220 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



Delaware, Diana, Lindley, Agawam and Catawba are all red grapes of 

 truly delicious quality, but the poorest sellers of the three colors. The 

 Lindley and Agawam do not perfectly fertilize and are always borne 

 in imperfect clusters. This is also largely true of the Brighton. The 

 Delaware and Diana, both delicious, are too small in berry for the trade, 

 usually. The Catawba is so late that it ripens very imperfectly. These are 

 the best American varieties that have come under my observation; while 

 Moore's Early, Early Ohio, Eaton, Bacchus, Hartford, Wyoming Red, 

 Woodruff Red, Pocklington, Clinton, Wilder, Early Victor and several 

 others that I have tried are so inferior in quality and growth of vine as 

 to make them almost worthless. 



My favorites of all grapes grown in the Willamette valley are two 

 foreign varieties, the Chasselas Neuschatel, a white or green grape of the 

 Sweetwater type; but much superior to it in both size of fruit and flavor is 

 the Black Malvoisie. The former ripens very early on hill locations, 

 usually by September 5 to 10, and the latter about the middle of October. 

 The Malvoisie is a large blue grape, oval shape, and borne in large 

 clusters. As remarked before, neither one of these reach the same de- 

 gree of perfection in the valley as on the hillside. Another truly deli- 

 cious early foreign grape is the Violet Rose. Its name is misleading, 

 however, as it is a white or green grape; oval shaped berry, quite large; 

 and large bunches. One favorable season Violet Rose was picked and the 

 fruit was quite sweet on the fifteenth of August. It is a grape I ob- 

 tained of James Varney, late State Inspector of Fruit Pests. This last 

 variety has one serious drawback- — it fruits very sparingly, even when 

 an unusual number of buds is left. Black July and Black Catawba will 

 both ripen in ordinary seasons, but they are not desirable in all particu- 

 lars. It is only an occasional season that Muscat, Tokay or grapes of 

 that class will ripen perfectly in the Willamette valley. I have experi- 

 mented with many other varieties but have found none worth one's time 

 except the above favorably mentioned ones. 



Although one may have the choicest varieties planted in a most favor- 

 able location, yet if he fail to properly prune his vines the result will be 

 far from satisfactory. Foreign and American varieties must be pruned 

 radically different to obtain the best results. The foreign varieties should 

 be stumped or trained low, while the American should be trained to a 

 trellis. Both should receive the same treatment the first year, being cut 

 down to about three buds, which are all allowed to start, and when the 

 growth is four or five inches long all but one sprout should be rubbed or 

 cut off and only the one allowed to grow the first season. If American 

 varieties are planted and the vines have made three or four feet growth, 

 erect a good substantial trellis by planting good cedar posts sixteen feet 

 apart in the row; brace the end posts well, and stretch a lower wire, about 

 eighteen inches above the ground, tightly on the posts; cut the vine so 

 that it will reach about two inches above the wire; tie it securely to the 

 wire as nearly perpendicular as possible. The second year allow only 

 two buds to grow, training them horizontally to the lower wire. 



