^82 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and location, but do not condemn entirely because you fail once or 

 twice. 



After repeated trials of European vines, under the supervision and 

 efforts of European vineyardists, and after European methods, this 

 class of vines, the Vitis vinifera, had to be abandoned ; up to this 

 time, at any rate, they refuse to adapt themselves to our environments. 

 Whether they ever will do so, remains to be proven. Through the 

 earnest efforts of some of our vineyardists, such as Riketts, Rogers, 

 Caywood, Jacob Moore and others, the effort has been made to get 

 some of the benfits, if such they be, of the Vinifera by hybridizing, 

 using some of our native species with the Hamburg and other Vinifera 

 varieties. For a time it seemed as if success was assured, but appar- 

 ently only to a certain extent; and the assertion will not be contra- 

 dicted that many varieties so obtained, and promising well for a time, 

 are being gradually relegated to the experimental vineyards. Com- 

 mercial vineyardists feel safer with the pure native varieties. Some 

 experts say, " but what about quality!" Well, let me ask: "are we 

 quite sure about this apparently uncertain factor ? " Pomologists have 

 tried to make a standard, and have failed. Now, the people have made 

 it without their help — at least it is fair to assume that they buy what 

 they like best — and the natives are the grapes for the millions. Take 

 the four varieties mostly grown east of the Mississippi — Concord, Del- 

 aware, Catawba and Niagara — each a pure Labrusca, or so nearly pure 

 that no one can positively say they are not. Ninety-five per cent of 

 the total acreage, or more properly 95 per cent of the total production, 

 are of these varieties. The principal reasons for this are : First, be- 

 cause we can grow them ; and secondly, because they come nearest to 

 the standard of quality established by mutual consent. 



Not many years since the Concord was spoken of as poor in 

 quality, among grape-growers, but they must have been mistaken. It 

 was quite the correct thing to say : "The Niagara is fine to look at, 

 but it is off in quality ;" but nevertheless, after having stood the test 

 for some years, we seem to be wrong again, for the Niagara, as well 

 as the Concord, is a good seller. The Concord, without a doubt, estab- 

 lishes the price of grapes east of the Rockies. The Delaware is more 

 particular in its habitat, while the Catawba is still more particular, 

 though both are successful vineyard varieties, and very much better 

 in quality than Concord and Niagara. Yet the money test is bringing 

 them more and more to a level, without regard to the opinions of the 

 fruit men. 



One reason why the natives succeed best is that they are self- 

 fertile, or partly so, while most of the hybrids of Labrusca and Vinifera 



