Summer Meeting. 55 



for the same reason, still I hope it will hold its place among our best 

 grapes. , 



Pigs' feet and oysters! Who likes them says: "Ah! They are , 

 just delicious." But he who does not will not swallow them. This 

 remark I made a few weeks ago when I was reading the transactions of 

 the State Horticultural Society of Illinois from 1898, and to my aston- 

 ishment found the noble Campbell's Early by some experimenters classed 

 among the grapes of poor quality. (Perhaps Champion, Ives and Pock- 

 lington are the standard of high quality with them. I don't know.) 

 Having eaten this splendid grape myself I take the liberty to tell these 

 judges that they either have a poor taste, their palate not being in condi- 

 tion to judge the quality of grapes properly, or the soil of that portion of 

 Illinois must be so poorly adapted to viticulture that this grand grape 

 degenerated with lightning speed. Many persons are color-blind, others 

 can not distinguish sounds or tones to appreciate good music, also the 

 nerves of taste act queerly in some persons. To do justice to the origi- 

 nator and introducer of Campbell's Early, who spent thousands of dollars 

 and immense amount of labor in its introduction, I ask only one question : 

 Are these testimonials obtained from all parts of the Union a fraud, or 

 were those hundreds of horticulturists who classed it among the best 

 grapes of highest quality, hypnotized to make the statements against 

 their will ? 



My favorites or red grapes are Goethe (Rogers' 'No. 1) and Wood- 

 ruff, the latter much hardier than the first, which froze down to the 

 ground last February, but I shall replant it. jSTiagara is the only one 

 among the white grapes which I found profitable for extensive culture 

 for market purposes. The beautiful Diamond does not do well with me. 



For the garden and pleasure the following rank among the best:. 

 Black — Cottage, Wilder, Eaton and Mills; red — Diana, Lutie, Salemi 

 and Brilliant; white — Green Mountain, Diamond, Opal and Lady Wash- 

 ington. 



Finally, I must condemn the continued practice of many fruit 

 growers to plant vinegar-berry vines, commonly called grapes of poor 

 type and quality, like Champion, Ives, Hartford, Janesville, Pocklingtou 

 and many others. The real damage done by them to the viticulture of 

 the land can not be over-estimated. 



