HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 131 



and stability that it can fairly be denominated an established in- 

 dustry. Some facts connected with it however have been well es- 

 tablished, to which attention is called. 



Varieties not later in ripening than the Concord are matured in 

 favorable locations about Lake Minnetonka with the same degree 

 of certainty as any other horticultural product. In twenty years 

 experience not a single crop has been a total loss, and on four sea- 

 sons only, have there been partial losses that could be ascribed to 

 the climate. These losses have been confined in the main to the 

 later ripening sorts overtaken by the early fall frosts of unusually 

 cold and backward seasons. These four unfavorable seasons in- 

 clude only one late spring frost injurious to the grape buds. 



Minnetonka grapes in bunch and berry are longer and their gen- 

 eral appearance handsomer than the same varieties, grown in 

 states to the East and South. This is the testimony of horticultur- 

 ists from abroad who have visited the Minnetonka vineyards or 

 seen the fruit on exhibition at various fairs throughout the coun- 

 try, where as a rule they receive the highest awards. 



The flavor of properly ripened Minnetonka grapes is rare eating. 

 They lack in a degree the sweetness of eastern grapes of which 

 one sooner tires, but hold in its stead a raciness of flavor that is 

 the equivalent of the ozone in our glorious Minnesota air. They 

 are juicy and tender, quite fine on the stem and fairly good keepers 

 and shippers. 



The kinds that can be successfully ripened here, leaving out 

 the Catawba, are those to which the appetite of the American public 

 is trained. 



The area of land that may be defined as favorable to grape cul- 

 ture about Lake Minnetonka, in number of acres is very large, and 

 may be estimated by the thousand. While for the earlier plant- 

 ings very high places, with well protected southern exposure, were 

 selected as absolutely necessary to success, later plantings, on 

 almost all slopes and under a variety of conditions, have demon- 

 strated that the area of safe grape culture is much larger than has 

 been supposed. In illustration of this it may be stated that the 

 vineyard from which the fruit has been gathered that has taken a 

 large proportion of the first premiums on grapes in the northwest 

 during the past twelve years, is located upon high ground on an 

 exact northeast slppe. 



Minnetonka vines are good bearers and may be counted upon 

 with reasonable certainty for a fair annual yield. Being regularly 

 buried they are exempt from the danger of freezing which occa- 

 sionally cuts off an entire crop in other states. If in any year the 

 yield is poor it is more than likely the result of unskillful handling. 



Minnetonka vines are largely exempt from the attacks of insects 

 and from all diseases except the downy mildew. In one or two years 

 of unusual moisture, accompanied by weather favorable to its 

 development, this disease has done serious harm to the Delaware 

 grape, and in a less degree to several other varieties which are 

 grown only in small quantities. There is good reason to believe 

 that an effective remedy has been found for this disease in an ap- 



