WESTERN NEW YORK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 65 



place. It bore a few specimens in 1873, and nearly a bushel last year 

 Through the omission of some technicality, it did not receive a premium, but 

 Charles Downing and the chairman of your committee regarded it as a fruit 

 of high merit and much promise, so far as they could judge from seeing the 

 fruit alone on a single occasion. 



Raspberries. — The chief attention to raspberries has of late years been given 

 to varieties of the Black Cap. In addition to the older standard sorts, such as 

 Davison, Doolittle, Seneca, and Mammoth Cluster, two varieties of merit have 

 more recently originated in adjacent counties, namely, the Ontario and Ganar- 

 gua. The Ontario is a good grower and bearer, and the fruit rather large and 

 of good quality. While it will prove a good sort for the family, it is too dull 

 in color to become a popular market variety. Ganargua is a very vigorous 

 grower, quite spiny, a profuse bearer, and continues to ripen for several weeks. 

 The only drawbacks mentioned against their wide culture for market are the 

 successive ripening of the berries and their moderately showy appearance ; 

 Avhile on the contrary, its rapid growth, early bearing, productiveness, and the 

 perfect, well-rounded berries, distinguish it as a variety of much merit. 



Grapes. — The great number of new sorts which, through the industry and 

 intelligence of grape-growers, are springing up and presenting their claims 

 in all parts of the country, render it impossible to give a full report, or 

 to properly adjust their claims to popular favor. It is therefore suggested 

 for the consideration of the Society, whether the appointment of a special com- 

 mittee on this subject would not be appropriate ; to meet at a projier time in 

 autumn at Eochester, Syracuse, or other central place, having previously an- 

 nounced such meeting, and invited grape-growers to send specimens of new 

 sorts in suflScient quantities for thorough examination. The committee could 

 in this way determine with considerable accuracy their qualities and claims as 

 table grapes, by testing their relative degrees of excellence — although, as a 

 matter of course, years would be required for determining their growth, pro- 

 ductiveness, hardiness, etc., in different localities in order to settle all points 

 relative to their merits, value and general adaptiveness. In this way we might 

 have much more of the comparative excellence of such noted varieties as have 

 been presented to the public by J. H. Eicketts of Newburgh, Jacob Moore of 

 Eochester, J. B. Moore of Concord, Mass., Dr. Parker of Ithaca, G. W. Camp- 

 bell of Ohio, J. W. Prentiss of Pulteney, N. Y., and many others. 



Before closing, it may not be entirely out of place to mention a single hardy 

 grape which has recently attracted some attention, and which we have had an 

 opportunity of examing the past season. This is the Worden grape, now culti- 

 vated by B. Smith of Meridian, Cayuga county, N. Y. It has much of the ap- 

 pearance of the Concord, both in vine, bunch and berry, but is perhaps rather 

 larger than the Concord, distinctly better in quality, and quite as early as the 

 Hartford, as was evident on comparing the two sorts side by side growing on 

 the same ground. 



J. J. THOMAS, 

 Cliairman of Committee. 



The President remarked in relation to the Eicketts grapes that in his opin- 

 ion they were the greatest acquisition the country had ever had. 



A member asked for something farther about the Worden grape. 



Mr. Thomas said it was worthy of attention. He compared it in hardihood 

 and strength to the Concord. 



A member asked for information in relation to the distinctive characteristics 

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