THE 



Canadian Horticulturist 



Vol XVII. 



1894. 



No. 8. 



THE WILDER GRAPE. 



VERY year it is becoming more and more a question with the 

 fruit growers, which he should rank first in importance, quality 

 or productiveness, when he is planting for profit. The Con- 

 cord grape for instance, is one of the most productive varieties 

 that grows, but its quality is second-rate, and consequently 

 the market price is every year tending downwards. Last year 

 many growers had to content themselves with i ^ to i ^^ cents 

 a pound, a very low figure in consideration of the care of the 

 vineyard, the trellising, harvesting, and purchase of baskets. 

 Should this tendency continue, there will soon be no profit at 

 all in growing such varieties. But with grapes of such excellent size and quality 

 as the Wilder, there is no danger of low and unremunerative prices. By com- 

 mon consent this grape is counted one of the most showy of American out-door 

 black grapes, for exhibition purposes, and one of the best for dessert purposes. 



At Maplehurst this grape has not been largely planted for market, because 

 it is somewhat subject to mildew and rot, and is not always productive. But 

 since we have learned so well the benefit of using copper sulphate in our vine- 

 yards to destroy the fungi, there is no reason why we should not henceforth 

 plant this variety more freely. To get the best results it should be trained 

 on the renewal system, having two arms of old wood on the first or lower wire, 

 and training the young growth upward. Every year the alternate uprights are 

 to be cut out to the bud nearest the old wood, and those left will bear freely. 

 The Wilder, or Rogers' No. 4, was raised by Mr. E. S. Rogers, of Salem^ 



