88 THE CANADIAN IIORTICULTUKIST. 



THE EEBECCA GIL^PE. 



BY B. GOTT, ARKONA. 



This excellent grape has been before the public for some time. It 

 is of American origin, and is quite a favorite in some localities, but it 

 is not so popular or so well known in others. Most grapes have their 

 favorite localities or latitudes where they do their level best, and 

 exhibit their highest qualifications, but are not so illustrious if taken 

 from their native habitat and removed to places of less congeniality. 

 Still there are some remarkable exceptions to this rule among grapes. 

 In looking over Ihe lists of catalogued fruits by tlie American Pomo- 

 logical Society, we get a better idea of these peculiarities of fruits than 

 from any other source. This national influential society has divided 

 the whole region of the United States and British Provinces very 

 properly into tln^ee grand divisions, viz: the northern division, from 

 latitude 42° to 49" north; the central division, from latitude 'So" to 42° 

 north; and the southern division, from latitude 28° to 35° north. In 

 all these three grand divisions some varieties of grapes are equally 

 popular favorites, notwithstanding tlie great diA-ersity of climate, and 

 are double starred several times in each of them. The Concord and 

 Hartford Prolific for instance are most remarkable examples of this 

 wonderful power of adaptation to difierences of climate, and are 

 universally popular, even in so many varied regions. The Delaware 

 too is a bright and rich example of this same peculiarity, and is be- 

 dizened with double stars, north and south, with the greatest freedom. 

 This is doubtless a most remarkable and a most valuable quality when 

 possessed by any fruit so perfectly as it is by these justly popular 

 varieties of grapes. The Eebecca, though a very good grape, is not 

 one of this highly favored class. I do not mean to say by this that it 

 is not popular, far from it, but I wish to be understood that at present 

 it is not a favorite over so wide a range of territory and in so many 

 different zones as is the Delaware. It is strictly a northern grape; 

 although on the catalogue above referred to, it is double starred for 

 West Virginia ; starred for Maryland and district of Columbia, and for 

 Pensylvania, in the central division; and in the northern division it is 

 starred for Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, and Maine, and we 

 think ought also to he starred for Ontario, in Canada. 



