REPORTS OF AUXILIARY SOCIETIES. 345 



or old, in city or country, a free use of this noble fruit. Good ripe grapes are 

 the great cure-all, the foe of disease, the dread of physicians. I once heard a 

 celebrated physician say that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, where a 

 dose of pills was administered, a pound of grapes would answer better, and be 

 pleasanter to take. And especially at this heated season of the year is the rich 

 juice of the grape most refreshing and invigorating. Our list of varieties is 

 now so great that every palate can be suited, and the season prolonged for 

 three or four months. One nursery firm on the Atlantic coast reported recently 

 that they had on their trial grounds about four hundred varieties, and the list 

 of varieties is rapidly increasing. A less number of varieties will answer our 

 purpose. Among the most desirable varieties for our purpose may be named 

 Concord, Worden, Cottage, and Clinton for black grapes, and Delaware, 

 Brighton, Agawam and Lindley for red, and Lady, Martha, Pocklington, 

 Niagara and Empire State for white, with scores of new varieties still pushing 

 for a place in the front ranks, most of which, however, will eventually find 

 their place in oblivion, as their predecessors of like value have already done. 1 

 would not recommend too many varieties for the ordinary growers; half a 

 dozen varieties would be ample, as a rule, either for family use or for market, 

 and let new and high-priced varieties alone until the nurseryman, whose busi- 

 ness it is, and the novice who has money to squander, have tested them in your 

 locality ; by that time nine out of ten of the new varieties will have been for- 

 gotten, and the tenth one will be offered at a reasonable price. 



Mr. Steere asked for the comparative time of ripening of the Worden and 

 Concord. 



Mr. Edmiston replied that it seemed to him that the several varieties had 

 ripened nearer together this year than usual. He thought the Worden about 

 a week ahead of the Concord, possibly less than that. 



Mr. Steere thought the difference about a week. He also spoke of the Early 

 Victor as giving promise of good variety, as well as early ripening. 



Rev. A. L. Reynolds asked if the society encouraged summer pruning of the 

 vines. 



Mr. Steere said he thought many did too much summer pruning. He 

 thought the fruit matured better in the shade. 



D. G. Edmiston did not approve of summer pruning, except in the way of 

 pinching out buds to throw the growth in any desired direction. He referred 

 to Dr. J. A. Warder and G. W. Campbell as authority, showing that indiscrim- 

 inate summer pruuning not only damaged the growing fruit crop but damaged 

 the root growth of the vines, , consequently damaging the growth both 

 of vine and fruit. His own experiments had convinced him of the cor- 

 rectness of this view. He was preparing to trim his vines on a horizontal 

 trellis five and a half or six feet high, which would admit of free passage under 

 the trellis, or cross cultivation if desired, and would give better air and ventila- 

 tion to the growing vines and fruit. 



H. C. Bradish was called for and said he would not cut back after the wood 

 had become somewhat hardened; that it was necessary that the sap should flow 

 along the vine for the ripening of the fruit. He also recommended a high 

 trellis, which he thought tended to prevent mildew and other diseases of the 

 grape. He would rub off all surplus buds in spring at time of starting into 

 growth. 



D. Woodward had tried the horizontal trellis, and liked it. 



Mr. Hough asked for the experience of those present in bagging the grape. 

 44 



