"Hilkia, the priest, found a book of the law of the Lord, given by Moses".

Having read part of- a very interesting address by David Thomas in the February number of the Horticulturist, in which he confesses himself puzzled about some things concerning the culture of grapes, and not remembering to have seen certain ideas advanced by any one, I have been persuaded to make the attempt to give my mite. There are some who believe in a constant progressive development, others in cycles, and really it would seem that this last idea will be sustained in reference to grape culture in this country. We have gentlemen of wealth and intelligence who have spent many years and much money trying to make foreign grapes grow here, and have books teaching us how to stump in our vines. If we look at our vineyards at a little distance, they remind us of a field of running beans. Some time last autumn Mr. Miller, of Calmdale, (who I believe does his own thinking,) came to the conclusion that all this was wrong, and went at correcting it Instead of giving my ideas on the subject, I wish to introduce (if not too long) an anonymous article on grape culture, which I found in an old book printed at Georgetown, D. C, in 1818, called the American Gardener: - except that I would wish to say, that the reason why I think we have gone astray is, that our vineyards and gardens have been mostly managed by foreigners from the north of Europe, where the climate is damp, and sun is scarce, and where it is necessary to adopt means suitable to those conditions, but entirely wrong for this country, where we have tropical suns that parboil the fruit.

" Before this little volume is sent into the world, the Editor thinks it a duty to say a few words upon the very important subject of Vineyard planting, than which there cannot be imagined a national object of greater magnitude, or of consequences more desirable. In a commercial view we have only to advert to the vast quantity of wine imported from foreign countries (to the amount of three millions of dollars a year,) to be convinced of the advantages that must result from adoption, upon system, of an extensive cultivation of the grape. The question is, how can this object be attained? True, it has been inferred that the soil and climate of our country must be suitable to the vine, because the whole face of the country is thickly bespread with that plant in a wild state; and because some persons of curiosity and enterprise have succeeded in cultivating them - nay, a few in making wine. But why has not the cultivation been more successful? Why not more universal? A few public-spirited gentlemen have taken considerable pains to introduce, from the best wine countries in Europe, various kinds of grapes of the best qualities in that quarter of the world; why has no greater progress then been made in this so very desirable a branch of agriculture? Why have we no wine brought to market? To all this our answer is, 'For that very reason.'

"Meantime, we exhort every man who has a farm to appropriate a certain portion of it to the making of experiments, and to the propagation of the native plants. The difference between the European culture of the grape, practiced by foreigners, and that which succeeds in the United States, is this: In the latter the vines must be trained as far from the ground as they can be conveniently elevated. The vines must not be cut off beyond the bunches of fruit, and the grapes must hang as much as possible in the shade of their own leaves: whereas foreigners generally train their vines near the ground, that they may have the advantage of the warmth of the earth, as well as of the sun. They also take off the leaves; the consequence of which in this country is, that the sun scorches the skin of the grapes, after which they will not ripen......In cultivating our native grape, rub off all the buds with your finger, except such as you wish to bear grapes the next year. Those buds that are left must be trained so as to grow as vigorous as possible, i. e., by training them nearly horizontally, with a small rise.

Those branches that have the grapes on must not be cut or pinched off beyond the bunches of grapes, but must be permitted to run at large.".....

This was written in 1818. How much have we learned since? Nothing! Mr. Miller, whilst on a visit here last Autumn, saw vines that were not stumped in, that have borne for four years piles of grapes, and that had good wood for another pile.

" And it came to paw when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothe*".