482 BOARD OF AOHICULTURE. 



and Norton's ^■il•f;i^ia grape lead me back to my boyhood's days, when I 

 climbed the sapling to gather the fruit as it hung in its wild, purple clus- 

 ters; and these are very satisfactory foi' that reason. The Norton's Vir- 

 ginia has a soft seed easily crushed, and it makes a good grape pie; and 

 I like to have a good grape pie occasionally. 



Mr. M. W. Hanger: I have had some experience with grapes, and in 

 my location, which is a limestone quality of soil, on a high elevation, 

 nearly five hundred feet above where we stand aow, out on the ridge near 

 Edwardsville, and I find that the Early Victor, for home use, is about the 

 best early grape that I have. It is no-t a good market grape; it shells off 

 of the bunches very easily. The bunches are tolerable large and compact, 

 but the berries shell off easily. The next to that is the old Ives seedling. 

 That is a good gi-ape in the locality I refer to. We can raise more of 

 them and have less rot than on any other I have on my premises. It is a 

 sure cropper— is the poor man's grape, is easily raised, and thrives with 

 the least attention. 



Next is the Worden. It is said that it is a little earlier and better 

 grape than the Concord, but I fail to see the difference; and in wet 

 weather, if it rains in certain stages of the picking, the grape cracks open, 

 which the Concord does not do. 



The Clinton is a favorite gi'ape of mine in my location— it thrives well, 

 with little attention. That would comprise the black grapes of which I 

 would make choice for family use. 



The Woodruff, red, succeeds well with me, and the old Catawba. In 

 my location I succeed pi-etty well with that, while some of my neighbors 

 in the lower ground have them all to rot. Still, on my location the old 

 Catawba produces pretty well and is not more subject to rot on my farm 

 than the Concord. 



As to white grapes, my favorite is the Missouri Ristling. It is a fine 

 grape and nearly all goes to .juice, and for people who like to use a juicy 

 grape it is one of the best white grapes I have. I have the Golden Pock- 

 lington, but they are a little too foxy. I have not succeeded well with the 

 Moore's Early on my place, on account of it being a shy bearer. The 

 grapes are large and fine, and come early, but on my premises it is a very 

 shy bearer. 



Some years ago I purchased of Mr. Sacksteder a plant of his No. 53 

 grape, and it bore abundantly, and it is a good-tasting grape. You can 

 take it and pull it open and tbe seeds will drop out. It is a black grape 

 and a late grape. It is just beginning to turn now. Then he has another 

 kind that I ate Avhile I was over to his place some several years ago. 

 rather like the Norton's Virginia, and about as late, but the berry was 

 about twice the size of the Norton's Virginia and the bunches were nearly 

 twice as large— an excellent gi-ape. I aim to secure a plant of that. I am 

 coming over to your house, Mr. Sacksteder, and get some of that if I live 

 long enough. 



