REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GARDENS. 299 



was maiuly Concord — was not ripe at any of them, and nothing 

 of. sufficient interest to add to this report could be learned from 

 them. No premium offered b}' the Committee has been competed 

 for so much as that for vine3'ards and we hope in future to receive 

 applications from skilful cultivators whose experience in raising 

 this valuable fruit you will be pleased to know about. When 

 such delicious fruit as Mr. Hartwell was sending to market at the 

 date of our visit, can be purchased at a trifling cost, we are quite 

 sure that in offering premiums to stimulate good cultivation, we 

 are not only advancing and encouraging good fruit-growing, but 

 are blessing the mechanics and working men who have no means 

 of growing such choice fruit, on account of spending all day at 

 their labors, but who can carry it home with them and enjoy it at 

 little cost. But to all who can, we say, plant at least one grape 

 vine, — build a trellis in front of your garden fence, against the L of 

 3'our house, or the side of the stable, or anj'where a place oflfers 

 itself. Any way grow some grapes, for there is a pleasure in rais- 

 ing your own fruit. Take good care of them, and the reward of 

 3'Our labors will be found in being able to enjoy the fruit of your 

 own vines. 



Mr. Hartwell's statement in regard to his vineyard is as 

 follows : 



Statement of Samuel Hartwell. 



To the Garden Committee of the Massachusetts Horticultural 



Society, John G. Barker, Chairman : 

 Gentlemen : 



The one acre of vineyard which I offered for the Society's prize, 

 contains about six hundred vines, which are set in rows nine feet 

 apart, and eight feet in the row ; consequently each vine is entitled 

 to seventy-two square feet of area. The vines are for the most 

 part Moore's Early, there being two rows of the white grape 

 Niagara. The vines were set in the spring of 1886, and at the time 

 of setting the Moore's Early vines were one, and the Niagaras two 

 years old. This being the first year of their bearing, in quantity, 

 makes the age of their coming into bearing, for Moore's Early 

 three, and for the Niagara four years. Perhaps I should say that 

 the former bore a few bunches at the age of two years. 



At the time of setting out the vines the land received a dressing 

 of stable manure, perhaps five cords per acre, spread, since which 



