GRAPES I-Oll TIIIO .MIDDLE WEST. 49 



doubt that the demand for it would be such that it would command a 

 fancy price, and thereby more than make up for its lack in fruitfulness. 

 It is an excellent wine grape and especially in demand among wine- 

 makers for making champagnes. 



Although Niagara is considered as first among the green grapes, the 

 Diamond rivals it very closely. After the Diamond becomes as well ad- 

 vertised there is no doubt that it will possess the Niagara's high rank. 

 Considering the wants of amateurs and winemakers, the Diamond ranks 

 indeed among the best all-around grape. To its desirable characters are 

 added earliness, hardiness, productiveness, and vigor. Although Niagara 

 is more productive in some localities, it nevertheless falls short of the 

 Diamond in many essential characteristics. This variety is surpassed in 

 quality and beauty by only few other grapes. It is a large, handsome 

 grape, of good quality, hardy, healthy, and productive. The fruit ripens 

 slightly earlier than the Niagara and keeps well. The clusters are vari- 

 able in size, medium to short, rather broad, somewhat blunt, cylindrical 

 to slightly tapering, often single-shouldered and compact. The berries 

 are above medium to medium in size, roundish to strongly ovate on ac- 

 count of compactness, green with tinge of yellow on riper berries, but 

 less yellow than Niagara, glossy, persistent, rather firm, and covered 

 with a thin gray bloom. The skin is thin, yet toughish, adheres to the 

 pulp somewhat, and is astringent. The flesh is juicy, tender, rather melt- 

 ing, slightly aromatic, sprightly, nearly sweet next to the skin, and agree- 

 ably tart at the center. The seeds separate quite easily from the pulp. 



Another excellent white or green grape is the Dutchess. Mr. Alexan- 

 der, formerly of Peru, Nebraska, has grown this grape for twenty years, 

 and it has always given him the best of satisfaction. According to him, 

 it produced immense crops of finest quality, and as a table grape it has 

 no superior. It has a most delicious flavor, is handsome in appearance, 

 and has long-keeping qualities. Its drawback is that the vine is tender 

 to cold and rather fastidious as to the soil and other conditions; yet these 

 defects can easily be controlled. The berries do not ripen uniformly, and 

 in unfavorable soils the berries and bunches are small and hang loose 

 and scatteringly. The foliage and berries are very susceptible to fungi. 

 If we could get rid of these defects, we would have one of the most ex- 

 cellent varieties, satisfactory in almost every essential. It is a pure- 

 flavored, refreshing, juicy grape, sweet and rich, and yet does not cloy 

 the appetite. The flesh is sparkling, fine-grained, tender, vinous, and of 

 a most pleasant flavor and high quality. The seeds arer tender, easily 

 crushed, and readily separate from the pulp. The skin has small dots, is 

 thin, yet tough enough for good keeping, adheres to the pulp, and is not 

 astringent. The berries are medium in size, roundish to oval, a yellow- 

 green to a bronze-like tinge and covered with a thin gray bloom. The 

 berries are firm and do not shell or shatter when shipped. The fruit is 

 ripe about the latter part of August to the first part of September, and is 

 a good shipper and keeper. Since the Dutchess is rather capricious, it 

 piust be given some special attention- It should not be planted in a rich 



