GO 



The Grape Culturist. 



That people, in the incipiency of a 

 great enterprise, having recentl3' pur- 

 chased a tract of sixteen hundred 

 acres of improved farms ; having eighty 

 acres in vineyard, thirty of it Salem, 

 with a variety of business interests 

 pressing upon them, wished to relieve 

 themselves from the propagation and 

 sale of plants. Accordingly, about 

 one year ago, mj'self and one other 

 individual, purchased their entire stock 

 of plants, then unsold, and the wood 

 from tlicir Salem vineyard, then on 

 iiand and for a period in the future, 

 and removed them to Lockport, N. Y., 

 thus relieving them from all interest in 

 the propagation and sale of plants. 

 Having located the '* true Salem," per- 

 mit me to say that Doctor J. S. Hyde 

 is not known to us here, and cannot be 

 employed by the worth3^ community at 

 Brocton, in "bolstering up " the Salem, 

 since they have no service of that kind 

 to perform. 



You profess to publish a journal in 

 the interest of Grape Culture in its 

 broadest sense, and in the main during 

 the last year, I can approve the tenor 

 of its discussion. 



If 3'ou could only undeceive yourself 

 from the idea that "Bluffton" is the 

 centre of the grape universe, to which 

 all other points are but appendages, 

 3'ou might do a signal service to the 

 country at large. 



Because you succeed imperfectly 

 with the Delaware, it does not prove 

 that that variety is not one of the 

 best and most popular grapes in the 

 country to-day. You grow some num- 

 bers of the " Roger's Hybrids " to per- 

 fection. Other localities will grow 

 other and better numbers of that 

 collection equally well. 



Instead of gratifying your animosi- 

 ties you ought to encourage experi- 

 ments, showing whei-e our best varieties 

 are to succeed the best. The Salem is 

 a strong growing variet}', and will not 

 bear dwarfing. Put in practice some 

 of the ideas in Mr. Underhill's article 

 on pruning and training, which you 

 copy, and I shall expect 3'ou to report 

 differently upon some of the varieties 

 that you now condemn. A word as to 

 our experience here at Lockport with 

 some of the "Rogers Hybrids" last 

 year, which was the worst season we 

 have ever known for the grape. At 

 the Western N. Y. Horticultural 

 Society meetin'4 at Rochester last week, 

 Mr. Craine of this place, stated that 

 from one twentieth of an acre of 

 Rogers' No 4, in his open vineyard, he 

 last fall marketed at the rate of 9,000 

 ' pounds per acre, at 25 cents per pound, 

 which would be at the rate of S2,250 per 

 I acre. IJe speaks highly of the Salem, 

 j though not having it yet in full bearing. 

 1 In my own vineyard last year the 

 I Salem was perfectly healthy, ripened 

 I its wood to the tips. The fruit was 

 early and of best qualit}-. And we 

 think we have assurance of a most 

 profitable market variet}^ for this section 

 at least. While I am interested in the 

 sale of plants, I am quite willing this 

 variet}', like all others should stand 

 upon its own merits, which I believe 

 future experience will enable it to do 

 most effectually. At the Lake Shore 

 exhibition in the fall of 'G9, bunches 

 were shown weighing over one pound 

 each, and if j^ou will travel this way 

 next fall we will show you the like 

 again, which 3'ou may never be able to 

 see at BlulTton, Mo. 



A few words as to Dr. C. W. Grant 



