The Grape Culturist. 



time held its leaves as well as could be 

 desired. Here, on such soil, it ranl^s 

 amongst the good growers, which I am 

 sorry to say the Creveling does not. 



During the last four seasons I have 

 had opportunities to see here the follow- 

 ing varieties under cultivation, which I 

 rank according to merit, as follows : 

 Norton's, Delaware, Catawba, Clinton, 

 Concord, Herberaont, Creveling, Alve^', 

 Diana, Ives, Adlrondac, Rebecca, Isia- 

 ella, lona, Maxatawney, and Ta^dor's. 



Norton's in their fourth season (after 

 planting) averaged 12 pounds of grapes 

 and 15 plants from layering ; gathered 

 Sept. 15, the must scale showed 89°. 

 Delawares were ready for shipping 

 the first week of August. The latter 

 part of the same month saw but very 

 little fruit left on about 2,000 bearing 

 vines, mostly in their third, a few in 

 their fourth season. Those in their 

 third season bore about 2,h pounds of 

 ver}^ fine fruit. These had been thinned 

 out to from, at an average, 15 to 18 

 bunches each, because it was thought 

 that Delawares in their third season in 

 the summer of 1868, which were over- 

 tasked with 45 bunches in some instan- 

 ces, were none the better for sueh se- 

 vere work. Well, the}^ ripened about 

 24 bunches, but at least 10 to 22 days 

 later than those with less fruit. It may 

 seem but little to get but 2 J pounds of 

 grapes per vine, but I believe the ad- 

 vantage is with the little weight, the 

 third and increasing quantity every later 

 year. For this there is here now the 

 best of prospects, as there is no scarcity' 

 of young canes of I inch diameter to 

 9 to 15 feet long. 



The principal market was New York, 

 reached by Adams' Express in 18 

 hours, at an expense per pound of 2j 



cents. Delawares sold readil}- this 

 season at from 35 to 25 cents per 

 pound ; though peaches were in the be- 

 ginning of August a drug on that mar- 

 ket at 50 cents a basket. Whatever 

 was left over, mostly because not good 

 enough for marketing, was gathered 

 and pressed Sept. 15, and showed 84'^ 

 on must scale. Concord brought T} 

 pounds on gray soil in their third 

 season, better than four 3'ear olds on 

 red soil ; ripened with, yet not quite as 

 earl}^ as Delaware. IVIarket price 20 to 

 15 cents per pound. Gathered Sept. 

 11th, accoi'ding to must scale 75'' 

 Clinton 14 pounds a vine. Sept. 15th, 

 must 99°. This rampant grower will 

 some day perhaps stand with the Ru- 

 lander at the head of the list, in this 

 section. But as I have seen but two 

 vines in bearing, I have not \ei had an 

 opportunity to judge of the wine by 

 itself. Alvey 4 pounds per vine. Sept. 

 5th, must 96°. Diana about 3 pounds 

 per vine. Must 82°, pressed Sept. 5th. 

 Ives', in their fourth season, 4 pounds 

 per vine, very foxy. Must 70°, pressed 

 Sept. 5th. lona, in their fourth season, 

 wretched grower so far ; fruit, what 

 there was of it, good. Of sixty vines of 

 that age, I had trouble to cut 30 pounds 

 of grapes. I believe if I had not care- 

 fully cut every single berry even, the 

 weight would not have reached half a 

 pound per vine. Cut and pressed 

 Sept. 11 ; must weighed 94*^. Catawba, 

 in their fourth season, 15 pounds per 

 vine. Price in New York, 20 to 16 

 cents per pound. Forgot to make note 

 of weight and time of pressing ; think, 

 however, it was 83*^ and Sept. loth. 

 Herbemont were so much tasked by 

 layering, that but little fruit matured. 

 Must 81*^, Sept. 15th. 



