APRIL. 183 



withstand mildew and other difficulties attendant upon grape 

 culture, has yet to be ascertained. The purple hybrid was 

 of fine flavor, but being not a.E early, seems less valuable than 

 the white one. 



Wyman grape, said to be a seedling from the Catawba, 

 first exhibited this year, but that fruited, as it is understood, 

 some years since, has large berries, thin skin, sweet, good 

 flavored and free from pulp ; promises to be a decided acqui- 

 sition. 



The Concord grape, raised by Mr. Bull, has given rise to 

 so much discussion that anything pretending to be a resume 

 of the year would be considered very imperfect that passed it 

 by in silence : but a mere mention of it is only now intend- 

 ed, as no knowledge of its qualities, no information concern- 

 ing it, is possessed, that is not within the possession or within 

 the reach of every cultivator, abundant opportunities having, 

 through the liberaHty of Mr. Bull, been afforded for testing 

 its qualities to almost all so disposed. Of its great beauty 

 there is no question. By raising seedlings for successive gen- 

 erations from the Isabella or other grapes of American origin, 

 an improvement may be perhaps gradually effected, and some- 

 times the ofl'spring of the first generation may exhibit a 

 marked change for the better, as in the case of the Diana. 

 But hybridization of American with some one of foreign 

 origin is believed to be the true system, and the only one that 

 can be followed with much prospect of success. Without 

 this, seedlings from American grapes will probably continue 

 to retain the characteristics of this species, while seedlings 

 from those of foreign origin will be very likely to be so dis- 

 posed to mildew as to be of no value. 



Before dismissing this branch of the subject, it is but 

 proper to state, that, although in consequence of the memo- 

 randum respecting them having been mislaid no description 

 can now be given, that some very fine native grapes from Mr. 

 Swan, of Dorchester, were exhibited the past season : they 

 were of a purple color, and said to be a seedling from the 

 Catawba. 



Pears. — Of no fruit is it so difficult to arrive at decided 



