Grape Growing in Missouri. 231 



it, or seen it in bearing the past season, reported it as having rotted very 

 badly everywhere, both North and South. The wine exhibited was very 

 poor, but it was both new and crude. The best unprejudiced opinions which 

 I can obtain of the Niagara are that it is not a grape of great promise, or ex- 

 traordinary merit. One of the most competent and conscientious judges of 

 fruit in this or any other country wrote me as follows, not long since: 



" I am told the Niagara grapes have rotted considerably in New Jersey. I 

 do not have much faith in it as a market grape, and for eating the quality is 

 not good enough." 



The Worden is about a week earlier in ripening than the Concord, and 

 has usually rather larger clusters. Its growth is a little more slender, but it 

 seems quite as productive as the Concord, and is generally considered as 

 rather better flavored. 



Moore's Early has also the general habit of the Concord, except that the 

 berries are usually longer and the clusters rather smaller. It ripens about 

 a week before the Worden, or two weeks before the Concord. In flavor and 

 general character, except in the matter of earliness, scarcely distinguishable 

 from its parent Concord. 



A new white grape named Francis B. Hays has been exhibited several 

 times by the originator of Moore's Early. It is a good and handsome grape, 

 and has received favorable notice and commendation from the Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society. It is also a pure native seedling of the Concord 

 type, of good quality, and I consider it at least worthy of trial. 



GRAPE GROWING IN MISSOURI. 



BY SAMUEL MILLER, OP MISSOURI. 



It is now sixteen years since I came to this State, with the idea that outside 

 of California it was the greatest country in the United States for grapes. I 

 doubt, however, if there is a poorer one within the limits of grape growing 

 than this very region. That we can grow some varieties to perfection is very 

 irue, but if there is any rot in the constitution of a grape, here it will show 

 itself; and as to hardiness, it takes an ironclad that will stand mercury at 79° 

 in the shade, and in sixty hours after be down to zero and 18° below. But in 

 the face of all this, while my right arm can handle a hoe and pruning .shears, 

 the grape will have no rest. 



One consolation we have that Cynthiana and Norton are almost infallible, 

 and the best heavy red wines are made from them. They are excellent table 

 grapes, and can be kept all winter with but little trouble. One diliiculty 

 about the above is, they are very hard to propagate from cuttings. 



In an experiment of six different plans the past season, one plan gave me 

 47 per cent., others less, down to the common plan, in which it has always 



