84 TEANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



THURSDAY MORNING. 



The exercises were opened with prayer by Rev. Heagle. 

 Music, piano and violin. 



REPORT ON GRAPES. VARIETIES. 



BY J. S. BEOWNE, ALTON. 



Mr. President : 



In this list I will not endeavor to describe each variety, but only 

 to point out their good qualities and defects, as they have shown 

 themselves during the past season. It would be well, perhaps, to 

 state that they have just gone through one of the raost unfavorable 

 seasons that they have experienced for several years. The grapes 

 began to rot almost as soon as out of blossom, and kept it up until 

 they began to color. I will also state that these notes were taken in 

 this locality only. 



Amber — A sister of Elvira ; fruited this year for the first time; 

 did not set well but showed no signs of either rot or mildew. 



Cataivba — The vineyard where this variety was grown had been 

 cut off below the surface of the ground last year, and where the 

 vines were not killed they made a good growth, and this year pro- 

 duced some of the finest clusters I ever saw, entirely free from rot 

 or mildew. This vineyard was some twenty years old and had not 

 been doing well for some years. 



Champioyi — All rotten where unprotected by bags ; very poor 

 quality and of no value except where earliness is desired. 



Concord — This variety began the season by mildewing in the 

 bunch, and ended it by about seventy-five per cent, of what was left 

 rotting. 



Cynthiana — This variety is the most certain to produce a crop 

 of any grape grown here ; it makes the best red wine of anv on the 

 list; it showed some rot this year, but very little. 



Delaware — Some few grown here, but is too unreliable for any 

 but the amateur. 



Early Victor — About a week earlier than Concord ; this variety 

 is inclined to overbear ; some buds will set as many as five bunches, 

 while four is common. It should be cut short and thinned to two 

 or three bunches. 



Etta — Has rotted very badly the past two seasons, but previ- 

 ously had done well. 



Elvira — Skin too thin ; cracks badly, and rots as bad as Con- 

 cord. 



Empire State — A good grape when you get it, but then you 

 never get it ; in three years it has not shown a perfect bunch ; rots 

 and mildews in both leaf and bunch. 



