Those who have eaten grapes no better than the Isabella, or imperfectly-ripened Catawba, have taken grapes as we take the lot of life - a mingling of good and ill, in which, from untoward circumstances, the ill often appears to predominate; at least it is so to those who look for unmingled enjoyment.

Persons who have enjoyed the foreign kinds in their perfection, freely, for a length of time, have generally lost the ability to perceive any good in these native kinds, and characterize them as " bad," or at least not attractive, by the very small amount of good which they can discover, and refuse to partake of them, when, after repeated trial, they find nothing to enjoy, and much that offends.

But, in speaking of their own pure, rich grapes, they use terms of enthusiastic praise, that seem extravagant to those who are either quite ignorant of them, or only at rare intervals taste them, and that with the palate merely, and have not acquired the enlarged ability to enjoy, which, in its full developement, comes only from culture and use. They, under favoring circumstances, have apprehended the truth, and speak that which they do know; but this knowledge and enjoyment, with its accompanying elevation and refinement, very few can have, if they look only to foreign varieties for it. They are expensive luxuries, and must remain still exotic - beyond the reach of the many. And that this is no matter of regret we shall presently more fully see.

Now let us see what the vices and virtues of our ordinary natives are. If we critically examine a well-ripened Isabella in its best condition, we shall find in about two-thirds of its substance some vinous refreshment, and enough sugar to make it palatable. One third or more of the central portion is a mass of fibre, and crude, unripe, adhesive substance, consisting chiefly of citric acid. In eating, we pass this by the palate, before it is entirely divested of its mucilaginous and sugary coating, with the swiftness of a bullet in its flight, that it may not offend the taste while we enjoy the better part. The centre, besides the acid mass, includes the seeds within it, and this theoretically is not only injurious to the health, but extremely dangerous. Practically, extensive experience not only denies the truth of this theorizing, but teaches the direct contrary, and the unanimous opinion of those who have used the Isabella most abundantly in what is considered its fully ripened condition, is, I think, that it is not only not injurious, but even in most cases positively healthful. We must, of course, except rare idiosynocracies, which can take the grape only in its most refined and concentrated form without injury.

The Isabella has, in my opinion, been a friend of humanity, and its mission, which I think nearly accomplished, must be regarded as one of beneficence. The Catawba, in consequence of not ripening so early, has not been so extensively disseminated, nor so well known, but in all that constitutes goodness of quality, is a far better grape. The Isabella may be characterized as feeble flavored, that is, deficient in tartaric acid, which is the basis of high flavor in grapes. The Isabella is only apparently sugary, in consequence of offering but a moderate amount of acid for the sugar to overcome. In quantity of sugar it is much below the Catawba, as it is in tartaric acid. The ground work of high flavor being a large amount of acid overcome or qualified by a larger amount of grape sugar, much else is required to constitute a high degree of excellence; but with a deficiency of these it can not exist.

The Catawba contains a large proportion of both tartaric acid and sugar, when in best condition, and may be called, in contradistinction to the Isabella, a high flavored grape, and rich in the essentials of wine-making, which the Isabella is not.

The Catawba is deficient in delicacy and refinement required to give it high finish; but from it, in the climate in which it matures, wine of high character is made, which can not be said of Isabella. From the Isabella an effervescing or sparkling wine is made, but all of the Ohio sparkling wines are made by the addition of sugar, and with that they can be made of any grape, however poor in wine-making qualities.

As a grape for the table, when well-grown and ripened in a suitable climate, and particularly when produced in a long, very dry, hot season in this climate, the Catawba has a high degree of excellence, and in some important points greatly surpasses the feeble flavored (feeble charactered) kinds of Europe, that are held in high estimation there for the table. I speak of the various Sweetwaters, Royal Muscadines, and best of all this family, the renowned Golden Chasselas of France. But it must also be remarked, that these kinds, as grown here under glass, are very different from the same fruits grown in the open air in their own country. Here they are very greatly increased in size, but as greatly deteriorated in quality, so that they may be said to consist mainly of mucilage, sugar, and water, with a slight grape perfume, and are almost entirely devoid of the vinous refreshment which is the crowning excellence of the grape, and necessary to constitute it the fruit of fruits. Even in the best condition in their own country they lack the vital energy that is required for wine, and consequently can not meet the requirements which we demand for a "Best" table grape.

The Catawba may be characterized as sugary, vinous, and refreshing in an eminent degree, and not only wholesome, but positively healthful by its generous nourishing, tonic, and aperient qualities. In its best condition of excellence it is a great favorite with the sick, and particularly with those suffering from nervous and febrile debility.

But with all these excellences, by reason of great defects it falls far below our standard for best. Although less acrid and pungent in its skin than the Isabella, it is never entirely unexceptionable in this respect, nor is it ever altogether devoid of a crude acid centre, and always retains a degree of astringency, which, although not prominent unless carefully sought for, will not permit us to call it strictly pure in its vinous flavor; and when tried by the high standard which some of its own offspring afford, it is found to be much wanting in that fine assemblage of qualities that gives completeness and full satisfaction.