510 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



varieties is the Concord ; next the Delaware; Hartford Prolific for early, but 

 not first-class; Diana, for keeping qualities, is No. 1 ; Creveling should be in 

 the list, and the Croton comes highly recommended from different sources, but 

 not fully tested here. The lona is a good grape, but not hardy. The Clinton 

 is valuable for jelly and wine, and its keeping qualities are good. 



THE SYSTEM OF PRUiflXG 



the native grapes is the same as the foreign, which I left off at the third year* 

 I have always adopted the spur mode of pruning the vine, as it appeared to me 

 to be the most reasonable, and that is to cut off in the fall, the present season's 

 growth of wood, to the third eye on each spur. This is the manner that I 

 have always practiced since I commenced the cultivation of the vine, and I 

 have been very successful in getting plenty of good fruit. If I think the 

 vitality of the vine requires more wood, I let the end branches extend a little 

 farther at the time of pruning, but more often make mistakes in getting too 

 much bearing wood, than otherwise. 



THE WHITE MUSCAT, A FOREIGN GRAPE. 



I cannot refrain from expressing my gratitude to the All-wise Giver of every 

 good and perfect gift, for the happy bestowment of this most precious variety, 

 the White Muscat, of Alexandria. It seems as if this was the last and most 

 perfect work of God, of the vine to man. It is with this class of frnit what 

 the Seckel is to the pear. 



PROGRESS I]Sr GRAPE CULTURE. 



The cultivation of fruit is one of the most interesting pursuits that can 

 engage the mind of man. It furnishes an endless variety of objects for con- 

 templation, contantly exciting his wonder, and leading forth his soul in adora- 

 tion of the providence, wisdom, and goodness of that Almighty hand which 

 bespangles the heavens with radiant orbs, and carpets the earth with living- 

 gems, no less brilliant and wonderful. Whether we study the canopy above, 

 or the earth beneath, with all the beautiful flowers that spring up with the 

 first impulse of spring, when all nature seems to teem with gladness, we are 

 filled with adoration at the order and infinitude of His works. Pause for a 

 moment, and look back a few years, and note the improvement in the cultiva- 

 tion of the grape. There was but the Clinton, Isabella, Catawba, and a few 

 other varieties known. And compare them now with the hundreds of varie- 

 ties that grace our tables all over the land. There is one cultivator in Cali- 

 fornia alone that is said to produce over one hundred and eighty varieties. 

 And, who can predict the improvement in this one class of fruits for one gen- 

 eration to come? I have, in my collection, over fifty varieties of grapes, some 

 over thirty of which are of foreign species. I commenced the cultivation of 

 the foreign grapes about fifteen years ago, with only two varieties, — the white 

 and black Hamburg, — and I have been adding to their number from year to 

 year, as new varieties have been introduced, until I have the above-mentioned 

 number. Every year brings to notice something new. In Switzerland there 

 is a law that compels every young man to plant six trees immediately after 

 getting married, and also to plant two more at the birth of every child. They 

 are planted on the commons, and near the road-side. And, as they are mostly 

 fruit-bearing trees, there would be no scarcity of fruit. This makes over ten 

 thousand trees annually. And if our own State would adopt this custom, it 

 would be a very great advance in the art of horticulture, and also prevent a 



