and go round the AJps by Nice. The precise epoch when grapes first ap- ’ peared in the United States, is not easily ascer- . tained: if a few vines, planted here and there in gardens, or even the making of a little wine, for - one or two years, and afterwards abandoned, could be counted for the beginning of the cul- ture of the grape, and making of Wine in the United States, it may be traced back very near to the beginning of the establishment of the 18 THE AMERICAN whites on this side of the Atlantic. But none of the different and numerous trials which were made in several parts of the United States, that I visited after my arrival in 1796, were found worth the name of vineyards. All of them, ex- cept the vines planted in the gardens of the ci- ties of New York and Philadelphia, and about " a dozen of plants in the vineyard of Mr. Le-. gaux at Spring mill, near the latter place, did not suffice to pay for one half of their atten- dance. I went to see all the vines growing that I could hear of, even as far as Kaskaskia, on the borders of the Mississippi; because I was told, by an inhabitant of that town, whom I met with at Philadelphia, that the Jesuits had there a very successfal vineyard, when that eountry belonged to the French, and were after- wards ordered by the French government to de- stroy it, for fear the culture of the grapes should spread im America and hurt the wine trade of France. As I had seen but discouraging plan- tations of vines on that side of the Alleghany, and as the object of my journey to America, was purposely to learn what could be done in that line of business; I was desirous ‘to see if the west would afford more encouragement. I[ resolyed therefore on a visit to see if any re- VINE DRESSER’S GUIDE. 19 maius.of the Jesuits, vines were still in being, and what sort of grapes they were; supposing very naturally, that if they had succeeded as - wellas tradition reported, some of them might possibly be found in some of the gardens there- But I found only the spot where that vineyard _ had beén planted, in a well selected placg, on the side of a hill to the north east of the town, — ‘under acliff, No good grapes, however were found either there, or in any of the gardens of the country. A thick forest was covering that ' spot, with a luxuriant undergrowth, and of as- paragus in the place where the Jesuits had planted a bed of that vegetable. This last cir- cumstance made me think, that the vineyard had not been so successful as represented to me; but had been subject to the same sickness which afflict now all imported grapes, of which I shall speak more at large hereafter; the exis- tence of which I have seen on the vines now growing in the gardens of St. Louis & Kaskas- kia, where I have been lately. The grapes are such a goed fruit that the inhabitants would have kept some in their gardens, in spite of all the governmental] restrictions, as has been done in Brazil; aud even, if there would have been grape vines of a hardy nature, as many sorts 2 3 3 20 THE AMERICAN are in Europe, sonie vestiges of them would have remained, and elimbed up some of ‘the for- est trees and become-wild, asthe asparagus had done. Traditions among illiterate men, are not “to-be depended upon. In my journeying down the Ohio, I found at Marietta a Frenchman, who was making several] barrels of wine every | year, out of grapes that were growing wild, and abundantly, on the heads of-the Islands of the Ohio river, known by the name of Sand grapes, because they grow best on the gravels; a few plants of which are now growing in one of our . vineyards, given by the Harmonites under the name of red juice Gfthe-Islands, ‘I drank some of the Wine, when about 4 months old, and found it like the wine produced in the vicinity of Pa- ris, in France, if not better. All the French then living on the borders of the Ohio, were fully of the opinien, that those yines were of French.ori- gin; that they had been planted first at fort | Duquesne, now Pittsburg, and when the Eng- lish took that fort, the French rooted them out, and threw the vines into the river, which car< - _tied and lodged them at:the heads of the Isl- ands, where they have multiplied, and produce abundance of grapes, because they are most reg- arly pruned by the floating ice of the river, 8 ’ . . VINE DRESSER’S GUIDE. a | which acts on them, as the pruning knife of a vine-dresser Fhe tradition was handed down ’ with somany peculiar circumstances, and the grapes, which are the best, that I know among ‘the wild; resembling partly the species known in *France by the name of de la Madelaine, that I believed it, untill found the same kind of grapes, up the Kentucky, and Mississippi rivers, where it was impossible they could have been brought, . from the Ohio by floating -on the water; and, by the inspection of their blossom I found them to possess the generic characters of the indi- genous American wild grapes; of which I shall: speak more hereafter. wy 92 ' HE AMERICAN ye CHAPTER It Divers attempts at vineyards in the United States, viz.