On the Cultivation of Seedling Grapes. 169 



ever, 1 let them make as much wood as possible, only confining it to 

 one straight cane. Some of the vines grew to the length of thirty 

 feet, and very strong, while others only made very weak shoots, not 

 more than four feet ; the wood of these was suffered to remain 

 during winter, so as to obtain a larger vine the next season. The 

 fifth year I expected to have considerable fruit, but was disappointed, 

 having only a tew clusters. Two of the vines proved to be male ; 

 one a small grape good for nothing, and another vine, with dark glossy 

 leaves, was stolen in the night. 



I had consequently only two vines left, and the sixth year 

 these both produced fruit. One proved to be similar to the com- 

 mon Sweet Water, or Chasselas of the gardens ; the other bore 

 only two or three small sized clusters. The grapes were oblong, of 

 a purple color, with a grey or spotted appearance, on rubbing off 

 the bloom, and almost white in the centre of the bunch ; the berries 

 were close, but not having the appearance of being the least pressed 

 together. The flesh was nearly as solid as the plum, with a little 

 of the Gage flavor, and deliciously rich. In eating, it had more con- 

 sistency than any other I had ever tasted. The size of the berry 

 was nearly that of the Black Hamburgh ; and the color very differ- 

 ent from any other variety. It was called by Gen. Dearborn, the 

 l^ilac ; it is a great bearer, the bunches weighing from one to two 

 pounds, with shoulders. The following year it produced thirty 

 bunches of fine size ; some of them were exhibited at the meeting of 

 the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, (which had then just been 

 formed,) and were highly reconnnended by the committee, who 

 named it Shurtleff's Seedling. It has borne fruit plentifully every 

 season, till the last ; which cause I suppose to be from overbearing 

 the year previous ; as a large number of clusters were permitted to 

 ripen, which, at the time, I was afraid would cause the vine to suffer. 

 This last winter I left a vine exposed to the weather, without the 

 least protection, in order to try its habit as a native vine ; I cannot 

 yet tell the result of the expei-iment. I was induced to try its hardi- 

 ness at this time, as I have a number of vines large enough to bear 

 fruit the coming season. The fruit begins to color in August, and 

 ripens well in the open air. I have had it in eating in August, but 

 1 should think in common exposures, that September or October 

 would be the average time. 



Boston, April 8th, 1835. 



Yours truly, Pemberton. 



VOL. I. — NO. v. 



