232 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. 



been a complete failure. If equally successful another year it will be given 

 to this Society. 



Gnipe growing, however, can bG made to succeed in spite of all the draw- 

 back.s, fso far as one's own use is concerned, even if not profitable for market 

 or on a large scale. All the hybrid.-*, if those with half foreign blood are 

 meant by it, will fail two years out of three in ordinary culture and treat- 

 ment, while if properly cared for can be made successful. To do this, laying 

 down and covering in the fall and putting paper sacks around the fruit 

 bunches as soon as the berries are the size of small shot, will be necessary. 

 All this is not too much trouble for the amateur, and he will be well re- 

 warded for his labor. But the ma-^ses will not do it, and even we who advo- 

 cate and know how will sometimes neglect. 



Triumph, the finest white outdoor grape in America, and Deliance, one of 

 the very best late black ones for this latitude and further south, if protected 

 in winter, pruned pretty close, and as soon as in blossom pinch all the 

 bunches off each shoot but the best one, and then protect with paper sacks 

 as soon as the fruit is set, and one can calculate on one pound to the bunch 

 throughout. Suoh grapes will bring ten to twenty cents per pound where 

 Concords will bring five cents) so that it might even be profitable to go to all 

 this trouble. And Goethe can be jint in for a red one. Lady Washington, 

 Highlanil, Wavorly, E.xcelsior and others by Ricketts may be grown in like 

 manner. 



Among the new ones Pocklington is perhaps the most showy of the w-hite, 

 and Jefferson the handsomest and best among the red ones. Pocklington has 

 tor» much native aroma to suit some tastes. Its size and beauty will take 

 with the m:isses. The Jeflferson has not yet fruited with me, but there is not 

 a vine among my sixty varieties that pleases me better, and as to quality (I 

 have eaten it elsewhere), there are but few that will equal it. Good soil, 

 proper cultivation suitably performed, and the plans herein mentioned will 

 socure grapes for any one. 



To fall back on oldi^r varieties, I may say that the Concord behaves about 

 as bad as any other in the way of rot, and the only instances where they 

 have been exempt here was where the vineyard was grubbed out, and some 

 not dor-p oiionp;h, so that shoots came up antl rim on the ground among the 

 red clover unpruned. They bore clean fruit for two years, but the fruit was 

 inferior. 



Ives is quite successful here, but the quality is too poor. Martha and Elvira 

 are among our most successful white grajios, and when mixed make a very 

 fair white wine, (^uito a number of new varieties would have shown their 

 fruit the past fall, i)ut wen- spoiled by a late frost in the spring. 