—at Monticelio—Spring Mill neur Pila-~ delphia—at Carol Manor near Baltimore—ucer the Susquehannah,in the vicinityof Middletov.n ,. —Fate of them all with the exceptions—Ca)¢ , grapes, the only one reared near Vevay ; prejudice against those grapes, and description—Coarse grapes and bad apples often make the best Wine or Cider—Spirituous quality of Wine—Sexes of Vines—Wild being of the Dioeciae family and the Tame Hermaphrodite of the Potendria Monogenia family of Lineus—Wild American _ vines, found alsoin Europe—Description of the, | blossoms of doth sorts— Burgundy grapes plant- ed at the Cape of Good Hope, underwent a great change— Expectation of an. amelioration of our climate—Obstacles met by the first vine- dressers in Indiana—Home-made wine, will in time stop the distillation of grain —Vineyard Association at Philadelphia—New Mexico vineyards—Madeira grapes. THE various attempts at vineyards that I - heard of, whichI went to’ see, at Monticello, President Jefferson’s place; which, in 1799, I VINE DRESSER’S GUIDE. _ 23 ’ perceived had been abandoned, or left without any carefor three or four years before,which pro- ved evidently, that it had not been profitable: At Spring Mill, on the Schuylkill, near Philadel- phia; planted by Mr. Leeaux,a French gentle- man; and afterwards.supported by a wealthy “Society formed by subscription, at that City, for the express purpose of trying to extend the cul- ture of the grape. I saw that Vineyard in 1796, 1799 and 1806. On the estate of Mr.Caroxt, , of Carollton, below Baltimore, in Maryland; whither I went’ on ‘purpose from Philadel- ‘ phia in 1796, there was a small vineyard ‘kept by-a French vinedresser,.and where they had tried a few sorts of the indigenous grapes. At the Southern Liberties of Philadelphia, I saw "in 1806, a plantation of a large assortment of the best species of French grapes; which a French vinedresser had brought over the Atlan- _* tic. They were at their 2d or 3d years: they _ had not been attacked by the sickness: their _ ‘nursery was yet full of hope—In 1796, I saw also, near the Susquehannah river, not far from Middletown, a vineyard that had been planted _ - by a German; but who having died seme time > before, the vineyard had been wholly neglected. I was told, it had produced some wine; but it _ 24 _. THE AMERICAN . _ had suffered so much delapidation, that I could not recognize the species of grapes—Andatlast the trial we made in Kentucky, in 1799, under the auspicesof an Association made similar,anc for the same purpose as that of Philadelphia, . before stated, with 35 different species of the. best grapes, procured from different parts of the © world, but principally from the gardens of New-. -| ! York and Philadelphia, Mr. Lrcavux’s vineyard, - - and a nursery lately established near Baltimore by Mr. Kewever ; all shared the same fate; be- ing destroyed by the sickness above spoken of, except about one hundred plants that I got from the few that were prosperous at Spring mill vineyard, that we have called Cape grapes, be-*_ cause Mr. Leaavx certified having: received — them from the Cape of Good Hope, and with * which we the Swissers have made-our subse- quent and prosperous plantation near Vevay,on . the borders of the Ohio, in Switzerland County, State of Indiana, and which must have now spread‘much through the country: for we have ° sent, andhave to send abroad a great quantity - of the scions every year. [have drank some - good wine made from these Cape grapes, near Glasgow, in the barrens of Kentucky: and 1, have no doubt but the same grape is the one: t YINE DRESSER’S GUIDE: 25 avhich succeeds best with the Harmonites, near’ the Wabash in the State of Indiana: and I doubt .if any other :sort will do well with the . French at Demopolis, i the State of Alabama; but they will meet with the same fate as all those I have yes seen on any other. As no things in this world,—be it good and useful as it may—but has met with enemies when first introduced: The cape grape has been slander- ed and cryed downto a mere wild grape. It is true, that itis avery coars¢ grape, unfit for table use, for those who have eaten the best sort in Europe, or who can get a better one: It has a _very thick. ‘skin and pulp, but the juice is very sweet, when perfectly ripe and has the taste of the strawberry, which gives a fine perfume to the wine; such as made the President Jefferson — say, that there was no other stich tasted wine. within his knowledge in the world.