FRUIT CULTURE. 785 



In the whole circle of our pomological progress there is no fruit which excites so much 

 enterprise and interest, so rapidly being extended, or which gives greater promise of success 

 than the culture of the grape, and should this same enterprise continue for fifty years to come, 

 we can hardly estimate its value as a revenue in our country. All localities are not equally 

 suited to its growth, but where our wild species are found, other new and improved sorts, 

 produced by hybridization, will be found equally well adapted. With every succeeding year 

 new and valuable varieties are coming tb notice, either adapted to special locations or pur 

 poses, or for general cultivation. Nor is it too much to hope that ere the close of this cen 

 tury, with our present zeal and skill, we shall produce varieties that will rival the choicest 

 kinds of the most favored climes. Even now we have those which compare favorably with 

 our foreign varieties, and we believe the time is not distant when the aroma of our native 

 sorts, now so much despised by some, will become, when chastened down as it has been in 

 the Brighton, Duchess, Rochester, and Monroe, one of the excellent characteristics of our 

 American grapes. 



How potent the influences of this art! Little did Mr. Bull think what a blessing he was 

 conferring on the world when he sowed the seed which produced the Concord grape, the 

 mother of so many improved varieties. See the number of white varieties (not to speak of 

 others) which have been produced mostly from this: the Martha, Lady Pocklington, Lady 

 Washington, Hayes, Ann Arbor, Prentiss, Duchess, and others soon to be within our reach. 



The illustrations of this improvement are manifested in the numerous seedlings obtained 

 by crosses on the Concord, some of which are of a very remarkable character, possessing 

 great size and beauty, and whose vigor and productiveness are declared to be even greater 

 than that of their mother. We see this improvement also in the crosses of a wild grape with 

 the foreign species by Rogers, as shown by the amelioration of the native aroma in the Barry, 

 Wilder, and Lindley, the last named, like the Jefferson of Ricketts, possessing a peculiar rich 

 flavor which might, with propriety, be denominated and may yet be distinguished as the 

 Muscat of America. 



Nor do I doubt that we shall in time produce varieties which will compare favorably 

 with, and perhaps be equal in size, beauty, and excellence to the Cannon Hall, or other Mus 

 cat, now so highly praised for their peculiar aroma. The Pocklington, in size and beauty, 

 is an approach to this. Nor is it unreasonable to suppose that we may have a grape, if we 

 have it not now in the Duchess, that is as well adapted to exportation as the White Malaga, 

 and of much better quality. What has been done can be done again. Nature has in her 

 laboratory infinite stores of the same elements which have produced our finest fruits, and we 

 have only to knock at her portals, and pronounce the sesame, when she will open to us the 

 secrets of her wonder-working power.&quot; 



Varieties. Among the many varieties of grapes cultivated, there are some which 

 will thrive best in the Northern section of the country, others that seem better adapted to 

 the Middle portion, others still that attain their most perfect development at the South, while 

 there are a few varieties that can be relied upon for good results in almost any portion. Like 

 most other fruits, the grape varies more or less in quality, according to the section in which 

 it is grown. 



Concord. This is one of the best of the older varieties of grapes, and is probably 

 raised more extensively in this country at the present time than any other. It succeeds well 

 in about all parts of the country, but probably better at the West and South than in New 

 England, although growing in the latter section more commonly than any other variety. It 

 thrives finely as far south as Florida. It was raised from seed by Mr. E. W. Bull, of Con 

 cord, Mass. The vine is very hardy, vigorous, and productive. The berries are large, 

 globular, nearly black, and thickly covered with bloom; flesh sweet and juicy; bunches 

 large and compact. Ripens early. 



