FRUIT CULTURE. 791 



Other fine Varieties are the DIANA, a grape of good keeping qualities, but of pecu 

 liar flavor; vines rather tender for cold localities; the MARTHA, a white variety, quite hardy, 

 flesh sweet, slightly foxy, and ripens about the same time as the Concord. IONA, a fine 

 variety with good keeping qualities, hardy, productive, and is considered by many superior 

 to the Delaware. WYOMING RED, a fine, new variety resembling the Delaware, but of double 

 the size; ripens early. LADY WASHINGTON*, a seedling of the Concord crossed with Allen s 

 Hybrid. Bunches large, compact, shouldered, sometimes double-shouldered; berry medium 

 size; skin pale yellow, with a slight tinge of pink when exposed to the sun; flesh juicy, sweet, 

 slightly vinous. The fruit keeps well, and ripens about the same time as the Concord. The 

 CREVELING, ISABELLA, LINDLEY (Rogers No. 9), MASSASOIT (Rogers No. 3), BARRY (Rogers 

 No. 43), are also all good varieties. 



Soil, Choice of Tines, etc. Grapes will grow in almost any soil that is suitable, 

 if not too wet; warm, deep soils being preferred. Strong, loamy soils are excellent, limestone 

 and clay shale being generally considered the best, while it is absolutely necessary that the 

 soil be warm, open, and with a sunny exposure. In order to secure a sunny exposure, the 

 land should slope to the south, but if it slope too much the land will wash badly. 



Dr. Jabez Fisher, of Fitchburg, Mass., one of the best authorities on grape culture in the 

 United States, says with reference to this subject: &quot;We want as much of a southern slope as 

 we can get without sacrificing too much. In that way we get south fifty or a hundred miles. 

 That is one way to overcome the difficulty of being too far north. Then again, the particular 

 lay of the land has considerable to do with the ripening of the grape. If we locate our vine 

 yard in the bottom of a valley, where it is very hot in the day time, where, perhaps, the 

 thermometer would show the highest average range of temperature during the season, we 

 are liable to have severe frosts early in the autumn, which, although they will not spoil the 

 grape, will injure the foliage, and very much retard the ripening. That is to be avoided. 

 The tops of hills are also to be avoided ; because they are of lower temperature, they are 

 further north. The very best place is on a southern slope, about two-thirds of the way up, 

 situated on some high ground, but still sheltered by the tops of the hills. That seems to me 

 to be the most favorable location we can get. The grape is a plant that likes heat above all 

 things. It does not care for much moisture, but it wants plenty of heat and sunlight. 



Then, in the choice of soil, the same thing is to be considered. We at the North want 

 to get as far South as we can in that respect. Hence, we do not want a strong, clayey, deep 

 loam; we want something that is a little lighter, and that is warm. We want a soil that will 

 take and retain the rays of the sun as much and as long as possible. We want to raise the 

 temperature of our climate as much as we can. Hence we would choose a piece of light soil. 

 But there comes in the objection: a very light soil will not produce the finest grapes for 

 market, although it may ripen them earlier than stronger soil. We are aiming at the very 

 finest results. What I mean by success is, that we shall get a first-class product, that shall 

 bring the highest price, or give the most satisfaction if we eat it ourselves. If we go further 

 north, then we must choose a lighter soil and thus give increased heat and shorten the time 

 of ripening. If we go further south, we may choose a stronger soil, as the season is longer. 

 The further north we get, the lighter the soil must be on account entirely of this matter of 

 heat. But right here I should choose neither the strongest nor the lightest soil. I should 

 prefer a moderately strong, friable loam, if I could get it, on gravelly bottom; but such lands 

 are very uncommon. We want land that is naturally drained, because a piece of land natu 

 rally drained is drier and better than a piece of land that has to be artificially drained, the 

 soil being of the same quality. If it is not of the requisite character, so far as drainage is 

 concerned, it must be artificially drained. 



Having selected our location and our soil, we are next to consider what is to be done 

 towards preparing the land and setting out the vines. In preparing the land, but very little 



