174 AMERICAN GKAPE GROWING 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 



GRAPE CULTURE IN MARYLAND.-CASHIN'S TRELLISES. 



BY T. D. CASHIN, HAGERSTOWN, MD. 



The following is by T. D. Cashin, an experienced fruit 

 grower and nurseryman, who, in a letter dated February 

 5th, 1880, writes : 



" My grand object is to get a superior grape for market 

 alone that will be free from rot. One of our would-be 

 scientific men here says, that all seedlings of Taylor will 

 inherit its defect of failing to fertilize its fruit, but of 

 course you are more capable of judging in that matter 

 than a mere theorist. In fact, the grape-growers of Mis- 

 souri are doing more for the future and permanence of 

 American grape-culture, than all others in the United 

 States combined. Our Eastern people are all following 

 the old beaten track Labrusca and its hybrids, leading 

 to the same final result failure ; at least that is my 

 opinion after 14 years of study and experience. I mean 

 to try the Amber in the spring. I have an excellent ri- 

 paria (cordifolia) seedling of my own ; in quality it is 

 better than Elvira, but not so large." 



In a letter dated February 16th, he writes as follows : 

 " DEAR SIR Your letter and the picture of the Amber 

 grape reached me a few days ago. Thanks for the in- 

 formation given in regard to varieties that I am interested 

 in. For the past three years I have been searching for 

 such a grape as the Amber ; the bunch is elegant, and 

 must be, I am sure, much finer in Nature's colors than 

 as represented in the plate. 



" I certainly agree with you that the grape-growers in 

 Missouri who are endeavoring to improve the riparia 



