C2 



The Grape CuUurist. 



will succeed equally well everywhere. 

 This, these gentlemen, who have be- 

 come so enamored of any one variety, 

 claim for it, and in this we have taken 

 the liberty to differ with them. When 

 the Delaware came out fu'st. Dr. Grant 

 described it in glowing terms ; really 

 one would be led to believe that noth- 

 ing could be better, until tho Ion a 

 came, when the Delaware was almost 

 foi'gotten by him, at least cast entirely 

 into the shade, he even invented addi- 

 tions to the dictionary to do its super- 

 lative excellence full justice. Then the 

 Eumelan was found, and must still be 

 better. All these varieties, as he 

 insisted, must and would succeed 

 everyiohere, aud any one who held a 

 different opinion was an ignoramus and 

 a barbarian in taste. AVhen the Sa- 

 lem came out, it was claimed to be 

 the best, and must needs succeed 

 everywhere. The Walter follows, for 

 which its originator claims that it is 

 the " best wine and table grape in 

 America," and has already written five 

 yards of foolscap in letters to us, be- 

 cause Ave dared to report that it mil- 

 dewed badly here. If these gentlemen 

 could only undeceive themselves, and 

 not believe that their locality is "the 

 centre of the grape universe," if they 

 were satisfied with the merit the grape 

 may have with them, and wait until 

 their pets are tried elsewhere, before 

 they claim impossibilities for them, 

 it would save a great deal of un- 

 pleasant discussion, and a great loss of 

 time, monc}' and valuable ground to 

 those who are induced to plant largely 

 of such untried varieties, because of 

 these representations. We wish to en- 

 courage experiments — have experi- 

 mented perhaps as much as most men 



with new varieties, but we also say to 

 all our readers.: "Try every new 

 variet}' recommended by reliable men, 

 if 3'ou can afford it ; but do not plant 

 largely of it, until you knoio from ex- 

 perience that it will succeed. If these 

 gentlemen, who are so careful to pub- 

 lish every favorable letter th^y receive 

 in their catalogues, would be fair 

 enough to publish also the unfavorable 

 reports the}' get, they would not force 

 us into the disagreeable duty to warn 

 the grape growers against buying and 

 planting largely of anj' untried variety. 



Mr. Babcock heads his article " Sa- 

 lem vindicated." We cannot see that 

 it had been attacked much, or that he 

 has succeeded in "vindicating it," as 

 he pleases to call it. lie calls it a 

 rampant grower, and accusr>8 us of 

 "dwarfing it." We have advocated 

 wider planting and long pruning 

 perhaps long before Mr. Babcock saw 

 the Salem. ATe have planted it here 

 6 — 10, some of our vines are now in 

 their third summer, and have not yet 

 occupied half that space, while Goethe 

 and Wilder, planted side by side with 

 it, occupied it all. He need not fear 

 but it shall have "room according to 

 its strength," but from present ap- 

 pearances it will not need all it has 

 for some time yet. This may be dif- 

 ferent with him where it docs not rail- 

 dew as he says, but so it is here. 



We cannot see that tho heavy yield 

 of the Wilder, (which also bears 

 heavily hero) helps tho Salom any, 

 although they niay be sisters. We 

 know that Mr. Harris has thirty : ores 

 in Salera vines, part of which must 

 certainly be bearing. Will Mr. Bab- 

 cock give us a report of the doings of 

 those and their yield to the acre''' 