—It requires, ‘about twelve pounds of grapes to produce a gallon of Clear wine, They are similar, as to roughness and thickness of skin, with the grapes from which wine is made in the warm countries: of Europe, where they distinguish the fruit by the respective appellations of wine grapes, and table grapes; the former being commonly too. eoarse to be pleasing at a dessert, andthe other ee 26 THE AMERICAN too délicate to make strong: and durable + wine | .» The same case happens in cider countries. A- & mong the apples, it is well known, that in-Nor- mandy the best cider is made with ill flavoured apples: and here the Hughes’ Crab; which makes the best cider, cannot be eaten. The Cape grape is, besides, not a very productive sort, . yielding only from 100 to 250 gallons per acre ; while the best are cultivated in-the Canton de Vaud, in Swisserland, produces from 500to 2800 gallons per acre in one year, and ten pounds of grapes makes a large gallon of clear Wine, and is, at the same time, one of the best table grapes. As to strength, it will depend on the climate, and on the sort of soil which produces it. It would be a good deal better and stronger if raised on the pine hills about fort Stoddert, in the Alabama States, or the sand hills of East Florida. Here it gives from one eighth to one ‘sixth in brandy bythe distillation. The strong- est wine known in the South of France, gives one third; and the weakest one, in the north of Europe, about the twelfth or fifteenth. The good cider ip the State of New Jersey one tenth; ‘however, there is a great difference between the wine of one year to that of another, although produced from the same vines: An early and | " t | AYE. DRESGER’s GUIDE. ay warm summer will make wine two fold stronger _ thana late andcold one, If only the enemies of American wipe had said that the Cape " grapes are wild or mdigehous, I would make no _ observation here on it: but it is the opinion of one of my particular friends, whos I hold in the highest estimation, of whom] clajm his indul- gence if I differ in opinion, and doubt of the as- sertion, until I see it in ite original. state: for if it existed in the United States, particularly in the . State of Pennsylvania, where they said it is to ‘ be found wild now, I ought to Kave met with it in my travels through so many of the States of the Union, undertaken and performed with the only purpose, to study all that had, or that may have, any relation to the cultivationof thejgrapes in the United States. How could it be, then, that the best of the wild or indigenous grapes, if this is one of them, should have alone esca- ped my sight. Beside all the indigenous grapes Thave met with, are what Botanists are class- - ing inthe dioicia family, or male and female on ‘different plants, like hemp, hops, persimin, ong species of the laugel and several other plants— while all the cultivated sort that I am ‘acquain- ted with arehermaphrodites, or with the faculty, ef fecundation in Heelf, the male and female 28. THE AMERICAN . ‘ep organs being together in the same hlossom, like the apple tree, the peach being of the Laten- dria monogenia class of Sinnous, I made that discovery first at Frankfort in Kentucky, in the garden of a gentleman, who had procured some vines of the sand grapes, from the Islands of the Ohio; but happening that he had got only male-plants his vines never bore, but large bran- cltes of blossoms I pruned and dressed those vines once myself, with no better success; that raised suspicion in my breast, of what it was, and at the next succeeding blooming time, I plainly saw all the indigenous grapes that have fallen since under my inspection were of the diociae family. The famous botanist, Micnaux, ina Latin flora of South Carolina, tells it also positively, and since, ¥ haye found that same plant, which is a different one from the vinifer- ous vines. in different parts of Europe, particu- larly in the vicinity of the river Rhone, before its entering the lake of Geneva; and ig the hedges . of a farm in the neighbourhood of Bordeaux, called Laguira, belonging in 1806 to Mr, Gatay the Swiss Consul at Bordeaux. . It is in favor of my readers, who may have the chance and wish to ascertain that fact by themselves, that I have * been so particular. The distinction is easily re yiNE DRESSER’S GUIDE. 29 a perceived.in the bicom, the male has no em- bryo of the berry nor pistil in the. bottom of° . the calix but has five long stamina, topped ‘with big anthera, the blossom being naked as in all other grapes, the five petals not opening by the top as in other five petaled blossoms, but quitting the calix fail off as a cap, at the opening of the flower. The blossom of the * female kind, has a large embryo of the’ berry, and the pistillum on thé top of it,:and no Sta- mina nor anthera, and in the place, there isa little crooked leaf; while the blossom of the - hermaphrodite sorts, or the wine yielding vines, ‘which have been classed by Linneeus in his sexual system of botany in the Petendria Mon- Oginia, or the flower having five stamina and one stile or pistil; there is the embryo, the pis- -til, the five stamimas topped with their anthe- ra, alt ig t