NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



305 



limited experience, induced us to believe that the 

 Diana grape was a very great grower; and we still 

 find that it may be forced to a great growth, though 

 it is only a moderate grower under ordinary cultiva- 

 tion. But it grows fast enough, excepting in the 

 view of those who are in haste to propagate vines for 

 the present urgent demand. 



The bunches of the Diana grape are medial, very 

 compact, and frequently without shoulders ; but the 

 specimen from which our engraving is made is tol- 

 erably large, and well shouldered. The berries are 

 medial size ; round ; pale red, more pale than the 

 Catawba, with a grayish bloom ; the flesh has but little 

 pulp, very juic)', with a high, rich vinous flavor, and 

 fine aroma ; seeds two, small, It ripens the latter 

 part of September, generally about a week or ten 

 days earlier than the Isabella, and a month before 

 the Catawba. 



The quality of it is similar to its parent, the Ca- 

 tawba, but it has less pulp, and it is generally consid- 

 ered of a superior flavor to the Isabella or Catawba. 

 Under common culture, the Diana is a moderate 

 grower, the shoots rather slim, and the joints of the 

 wood short ; but in a strong, rich soil, it grows very 

 vigorously, and the vines are stout. On such soil 

 we have vines from layers, and a shoot from almost 

 every bud, six to ten feet high ; and one shoot, that 

 started June 1st, grew fifteen feet in length in two 

 months, and threw out laterals -which all measured 

 thirty feet. This vine is two inches in circumference, 

 and some of the leaves are more than a foot in 

 diameter. The leaves are generally of a moderate 

 size, without lobes, and resemble the Catawba. The 

 Diana is hardy, as much so as the Isabella. The tips 

 of the small shoots of both these varieties are some- 

 times touched with the frost in a severe winter, but 

 this is no disadvantage. We have never known the 

 Diana killed at the root, though we have cultivated 

 on dry land, and on a cold, heavy soil, where the 

 Winnie and other hardy kinds have been killed. 



The Diana grape is very easily propagated by lay- 

 ers, and the roots strike readily, and become strong 

 and vigorous. Some cultivators say that it is difficult 

 to propagate froi.a cuttings, but we do not make this 

 complaint. A few years ago, we put down several 

 cuttings in a dry soil, and paid but little attention to 

 them, and they took pretty well. This season we 

 took more pains with cuttings, and we have vines a 

 foot high, on an average, from two thirds or three 

 fourths of the cuttings. As the majority must rule, 

 it will probably be regarded as hard to grow from 

 cuttings. 



We have given our views of this grape as we have 

 learned by several years' experience in its cultivation, 

 and observation in others' grounds, and the opinions 

 of those who cultivate it. It is generally regarded 

 as the best grape for northern culture, by those who 

 have given particular attention to the subject. Its 

 production reflects great honor upon the lady whoso 

 name it bears, and it will be a living monument to 

 her memory, that may outlast granite and marble. 



Mr. Hovey, in his Magazine of Horticulture, says 

 of thiii grape, " Last fall we had a full crop of 



large, fine clusters, ripe fully a week before the Isa- 

 bella, and so superior to that varietj% that they ob- 

 tained the prize of the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society as the best native grape." He also remarks, 

 "It is a most abundant bearer, and has less of the 

 taste peculiar to our native grape than any other 

 variety. It also possesses a peculiarity which we 

 have not noticed in other sorts : as earlj^ as the first 

 of September, when the berries change to a grayish 

 tinge, they are quite sweet, and agreeable to the 

 taste ; but they do not acquire the high flavor which 

 constitutes its great excellence, until they assume 

 their full color, when it is one of the handsomest 

 grapes we have ever seen." 



Mr. Downing remarks, in his Horticulturist, in 

 speaking of this fruit, " Every fruit-grower will be 

 glad that a new native grape has at last been proved, 

 which is superior to the Isabella or Catawba. Such 

 a grape, we are now prepared to say, is the Diana. 

 It has fruited abundantly for two years past, in the 

 garden of Woodencthc, the residence of our neigh- 

 bor, H. W. Sargent, Esq. After tasting it repeatedly, 

 we do not hesitate to pronounce it the best of Amer- 

 ican grapes." 



CULTIVATING THE GRAPE. 



Frederic Hobbs, Esq., of this city, who has for a 

 few years past been very successful in cultivating the 

 black Hamburg, and other choice grapes, under 

 glass, has adopted the plan of cultivating grapes on 

 the south side of a high, close fence, with a " lean- 

 to " of sashes about eight feet long, reaching from 

 the ground to the top of the fence. We visited his 

 garden a short time since, and found many choice 

 kinds of vines in a flourishing state. Mr. H. thinks 

 there is no trouble, and but little expense, in culti- 

 vating grapes in this manner, and suggested that any 

 person having a barn or shed, or close fence, with a 

 southern exposure, could succeed in raising a suffi- 

 cient quantity of grapes for the use of the family, 

 with only a few feet of sash. We think this plan 

 will generally be adopted in this vicinity, where the 

 season is too short for the Isabella grape to ripen in 

 the open air. 



We learn that S. W. Cole, Esq., the able editor of 

 the New England Farmer, succeeded in producing a 

 seedling grape of great excellence, and which per- 

 fects its fruit some two or three weeks carlii-r than 

 the Isabella. This grape we have on trial in our 

 garden, alongside of the Isabella, and shall be able 

 by and by to report upon the result. — Bangor Whig. 



Remarks. — Friend Say ward has misunderstood 

 us as to the grape we sent him. It was the straw- 

 berry, an early, hardy kind. — En. 



SOAP-SUDS FOR THE GRAPE. 



A. J. Downing says, " I have seen an Isabella 

 grape produce three thousand fine clusters of ripened 

 truit in a single season, by the liberal use of manure 

 and soap-suds from the weekly wasli," 



The effect of soap-suds on other plants is some- 

 times surprising. A cypress vine, which had re- 

 mained stationary for a fortnight when about two 

 inches high, immediately commenced growing after 

 a good watering witli soap-suds, and grew about six 

 inches the first five days. 



