86 



The Grape Culturist. 



I 



THE MAXATAWNEY, 



A chance seedling, originated at 

 Eagleville, Montgomery county, Pa., 

 as early as 1844, and it is strange that 

 a varietj^ possessing so much merit 

 has not been more generally planted 

 and cultivated. At the East it seems 

 to be most too late in ripening, and 

 this may have worked against it. Here 

 it is early enough, ripening before the 

 Catawba, moderately productive, a fair, 

 although not rampant grower, uniformly 

 healthy and hard}', and if we add to 

 this its excellent quality, we must call 

 it the best luhite grape we now culti- 

 vate. It will not bear as much as the 

 Martha or Goethe, but it is better in 

 quality ; in fact, the best of all grapes 

 ive know, that are entirely healthy, 

 hardy and reliable. 



Bunch medium size, long, rather loose 



sometimes, but not alwa^'s, shouldered, 

 berry medium, oval, pale yellow, with 

 an amber tint on the sunny side, trans- 

 lucent, skin thin. Flesh tender, not 

 pulpy, sweet and delicious, resembling 

 White Chasselas, few seeds, quality 

 best for the table, and we have tasted 

 wine made of equal parts Maxatawney 

 and Martha, which was exquisite in- 

 deed. At the Wine Trial at Hermann, 

 in 1868, a bottle of Maxatawney wine, 

 made by Mr. Jacob Bommel, took the 

 first premium as best white wine on ex- 

 hibition . 



Vine a good grower, foliage healthy 

 even the last extremely trying season, 

 not a very earl}- bearer, will generally 

 not produce a full crop before its fourth 

 summer, and will propagate readily 

 from cuttino-s. 



APEIL. 



AVORK FOR THE MONTH. 



In April, most ol the operations dis- 

 cussed in the March number, and not 

 performed or finished in that month, 

 may be continued. Making trellis, 

 tying, planting, plowing and hoeing, 

 layering, etc. The sooner these opera- 

 tions are performed, however, the bet- 

 ter it will be. Alwa3's try to be ahead 

 with your work, especially in spring, 

 for when the vines once begin to grow, 

 you will have enough to do with sum- 

 mer pruning, tying the 3'OUHg growth, 

 destroying weeds, and keeping your 

 ground in order. With one hour's labor 

 done in advance you may save the work 

 of days, when you have once got behind. 



The old adage, "A stitch in time saves 

 nine," could easily be remodeled and 

 applied to vinej'ards. Laggards had 

 better never commence grape growing ; 

 it will cei'tainly not pay for them. But, 

 if the diligent vintner should, from 

 causes beyond his control, get behind 

 with his work, our advice is to him, 

 " Try and get additional help, until 

 you have caught up again, for it will 

 be an immense saving of labor, time, 

 and money in the end. 



Grafting may still be continued, even 

 into May, but you must take care to 

 keep the scions in a cool place, and in 

 a dormant position. Covering layers 



