36 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



our departed loved ones, and covfer their 

 last abode with flowers. Why then 

 should we not surround our earthly 

 homes with Heaven's buds, showing as 

 they do the gorgeous colors of the rain- 

 bow, and reminding us of the amaran- 

 thine flowers of fadeless bloom which 

 luxuriate in that land where " The 

 wicked cease from troubling and the 

 weary are at rest." In looking back a 

 few years, it is gratifying to mark pro- 

 gress in this direction, to which your- 

 self and co-workers have greatly con- 

 tributed. 



The grape is one of the most grateful 

 and delicious of fruits. From the days 

 of Noah, ''who planted vineyards," the 

 vine has been the most universally cul- 

 tivated of fruit, bearing plants. The 

 promised land was a land of wheat and 

 barley and vines. Throughout the 

 Bible the vine is represented as the 

 emblem of fruitfulness and plenty, yield- 

 ing, as it generally does, at an earlier 

 age, and in greater profusion than most 

 other fruits. Why then should it not 

 be more extensively grown, seeing that 

 so large an area of our Province, more 

 especially along the borders of the lakes 

 and large rivers, is so admirably suited 

 for its cultivation 1 



Along the valley of Bear Creek, in 

 the County of Lambton, the soil is very 

 rich, and in many places capable of pro- 

 ducing abundantly most fruits peculiar 

 to our temperate zone, subject, however, 

 to the drawback that the slight depres- 

 sion renders it more liable to summer 

 frosts than where the ground is more 

 elevated, or where the temperature may 

 be modified by proximity to large bodies 

 of water. 



With the slight experience I have 

 had in raising grapes in this section, I 

 would place them, taking all things into 

 consideration, in the following order of 

 excellency : — 



1. The Concord.- — This popular va- 

 riety succeeds well. The vine being 



healthy, vigorous and productive. The 

 bunch of fair size, berries juicy and 

 sweet, and ripening nearly two weeks 

 earlier than the Isabella, which used to 

 be the standard variety in this section. 

 The vine is also hardier. 



2. The Delaware is superior to the 

 Concord in flavor as a table grape on 

 account of its sweet aromatic taste, but 

 the vine does not thrive so well on clay 

 soils as the Concord, and is less vigor- 

 ous. 



3. The Eumelan is a hardy, prolific, 

 and early variety, with a good sized 

 bunch resembling the Clinton, to which 

 it seems allied, only larger in bunch, 

 and berry of a bluish black color, melt- 

 ing and sweet, with vinous flavor, and 

 earlier than the two preceding varieties. 

 Got the first vine from the Fruit 

 Orowers' Association in 1870. 



4. Clinton bears well every year, and 

 the vine is hardy. In short, it is our 

 best wine grape. Too acid for a table 

 grape, but keeps well, and good for can- 

 ning and cooking purposes. 



5. Isabella, a healthy and productive 

 variety, and with its large bunches and 

 berries, one of the most profitable to 

 cultivate, were it not that our seasons 

 are too short for it, sometimes, to fully 

 ripen before fall frosts. It is, however, 

 likely to hold its place for some time 

 amongst collections as an old friend. 



6. C reveling ripens with the Hart- 

 ford Prolific. Well flavored and berries 

 large, but set irregularly on the bunch. 

 Vine hardy. 



7. Hartford Frolic. — Vine not as 

 hardy as could be desired. Berries re- 

 semble the Isabella, but ripening much 

 earlier ; large, round and black. 



8. Adirondac is somewhat tender, 

 and the wood does not ripen well. 

 Berries ripe before that of the Hartford 

 Prolific, with a sweet and agreeable 

 flavor. 



The Burnet and several of Rogers' 

 have mildewed so badly as to be useless. 



