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Mr. Orr. — Mr. President, in speaking of the Delaware you say that you pruned off 

 about half or two-thirds of the bunches. I would like to ask you if you pruned early in 

 the spring, and how much each of the vines would yield you on an average 1 



Mr. Dempsey. — Our Delaware vines will only yield us about one-third of what the 

 Concord vine will ; but we grow two Delaware vines where we grow one Concord vine, and 

 what the single vine yields us I would not be able to say, because I have kept no track 

 of it whatever. I fancy that the Delaware would not come so far behind the Concord 

 per acre as some imagine. It would not in our section of the country. There is a grape 

 which has not been spoken about this morning that I would have liked to have heard 

 something aVjout, that is the Brighton. It is fruiting very well with us. It is a good 

 grape, but it will not stand very long after ripening — it loses its flavour. 



Mr. Biggar. — Is it a good grower? 



Mr. Dempsey. — It is a good grower with us, and very prolific. 



Mr. Biggar. — I cannot get it to grow. 



Mr. Carpenter. — That is my trouble too. 



Mr. Dempsey. — Wherever I have seen it in our section of the country it appears to 

 be doing well. I have heard some men say that it was the best grape on their premises. 

 Dr. Day, for example, cultivates a great many different varieties, only one or two plants 

 of each kind, and I heard him say that the Brighton was standing at the top of the list, 

 except my 25 ; and of course my 25 I do not recommend to anyone for the reason I 

 explained. The Brighton grape requires pretty high culture. It requires considerable 

 manure. 



WHAT SORTS OF GRAPES ARE MOST DESIRABLE FOR AMATEUR CULTIVATION? 



The discussion of this subject was next taken up. 



Mr. Biggar. — In some places one variety would do which would not in another. I 

 can ripen the Diana very well. With you I suppose it would not ripen at all. Have 

 you ever fruited it, Mr. President 1 



Mr. Dempsey. — Yes, I have fruited it. It does not ripen, or rather it ripens in 

 pieces. We will have a few grapes of it that will ripen and be very nice, but two-thirds 

 of the bunch will never ripen at all. 



Mr. Biggar. — Occasionally with me one part of the bunch will be ripe while the 

 other is green still. Those grapes will sell green in the Hamilton market better than 

 some dark grapes. 



Mr. Saunders. — I grow a good many kinds of grapes. The Diana is not a succesa 

 with us. I do not think that in our district it would be worth cultivating. It ripens 

 very irregularly ; and for my part I do not like the flavour of it. I do not think the 

 public generally are favourable to a grape with so much of the fox character in it, and with 

 so tough a skin. So far as my own taste goes, I would put the Burnet at the head of 

 the list for eating and for amateur cultivation. Next to that for eating I Avould place 

 the Canada, and next to that the Creveling. Then there are some of Rogers' varieties 

 that in my estimation would come in, and after them the Delaware and the Concord. 

 The differences of taste in different individuals would of covirse result in great difference 

 of opinion in matters of this kind ; but for my own taste, and I find a great many people 

 whose tastes run in the same direction, the grape that is not too dead sweet suits better 

 than a grape that has that heavy saccharine character that some of Rogers' hybrids have. 



At this stage of the proceedings, Mr. Woodward, of Lockport, N.Y., and Mr. S. D. 

 Willard, of Geneva, N.Y., entered the hall, and were cordially welcomed by the meeting. 



Mr. Saunders — resuming his remarks. — The Martha is another grape that succeeds 

 very well with us. There are many people who like to see grapes of two or three colours 

 on their table at the same time. You will find that the colour that is the scarcest in the 

 market will command the highest price. The Delaware is a grape that with us com- 

 mands a higher price than the Concord, and is a much pleasanter grape, to my mind, to 

 eat, but the skin is a little tough, and when chewed is a little acrid. That quality of 

 skin prevails very largely in the Rogers' hybrid varieties, and prevents you chewing the 

 skin with any degree of pleasure. The skin of the Burnet and Canada can be chewed 



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