Reports on Grapes. 



299 



productive ; and I deeply regret that 

 I planted just by the half dozen. 



Taylor (fifth year, on lower part, 

 north side). Last j^ear the vines showed 

 an enormous quantity of forms, but 

 did not set their fruit well ; a heavy 

 fog ascending from the Mississippi 

 river, and falling down in a fine rain, 

 destroyed all the berries ; I gave up 

 the hope of success with this grape, 

 :and quitted propagating; but, to my 

 astonishment, it is this year, on the 

 situation where mildew is the worst, 

 the healthiest and most productive of 

 all, except Norton's Virginia. On one 

 vine I am not able to count the bunches, 

 which are well set and compact, the 

 most measuring from 5 to 7^ inches, 

 always with one shoulder. This vine 

 last year lost all its fruit by rot, and 

 made an unusual lai'ge growth, which 

 I did not check ; the older two j^ears 

 old cane I trained from the top of an 

 eight feet high stake to the opposite 

 one, and just in this higher region ap- 

 pear the healthiest and largestbunches; 

 below, on the trellises, fruit and foli- 

 age are unhealthy, the latter showing 

 somewhat like rust specks. I will 

 plant this grape now on a larger scale, 

 and would like to know, from you or 

 any of your subscribers, their experi- 

 ence with this grape, whether it does 

 best on a south or north side ? on a 

 high or low situation ? or if the fe- 

 cundation is perfect in one season 

 and in the other not ? This and the 

 Delaware will have a proud future, the 

 latter being in color and taste the ex- 

 act Traminer, the former representing 

 in one vine the little and great Ries- 

 ling. 



Norton's Yirginia. Health}^ and 

 very productive as usual, but here and 



there I see the foliage affected by Avart- 

 like excrescences, so far without injury 

 to the fruit. 



Cunningham (three years old). But 

 slightly affected by mildew, some 

 bunches not at all ; the most beautiful 

 and healthiest foliage of'all the native 

 grapes ; seems to be productive, as the 

 laterals produced some forms. 



Herbemont (third year). From the 

 half-dozen vines you could spare rae 

 two 3'ears ago there are but four alive, 

 t\iQj doing well, and two in bearing ; 

 no mildew at all. If this grape is what 

 you say, a mine of wealth for southern 

 limestone hills, I will work this mine. 



Clinton (third 3'ear). Plenty of 

 grapes, slightly affected by mildew 

 and rot; a very troublesome vine; 

 tastes very common. 



In conclusion, I w^ould not recom- 

 mend the Concord, Hartford, and all 

 the early ripening fox grapes .from 

 the East, to southern countries where, 

 Herbemont, Cunningham, Goethe and 

 Norton's can bo grown with success 

 and profit. These eastern foxes will 

 alwaj's be a soui'ce of disappointment 

 and vexation too far south, although 

 they make here a very desirable wine, 

 for instance the Concord when two 

 years old, which I pronounce fearlessly 

 a fine, light, red wine. But to apply 

 three or four years stead}- and careful 

 work to grapes, which you planted by 

 hundreds, and find in the fourth spring 

 a huge crop hanging on the trellises; 

 but lo ! they dwindle away in the hot 

 sun like snow; while those grapes 

 which you planted for trial, by the 

 dozen, grow healthy and vigorous 

 every season, this vexeg a beginner in 

 grape growing. That Concord cannot 

 be successfully grown so far south lies 



