MICHIGAN STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY. 213 



the Concord is unfit for man or beast. He then sends to lona 

 Island for six " A " No. 1 Delawares, and six " A " No. 1 lonas, 

 then trenches a border, paves the bottom with bones, and fills 

 up with rich soil and manure, and then sets his vines. At the 

 same time, in order to test the matter, he procures a few Con- 

 cord cuttings and sticks them into the ground ; but is very 

 careful not to stick them where they will interfere with his 

 favorites. At the end of the second year he has a good show 

 of Delawares and a fair one of lonas, but no Concords. The 

 third y^ar his Delawares and lonas cover the trellis with 

 fruit, while his Concords have a few imperfect bunches. He 

 is now able to compare the quality of the grapes. Thus he 

 has demonstrated that the lona and Delaware are all that 

 grapes can be, and that ttte Concord is worthless. Another 

 person, who reads the agricultural papers, procures some 

 Concord and Delaware cuttings, and takes great pains in 

 setting them. Three-quarters of his Concords grow and do 

 well ; three-quarters of his Delawares die, and the others for 

 he first four years maintain a sickly existence, and by that 

 time his Concords are loaded with fruit. He has demonstrated 

 that the Concord is the grape for the million, and in this 

 opinion he is sustained by every nurseryman who grows his 

 stock from cuttings in the open ground. 



How much of this wordy war abont the hardiness, thrifti- 

 ness, and bearing qualities of the difierent varieties results 

 from such experiments and early prejudice, it is difficult to 

 say. I find much less difference in this respect than my 

 previous reading had led me to believe. 



In the matter of quality, nine-tenths of all who visited my 

 vineyard last fall preferred the Delaware. A few, myself 

 among them, preferred the lona ; and one, a lady who 

 appeared to be perfectly sane upon every other subject, pre- 

 ferred the Concord. 



You ask if we can raise grapes certainly and profitably at 

 Grand Traverse. 



