10 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



GRAPES, 



IN ULSTER AND ORANGE COUNTIES IN THE 

 STATE OF NEW YORK. 



Mr. E. Williams writes to the liural 

 New Yorker an account of liis visit to 

 these famous grape regions, and gives 

 his impressions of quite a number of 

 varieties of grapes that he found grow- 

 ing and bearing. The following are 

 some of the kinds he mentions : 



Empire State, a white variety pro- 

 duced from Hartford and Clinton ; 

 foliage good, vine productive ; cluster 

 of good size, compact shouldei-s ; berries 

 medium ; very promising ; quality 

 good. 



Lady Washingtoji was found to be 

 doing well — much better than we had 

 expected from the culture it received. 

 We had expected to see these grapes 

 under the very highest condition of 

 culture. Mr. Ricketts said this was 

 the general impression of visitors, but 

 here under reverse conditions they cer- 

 tainly gave evidence of more merit 

 than we could expect under the circum- 

 stances. Next season the Lady Wash- 

 ington will fruit for the first time over 

 a wide extent of territory and begin to 

 make its reputation for the future. 

 The Editor of the Rural New Yorker 

 remarks that this has fruited at his ex- 

 perimental grounds, but disappoints 

 him. 



Newhurgh Muscat, raised by Dr. 

 Culbert, of JSTevvburgh, a cross of Hart- 

 ford and lona ; white, of first quality ; 

 one of the best of vines ; vigorous and 

 apparently healthy. It was bearing 

 its first fruit, and we could not, there- 

 fore, judge of its productiveness, but its 

 quality so impressed all that the desire 

 to have a vine for our own use was 

 unanimous. 



Belirida (Miner), white, sweet; cracks 

 badly. Of the Lady and Martha type. 



Linden /"Miner), black ; not as sweet 

 as Concord, otherwise similar. 



Brighton here was in absolute per- 

 fection. We failed to discover the 

 least trace of mildew, and the proprietor 

 says he has never seen it at all affected 

 in this way on his grounds, which is 

 the reason he has so confidently recom- 

 mended it for years past, as it always 

 does well with him. 



Fo'keepsie Red (Caywood), we here 

 saw outside the originator's ground, 

 and it is doing as well, if not better. 

 It is said to be a cross of Delaware and 

 lona, much of the same character as 

 the former — some say better. Although 

 it originated some years ago, it is not 

 yet disseminated. 



Wyoming Red, a vigorous grower ; 

 fruit larger than Delaware and darker 

 in color ; very foxy and poor in quality ; 

 ripens with Champion and keeps well. 



Duhess was seen at home under the 

 master's care at Mr. Caywood's, yield- 

 ing a fair crop and splitting consider- 

 ably. A portion of the clusters had 

 been bjigged axid these were found to 

 bo splitting worse than those exposed. 

 As to the best time to apply the bags, 

 Mr. Caywood claimed that those clus- 

 ters inclosed at or before blooming were 

 the most perfect. He thought the most 

 failures with the Duchess were due to 

 continuous fertilizing. If the soil was 

 thin he would manure it well at the 

 start before setting the vines and after- 

 ward withhold fertilizers, otherwise an 

 excessive growth of wood and little 

 fruit would be the result. When once 

 established a little fertilizer in the 

 shape of bone or wood ashes was all 

 that seeijied to be needed. 



Ulster Prolific, a red variety of his, 

 presented quite a vigorous appearance ; 

 fruit medium ; bunch small and rather 

 foxy. The Editor of the Rural adds 

 that specimens of this variety sent to 

 him wei-e among the very best he liad 

 ever tasted. 



