10 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



later, leaves aud a few clusters formed on natives, and a few, mostly 

 imijerfect, bunches on Muscat and Cbasselas. Covering them for pro- 

 tection from fowls, the Ohasselas ripened in September were sweet and 

 good, nearly transparent, but no larger than our wild grapes. The 

 Muscats picked October 14 were compact in bunch,, of same size and 

 shape as a nice bunch of Concord, but with larger berries of a light- 

 green color, covered with thin white bloom — in fact, identical in size, 

 shape, color, bloom, aud tlavor with the Muscat exhibited at the World's 

 Fair in October. 



Having ordered in the spring 150 more vines (fifty each of Muscatello, 

 Largo Bloom, and Purple Damascus), after a three-weeks trip by freight 

 they arrived in June, in good condition — good, large, thrifty vines with 

 twelve to fifteen extra count; but they had sprouted in the box from 

 one to three inches, looking like cabbage sprouts wintered in a cellar. 

 I heeled them in immediately, wetting the ground thoroughly, and cov- 

 ered them with boards until they had greened up and hardened, also 

 grown a little. Then, taking a few at a time in a pail of water, I dug 

 holes and planted them, filling in earth thoroughly among the roots 

 spread out evenly, mixing earth and fine manure above, tramping and 

 wetting until the holes were filled, then watering once or twice per 

 week during dry weather. Thus planted, in the last days of June and 

 first of July, when all in leaf, with young shoots from one to four inches 

 long, all but seven of the 100 or more vines retained the growth made 

 on the road from California and in the trench, and grew until checked 

 by frost. 



Last year (1894), the dryest season ever known here, I received from 

 the same place, among other vines, twenty-six Black Hamburg, of which 

 twenty lived, and fifty-five Muscat, planted in the same condition of leaf 

 and twig, at the same time of year, except that they were watered until 

 fairly started, then left without, and they grew even better than with 

 water last year, growing finely up to frost, and I lost but four. Hut 

 the winter of 1895 killed twenty-five or more of my young viiK^s by 

 freezing the roots when the ground was blown bare; and in the follow- 

 ing May, when in the same condition as in the previous year, in full 

 leaf and vigorous growth, the blooms almost bursting on Muscat. jNIus- 

 catello. Largo Bloom, Malaga. Thompson's, and Frontignan, two more 

 severe frosts killed every blossom, leaf, and twig on foreign and native 

 vines here and elsewhere, and no grapes were grown except from second 

 blooms or on highest lands and favored spots. 



Thus two disastrous years have kept these vines from fruiting; but 

 that they will fruit when native vines can do so, I am confident, for 

 they are scarcely more tender in young growth. 



But they have made fair growth. Last year the best of the Thompsons 

 grew from eight to eleven feet in length, with three to five vines to 

 the hill, and were two thirds of an inch thick at base. The best Muscat, 

 Muscatello. and Largo Bloom, much more bushy in form, grew from 

 four to eight feet and were over half an incli tliick. The Thompsons 

 grew right through dry weather, showing maturity before frost came. 

 The others, checked by spring frosts, then for weeks by drouth, after 

 the late August rains sprang into vigorous life and growth, and. though 

 clipped in late Scjttomboi'. to check their growth, were thrifty and 

 green in middle October, when frost came, as grass on the fields in 

 spring time. 



