Reports on Grapes, 



307 



Diana, Cassady, Rogers' No. 1, Rulander 

 and Perkins but slightly affected by the 

 rot. The Isabella has entirely escaped. 

 Some of my vines have taken the blight 

 at the tip ends. The grapes are ten to 

 twenty da3's later this year than last. 

 Mary Ann, Hartford and Perkins are 

 now ripe. 



Yours truly, E. AV. Bedford. 



Tkoy, Davis Co., Iowa, Sept. 9, 18G9. 



Having six years' experience in 

 grape-growing in Southern Iowa, I now 

 report my success. 



Well tried varieties — Concord stands 

 No. 1. Clinton only a half average 

 crop three years in succession. Ca- 

 tawba and Isabella almost a failure. 

 Creveling half a crop. Hartford stands 

 next to Concord. 



My experimental vineyard shows 

 very few varieties worthy in my opinion, 

 except Walter, Eumelan and Peggy ; 

 these three I am well pleased with. 

 Walter is a good grower; the Eumelan 

 a rampant grower, made ten feet of 

 well developed i-ipe wood, foliage very 

 fine ; while the Peggy outstrips every- 

 thing in the grape line I ever tested. 

 Vine very hardy and healthy ; the 

 fruit ripens five days before the Hart- 

 ford, equal to Delaware in flavor, berry 

 the size of the Isabella. If any of your 

 readers wish a few grafts of the Peggy, 

 they can write to me, and send me ten 

 cents for postage. I do not send you 

 this as an advertising document. I 

 have no plants for sale, nor is it my in- 

 tention to grow an}^, but am willing to 

 give such wood as I have to spare, 

 gratis. R. W. Gandy. 



[The above is the substance of a com- 

 munication we have tried to get into 

 shape. Our friend certainly shows 



liberality, and he would oblige us by 

 sending us a few grafts of this new 

 grape, of which we have not heard be- 

 fore. Also, a more detailed description 

 of its origin, color, etc. It shall have 

 a fair trial here. — Editor.] 



Wasuingtox, Ark., Sept. If), 1S69. 



Friend Husmann : 



We find that the greatest obstacle to 

 wine making here will be in the birds, 

 unless we devise some way of frighten- 

 ing them off. They will not leave us 

 any year a fourth of a crop. This year, 

 notwithstanding the frost, we brought 

 to the period of ripening, an exti'aor- 

 j dinaril}^ fine display of all varieties. 

 I Catawbas were better than I have 

 known them in five years. I fear, 

 however, I will have to abandon my 

 I old penchant for the Isabella. It did 

 not rot this season _, but ripened badly, 

 and has certainl}' not the flavor for a 

 table grape which it had several years 

 ago. I am loth to abandon it, nor will 

 not in my garden ; but can no longer 

 recommeud it. I owe j^ou an apology 

 in this regard, which I hope 3'ou will 

 consider tendered. You may remem- 

 ber that I once said, in print, that you 

 certainly had never eaten a really ripe 

 Isabella, or you could not speak of it 

 as you did. The season in which that 

 was written the Isabellas had ripened 

 very deliciously, but that was near 

 three years ago, and they have never 

 done so since. I must give it up ; but, 

 for the sake of what it has done, and 

 for the sake of its posterity, (Israella, 

 for instance,) let us speak of the old 

 grandmother of native grapes respect- 

 fully, and hold its memory in rever- 

 ence, and give it a place in our collec- 

 tions. After all, the Isabella has a 



