WINTER MEETING, 1SS0. 35 



attacks of both insects and diseases. Next see that the vine is a strong grower. 

 But if it have large, thick and persistent leaves it can hardly fail in this 

 respect. See also that it fruits well and that the fruit is good. 



The farmer should not fall into the common error of buying too many varie- 

 ties. Two or three that are known to produce yearly and well are much better 

 than a dozen uncertain ones. My advice would be select first the Concord. 

 But, says one, "Fuller says the 'Delaware is the highest flavored of all native 

 grapes,' while Concord is third, or at best only second rate." But in answer, I 

 have known the Delaware year after year to produce a fine crop of fruit, to drop 

 every leaf just as the berries were beginning to color and before fit to eat, thus 

 "keeping the promise to the eye but breaking it to the taste." Not so the 

 Concord by its side. It would hold its leaves, thoroughly ripening every berry. 

 I know the Concord is not of the highest quality, and that we all laughed at 

 the award of the Greeley prize to it, but to-day it is the most popular grape 

 grown. In proof of this please search the transactions of your own society. 

 Next put Hartford Prolific. Again you are surprised and say " it drops its 

 fruit." The certainty to bear is here, with the early ripening ; the dropping of 

 fruit depends almost entirely upon its situation and manner of training. In 

 those favored locations where the Delaware holds its leaves and grows fair I 

 would say include that. Catawba, where it will ripen, will give you fruit that, 

 with proper care, will keep fairly well until March. But after all each must 

 choose for his own locality, as not all grapes do equally well in all places, and 

 no advice, however good, could be followed under all circumstances. Only I 

 would again say, be very careful not to get too many varieties, and only those 

 that are sure in your neighborhood to give a good and regular supply of fruit. 

 As to the many new graj^es just now seeking notice, among which are the 

 Moore's Early, Brighton and Vergennes among the black and red ; the Niagara, 

 Prentiss, Duchess Pocklington, Lady and Lady Washington among the white ; 

 I can only say it will be a wonder if nine out of ten, or at least four out of 

 five, do not prove, like the hundreds of others that have been heralded quite as 

 loudly, and whose chief merit was their goodness, that they have too much of 

 the foreign element, or are like the many good little children we sometimes 

 read about, entirely too good and too frail for earth. Yet I am glad to say 

 there are some that have all the constitution and vigor, with better leaves and. 

 quality of fruit, and more certain to produce large crops than that old reliable 

 favorite, the Concord. 



On this one point I think all societies interested in pomology should be very 

 careful, namely, to tell the people clearly the characteristics of each new grape 

 as it comes before them. Instead of classing all as hardy grapes, they should 

 class them as native, or hybrid, so all may know what they are planting and 

 be prepared to treat each as it requires. Because a vine is a hybrid it is not 

 necessarily worthless, but it requires different treatment from a native. Some 

 of Eogers' hybrids, and the Brighton even, have been fairly successful, and I 

 believe a large share of that success has been due to the fact that the people 

 were told they were hybrid, and to treat them different from pure natives. 

 Nor are all natives equally hardy and productive, as all know who grow grapes. 

 While some are so delicate as to tantalize us with their goodness and frailty, 

 others have the vigor and constitution of iron. 



Being connected with a company that have one of the new white grapes in 

 charge, and who will in due time offer it to the public, you can hardly expect 

 it of me to say which are the most promising of the new grapes. They are so 

 little known, and believing there is ample room for all good fruits, and as I 



