183 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE 



Taluable, but for field culture we cannot recommend it. Where 

 it gets the protection of walls, and gets extra heat of the snn, 

 it does well. It is an excellent keeper. 



Mr. Clubb inquired whether unripe grapes would not make 

 good jelly. 



Mr. Husted — Yes, it is so with all other fruits ; they make 

 jelly best when a little green, and grapes are no exception. In 

 regard to the lona, — it is a very fine grape, — its quality is 

 superior, — but our experience is sadly against its value as a 

 producer. "We purchased sixty vines at $3.00 per vine, and 

 we found them very tender. The sun scorched the leaves 

 around the edges, and the wood was green and unripened. 

 They grew beside the Clinton, the Hartford Prolific, and 

 Isabella, and they have always failed. We have spent $200 for 

 vines of the lona, and have had only two good bunches and 

 about a dozen inferior ones. 



Secretary Linderman — From my experience in growing the 

 lona vines, I am satisfied that the future hardiness, thriftiness, 

 and, of course, the prolificness of the future vine, depends to a 

 very great extent upon the quality of the wood used in its 

 propagation. I bought, when lona vines were very high, a 

 few which I knew were grown from forced and immature hot- 

 house wood. Some vines I have myself propagated from strong 

 ripe wood, are, although two years younger, with no better 

 care, the best of the two. I think this reason, if applied, 

 would explain the failure of so many vines and the success of 

 others of this sort. For a long time vines of this variety were 

 very high priced and the wood scarce. 



The President asked if any one would recommend the 

 Catawba for general culture in Western Michigan. 



Mr. Husted and Mr. Bradfield — We do not; the Catawba 

 will not ripen in this section except in such seasons as that of 

 1869, which was an extraordinary one. The Catawba is the 

 Kelly Island grape. 



