SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 323 



THE ''NIAGARA.'^ 



Raised by IIousj & Clark, of Lockport, N. Y., is without any taint of foreign 

 blood, bein^ strictly and purely a native grape. It is a seedling of the Con- 

 cord as maternal ])arent fertilized by the Cassady, grown in 18f)8 among thou- 

 sands of seedlings of the above cross. It first fruited in 1872 and has con- 

 tinued to bear large and increasing crops of fruit every year since. 



The vine is a strong grower, extremely hardy and free from disease. 



The leaves are variable in shape, some resembling tlie Concord and others 

 the Hartford, but all are very large, thick, and leathery, remaining on the 

 vines even to the base long after all other varieties have faded and fallen ; the 

 leaves are of a deep, healthy, green, and look as though they were freshly- 

 varnished each morning, they are so glossy. 



Knormously productive, even more so than Concord. 



Bunches very large and uniform, many weighing from one-half a pound to 

 fourteen ounces, and even more; moderately shouldered and very compact. 



Berries large (as large as Concords) mostly round, light greenish white, 

 many semi-transparent and slightly anibered in the sun. 



Very little pulp, melting and sweet to the center, parting freely from the 

 seeds, and can be freely eaten without making the tongue sore by those people 

 "who do not swallow the seeds ; not foxy, but with a flavor and aroma peculiarly 

 its own and one very much liked by most people. 



Quality good, decidedly better than Rebecca. 



Skin thin, tough, very firm, and adheres very firmly to the peduncle or 

 stem. 



Kipeus with the Hartford but hangs very firmly to the stem, and will remain 

 on the vines until frost, growing better and better, and without in the least 

 wilting or withering, probably owing to its peculiarity of retaining its leaves 

 green and healthy to the last. 



This was said to be the most beautiful and showy of all the purely native 

 "white grapes shown at Rochester, and much resembles in size, bunch and 

 color a fine specimen of hot-house or California grapes. 



Tlie accompanying cut was taken from an ordinary cluster without any 

 embellishment in fact; is not quite full size, and but poorly shows the beauty 

 of bunch and berry. 



The entire stock of this grape is now owned by a company called the '^Niag- 

 ary Grape Co.," who are propagating vines and setting them in vineyards, they 

 retaining all the wood and part of tlie fruit, and when they put vines on the 

 market they propose to send out every vine under seal, and guarantee it true to 

 name, so that any person by taking ordinary pains to see that the seal is not 

 disturbed, cannot be swindled by buying a bogus grape; growers will be glad to 

 test for themselves this variety, as well as the Prentiss and other promising 

 white sorts when the vines are in the market. 



THE lONA, 



Secretary Bateham, after returning from the Rochester meeting of the 

 American Poniologica.1 Society, in commenting upon the grapes he saw there, 

 dropped the follor/ing remark in the Michigan Farmer: 



*'T]ie lona grapes from the vineyard of Mr. Bradfield, of your State, 



