AND WINE MAKING. 101 



disappeared since the vines have been sprayed. The 

 steel beetle is the worst insect we have ; it attacks the 

 buds early in the spring, by boring a small hole, and 

 eats out tbe heart. This little insect does its greatest 

 damage in vineyards adjoining woods or uncultivated 

 fields. The only remedy that has proved effective is 

 daubing the buds with a solution of Paris green thick- 

 ened somewhat with flour ; this covers the bud with a 

 thin, varnish-like substance, and the little fellow gets 

 sick before he can do much damage. 



The estimate of one ton per acre embraces good, bad 

 and indifferent vineyards. A well-cultivated vineyard 

 in a good location will yield from three to five tons of 

 Concords, two to three tons of Catawbas, one and a half 

 to two tons of Delawares. and so on. 



CHAPTER XXIL 



GRAPE GROWING IN THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY. 



WILLIAM D. BABNS. 



The early settlers of this region found the grape grow- 

 ing wild, and transplanted some of the better kinds to 

 their gardens, where they ministered to their wants. 

 No special progress was noted until 1816, when "William 

 Prince, of Long Island, brought the Isabella grape from 

 the South and propagated it, soon after which it became 

 rapidly disseminated in this region. A few years later 

 the Catawba was introduced. In 1823 the first attempt 

 was made to record the merits of native grapes for cul- 

 tivation. In 1846 J. J. Thomas, in his ** Fruit Cultur- 

 ist," mentioned only six ''American hardy varieties." 

 Excepting the Iso-bell^ and Ctitawba, none of them aro 



