Reports on Grapes. 



11 



Myself and my partner (Allen H. 

 Vories, Esq. ,) have a vineyard of about 

 twelve acres planted ; will most all be 

 in bearing the coming season. Our 

 vine3'ard consists principally of Con- 

 cords) Hartford Prolific, Virginia Seed- 

 ling, Clinton, and Ives' Seedling. We 

 have some, eighteen or twent}' other 

 varieties on tiial. You will see that 

 we have no grape for white wine to take 

 the place of the old Catawba. We 

 want to plant some white grape, or 

 grape for white wine, but we don't 

 know what to plant. AYe are bewil- 

 dered with the great number of new 

 varieties being forced upon the public, 

 which, if we could believe what is said 

 of them, must be perfection itself; but 

 we are constantly reminded that what 

 seemed to be perfection and everything 

 to be desired last year, is thrown aside 

 this year as almost worthless, to give 

 place to the Walter, Eumelan, or some 

 other new grape which it is said will 

 supersede all others. We are afraid to 

 plant our ground, for fear we vvill find 

 next year that we have the wrong grape 

 on it. Mr. Editor, what shall we do? 



To conclude this already too lengthy 

 communication, I will just say that we 

 consider grape growing in this pait of 

 the State as a success. We now plant 

 Hartford Prolific, Concords, Virginia 

 Seedling, and Clinton, and, in fact 

 many other vines, with as much cer- 

 tainty of getting a return as the farmer 

 plants his corn, and we feel satisfied 

 that no part of Missouri is better adapt- 

 ed to the culture of grapes, either as to 

 the quantit}' of grapes to be produced, 

 or as to the quality of the fruit, than is 

 the country immediately around the city 

 of St. Joseph. I am, very truly, etc., 

 H. M. Vories. 



[Thanks for your interesting report* 

 We are well aware of the advantages 

 your part of the State afl^brds, although 

 we cannot admit that it is better adapt- 

 ed to grape growing than other sections 

 ^ve know. 



We think your Delawares had mildew 

 on the leaves, or they would not have 

 dropped them. 



We think we maj^ safely advise j'ou 

 to plant Goethe, Martha and Maxa- 

 tawney for ivhite loine, as we have 

 fruited them all during five or six years, 

 found them uniformly health}- and pro- 

 ductive, and hear favorable reports of 

 them from all parts of the country. 



You ask "What shall we do?" in 

 regard to planting new varieties. We 

 answer : Do not plant extensively of 

 any new grape, until it has undergone 

 at least four and five years' trial in 

 your State. We are very reluctant to 

 recommend any new grape for general 

 planting, but think you w^ill not risk 

 anything with the three named. What 

 we want is a substitute for the Catawba, 

 to make a light, agreeable white wine, 

 without its liability to disease, and we 

 are convinced we have found them in 

 these for our section. 



It is well to try al! new varieties ; 

 but it will not do to plant largely of 

 them until they have been fully tried. 

 This may be profitable to those who 

 propagate them, but quite the reverse 

 generall}' for those who pay for them 

 and plant them. — Ed.] 



LA^'CASTER COUNTY, PA. 

 FniEKD iluSMANX: 



As 3'ou are receiving reports of the 



success and sometimes failures, of 



I grape growers in the West and South, 



which is very interesting to those re- 



