66 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Diana and Concord, with mysterious hints of others yet to come, when the 

 Delaware was proposed to be added to the list. Possessed as it is with so many 

 qualieties both of vine and fruit, apparently akin to the foreign, and coming 

 before the public without pedigree or history, it is not surprising that many 

 pomologists, warned by past failures, refused to accept it till clear-id from the 

 taint of alienism. The result was a thorough sifting of its history, and a 

 wordy war of more thau 20 years' duration, carried on through the pages of 

 the horticultural press, but nothing better than probabilities seem to have 

 been arrived at as to the facts of its origin or parentage ; and we would no 

 doubt be to-day as far as ever from a conclusion, but for the fact that its 

 opponents have failed to identify it with any known foreign variety, and that 

 even more significant fact that it has, in the hands of thousands and even 

 millions of cultivators, during this same period, been demonstrating its freedom 

 from the peculiar vices of the alien stock from which its origin was alleged to 

 be derived. 



It is not by any means an easy variety to propagate, and when it finally 

 began to gain upon the confidence of the public, the demand for plants soon 

 became so great, and was withal so persistent, that propagators were often com- 

 pelled to resort to the use of weak and imperfectly ripened wood for the pro- 

 duction of plants, a process that could not but tell upon the health and hardi- 

 ness of the plants so produced, and which beyond doubt contributed greatly to 

 maintain in the minds of planters a doubt as to the ultimate success of the 

 variety. 



In spite of all these obstacles, however, it has steadily risen iu the popular 

 favor until it may truly be said of the Delaware among grapes as has long 

 been said of the Seckel among pears: it is the standard by which the real 

 excellence of other varieties is estimated. 



The following description is from Downing's Kevised Work on Fruits : 



" The precise origin of this grape is not known. It is moderately vigorous 

 in growth, with short-jointed wood, quite hardy, requires rich soil, open and 

 well drained, to produce the finest fruit. One of our most, if not the most 

 valuable sorts for general cultivation. Very productive. Bunch, small, very 

 compact, and generally shouldered. Skin thin, of a beautiful light red, very 

 translucent. It is without hardness or acidity in its pulp, exceedingly sweet, 

 but sprightly, vinous, and aromatic. The DelaAvare ripens in our climate from 

 the first to the middle of September." 



Allen's hybrid. 



Is a grape originated by J. Fisk Allen, of Salem, Mass. The peculiarities of 

 both foliage and fruit are such as strongly to indicate that this is really what 

 its name implies, a hybrid, bred between the native and the European grapes. 

 This is, however, strongly doubted by many eminent pomologists, and indeed 

 there are not wanting those who allege stoutly that such hybridization is 

 impossible. In bringing this fruit to the notice of the Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Societ}^ during the year previous to the month of March, 1855, Mr. 

 Allen gives a very minute and interesting history of the steps taken to insure 

 success in the process of hybridization. It is understood that Mr. Allen's 

 operations for this purpose commenced as far back as the winter of 1843 and 

 1844, and that the variety under consideration first fruited in 1854. "We 

 extract from Mr. Allen's letter as follows: 



" Being aware of the incredulity of many in the certainty of the origin of a 



