Secretary's Budget. ■ 339 



Although it can, as yet, hardly be said to have thoroughly 

 established for itself a reputation at the West, experience so far 

 seems to justify its character, as given in the latest edition of the 

 Bushberg Catalogue, wliich I quote as follows : 



"Bunch smaller ( than Concord) and rarely shouldered, but 

 berries somewhat larger. It is, in similar soils and localities, as 

 healthy and hardy as its parent ( Concord ). It is equal to the 

 Concord in quality ; but ripens about two weeks earlier, being 

 better than Hartford, Champion or Talman, and quite as early." 



This is certainly not very high praise, and' I fancy there may 

 be found, among the many newer varieties, those that, by the 

 critical pomologist, will be esteemed to be greatly its superior. 

 Still this appears to possess qualities of both plant and fruit which 

 eminently fit it to fill a place, in advance of the season of its par- 

 ent, as the early grape for the people at large. — T. T. Lyon. 



MOORE's EA.RLY GRAPE. 



The reason why we have never said much of Moore's Early 

 Grape is that our vines had not, until the present season, come into 

 full bearing, and we were late in procuring vines. Of all our col- 

 lection Moore's Early ripens first. All grapes were late the past 

 season, and when (September 1) the Moore's Early were picked, 

 there was not a fully ripe bunch to be found upon any other vine. 

 The quality is just that of the Concord ; but the berry is larger — 

 too large indeed to swallow whole. The bunches are smaller than 

 those of the Concord. • 



QRAPE NOTES IN TEXAS, 



The following table was carefully compiled from notes taken 

 chiefly in my experimental vineyard, but supplemented in some 

 points from notes taken in neighboring vineyards, by myself or 

 others, and data as to origin, etc., of most varieties, from Bush & 

 Son & Meissner's able manual on the grape. It was compiled 

 specially to aid me in my work of originating new varieties. 



My method of hybridizing — which I term the "natural 

 method " — requires a knowledge of the times of blooming. Along 

 with this I wished to know the weak and strong points, relatively, 

 of each species and variety, so as to avoid the one and preserve the 

 other in my |)roductions. The table is eminently practical, and as 

 scientific as I dare make it for popular reading ; but the true 

 viticulturist, or he who desires to be such, will not object on that 

 account. 



