124 HARDY GRAPES. 



thrifty gro-wth, upon which to bud the Pear for the purpose of 

 making dwarf trees. It is found to bear quite abundantly, and 

 the fruit keeps longer than the Orange Quince, though it is firmer 

 fleshed and more acid. 



HAEDY GEAPES. 



Within a few years the cultivation of hardy Grapes has 

 received a great deal of attention, and many good varieties hdve 

 been added to the list, some of them ripening much earlier than 

 the old Isabella and Catawba, which once comprised our entire 

 stock of varieties, and therefore better suited to our climate. 

 It is very probable that many more sorts will be brought to the 

 attention of cultivators before another quarter of a century shaU 

 have passed; and it is to be expected that the judicious labors 

 of the several Canadian hybridizers, who have made the vine a 

 prominent subject of their operations, will be rewarded by the 

 production of some new varieties which are eminently adapted to 

 our climate. 



One of the first questions that occupies the attention of the 

 planter is that of suitable soU. From considerable observation 

 and some experience in planting the vine on various soils, we 

 conclude that it will thrive well and bear abundantly on sandy, 

 gravelly, or clay soUs, provided that there be no stagnant water 

 in the soil. As a rule, also, the vine flourishes best in soils 

 abounding in limestone, and where the surface is rolling, especially 

 on the sides of hills and gentle slopes. Yet the vine will thrive 

 and bear abundantly on a level surface, and in any soil that is 

 thoroughly drained. As the cultivation of the Grape is extended 

 and varieties are multiplied, it wiH doubtless be found that in 

 certain localities the Grapes will acquire peculiar qualities and 

 flavors, and that some varieties are better adapted to certain soils 

 and localities than others. Already we see somethincr of this ; 

 but we are not yet sufficiently advanced in vine-culture to be 

 able, save in a very few instances, to point out these peculiarities. 



