44 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



" VVilmot's New," and the " Victoria Hamburg" have not kept so well as 

 the old. In previous years they have kept rather the longest and the 

 freshest. 



Hardy Grapes for cultivation in the open air, have had several seedlings 

 added to the list this year. The most beautiful one undoubtedly is the 

 " Concord" grape. I do not cultivate it myself, and can only speak of spe- 

 cimens as they have come under my observation. In flavor it ranks in my 

 estimation after the " Isabella." For Massachusetts I should place " Diana'' 

 first, and •' Isabella " next. Further south, " Catawba first and the others in 

 same order. 



Hybrid Grapes. The past season I have fruited several hybrid vines. 

 Some of them have given fruit of fine flavor, and free of pulp. Several of 

 these have been shown at different Horticultural exhibitions. As early as 

 1848 it was stated in print that I had planted an Isabella vine in a grapery, 

 for the purpose of impregnation, with the expectation of obtaining a variety 

 that would mature early and be an improvement upon the kinds of hardy 

 grapes which we already had in cultivation. At that time the seedlings, be- 

 tween forty and fifty in number, were growing, and presented such a marked 

 variation of foliage, as to give good hope of success. Had this been other- 

 wise, further trials by impregnation would have been made. Being aware 

 of the incredulity of many, in the certainty of the origin of a seedling, par- 

 ticularly when it presented a great change from the parent, every means 

 were taken to make the case certain. The parent vine was the only one at 

 the time in the house, it being occupied with peaches and nectarines ; part 

 of these have since been removed and vines substituted. To be sure that 

 bees or no external cause could eflfect the impregnation and thus defeat my 

 efforts, the vine was forced in January and blossomed before vegetation 

 commenced in the open air. When the embryo bunch approached the time 

 of blossoming, a few of the strongest were selected and the others, at least 

 all near those bunches, were cut away. Before the blossoming the buds were 

 thinned out, leaving only one fourth part of the strongest and best placed 

 of them. As they expanded, they were constantly watched and the anthers 

 at once cut away with sharp scissors. With a soft brush the pollen from 

 the European kinds was applied. This was collected from a forcing house 

 and was mixed together in a box, having been taken from " Chasselas,'' 

 " Black Prince," and Black Hamburg. When the impregnation took ef- 

 fect, the embryo swelled at once ; when otherwise, it remained as it was. 

 Thus I was assured that any seed obtained must produce a hybrid vine. 

 When the fruit ripened, the seed was collected and planted in soil which I 

 felt certain could not have any other seed of grapes sown accidentally 

 The young vines have always been under my care. I potted them and re- 

 potted them, and planted them out. Those already fruited have proved 

 black in color, all but one, and this being so remarkably early and a very 

 3weet fine fruit, that I at once considered it an acquisition. The seedlings 

 were exposed to the winter, after they had become somewhat grown. The 

 tender ones were killed out, leaving over twenty that have proved sufficient- 

 ly hardy to withstand our winters, with a slight covering of straw around 



