60 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



will bring more money. Sent (hem to Cleveland, Chicago, 

 Philadelphia and New York. Received orders from New 

 York for more than his whole crop. If confined to one 

 strawberry, he would plant the Triomphe de Gaud. Al- 

 though not quite as productive as the Wilson, he could 

 say with safety that it produces more than three hundred 

 bushels to the acre. For canning, the Wilson is preferred. 

 The only manure used is well rotted stable manure. The 

 same plant, if runners are kept off, will bear ten years. 

 A good many crowns will start and cluster around the 

 original plant, each bearing a fruit stem, and all produc- 

 ing a very large amount of fruit. 



Mr. Vick expressed pleasure at the remarks of Mr. 

 Knox. They show that the very best culture is success- 

 ful on a large scale. We are too apt to think that good 

 culture must be confined to amateurs or garden culture 

 exclusively, and is unsuited to the orchard and market 

 garden. This is an error. That system which is most 

 profitable in the garden will be generally found so in the 

 orchard. 



GRAPES. 



SUBJECT VI. 



What are the best six varieties of Graf es for family use, 

 and which are the best two for vineyard purposes. 



Mr. Knox had found, among the new varieties which he 

 had tried, three which gave entire satisfaction — Hartford 

 Prolific, Delaware and Concord. In a vine for general 

 culture, we need two things — freedom from disease, in 

 vine and fruit, and early ripening. Hartford Prolific and 

 Concord are free from disease in the vine, never mildew, 

 and the fruit is free from any disease. The Delaware mil- 

 dews somewhat. We want early ripening, so as to be out 

 of the way of frost. The grapes of Kelley Island are 

 very popular, because they are obtained fully ripe. The 

 soil is calcareous, and the season long. Such soils can be 

 obtained, and if we had grapes that would ripen early, 

 we should have all the advantages of that favored locality. 

 The Concord is a splendid grape, but he watched the rip- 

 ening with fear and trembling as the season for frost 

 approached. Hartford Prolific, it was stated, drops from 

 the bunches, but it did not with him. His crop is sold 

 readily at twenty-five cents a pound. Mr. K. would not 

 advise planting very largely of this variety, as Concord 

 displaces it as soon as ripe. The Concord will stand more 

 hard usage than any other grape, and bears well. It is 

 the most beautiful grape he had ever seen. It bears early, 

 and vines the third year after planting average ten pounds 

 each, which will sell at from sixteen to twenty cents per 

 pound. Prunes by the renewal system, and plants the 

 vines seven teet three inches one way by six feet the oth- 

 er, making one thousand plants to the acre. Trellis eight 

 feet high. After the third year each Concord vine will 

 yield twenty-five pounds of grapes. 



Dr. Farley, of Union Springs, said Diana was a favor- 

 ite grape with him. He thought, with Mr. Knox, that 

 the Concord would prove one of the best of American 



f rapes. The Isabella has done well, and has been injured 

 y frost only two ) r ears. They ripen uniformly. Mr. F. 

 has a Catawba vineyard on a point of land running out 

 into Cayuga lake, which is there two miles wide, and they 

 get pretty nearly or quite ripe. The renewal is undoubt- 

 edly the correct system. The Delaware grape is excellent 

 in quality, but he could never get a bunch to weigh over half 

 a pound, which is too small. Has no mildew. Diana last 

 year showed sig-is of dry rot, and its wood is not so har- 

 dy as that of Concord or Delaware. 



II. N. Langworthy is well pleased with Delaware, Di- 

 ana, Concord, Union Village, and Rebecca, for the table; 

 and for wine, Clinton and Delaware. Mr. L. thought well 

 of Blight's renewal system of pruning. 



Mr. Thomas has measured specimens of Isabella grapes at 



Dr. Farley's place, seven-eighths of an inch in diameter. 



Mr. Jacobs has bought grapes in all parts of Western 



New Y'ork f>r years, ami Dr. Pauley has the best he has 



ever purchased or seen. 



Dr. Farley, in answer to inquiries, said his land is 

 mostly a pretty heavy clay, though he has a variety of 

 soils, some gravel, lying on limestone rock. First under- 

 drained well, then trenched. Plowed three times and 

 succeeded in getting it well broken up eighteen or twenty 

 inches deep. Put on muck in a crude state. Some por- 

 tions received no nuiek and only good common culture, 

 and there the vines did pretty well. Trenched a portion 



three feet deep with the spade, and gave a very heavy 

 dressing of manure. The result was a very large growth 

 of wood but little fruit. At first commenced planting 

 vines twelve feet apart each way, then eight feet each way, 

 but now eight by ten. Mr. F. had seeu some beautiful 

 looking grapes grown by ringing, but size was obtained 

 at the expense of quality. His soil is naturally dry, such 

 as would not geuerally be thought to require draining, 

 but water runs from the tile nearly the whole year. 



Mr. Holmes thought the Catawba and Isabella stood 

 first on the list of grapes. Ashes he found to hasten the 

 ripening. 



Mr. Avert had good ripe Catawba grapes the 15th of 

 September. Produced by having the vine on the south 

 side of a house and well pruued. The roots were covered 

 with leached ashes. 



Dr. Sylvester considered Isabella, Concord, Hartford 

 Prolific, Rebecca, Diana and Union Yillage, the best vari- 

 eties for table; and the Oporto and Clinton for wine. The 

 Rebecca does well with a warm exposure; the Hartford 

 Prolific does not drop its berries after the vine obtains 

 age, and the Diana Mr. S. thought one of our best grapes. 



Mr. Ellwanger said with him Diana does not ripen 

 much earlier than Catawba. This year neither ripened 

 well. The Union Village is a large grape but of poor 

 quality and ripens too late. Could recommend the Ca- 

 tawba" where it would ripen* and the Concord and Dela- 

 ware. Mr. E. was not prepared to recommend other 

 varieties at present. 



Mr. Moody was in the same fix as Mr. Ellwanger, and 

 was not prepared to recommend six varieties for general 

 culture. The Delaware would make good wine and is a 

 good grape for the table. He ripens the Diana earlier 

 than Mr. Ellwanger. 



L. B. Langworthy said he introduced the Clinton from 

 the Hudson river, in Saratoga county, and gave it the 

 name by which it is known. One winter the thermometer 

 was thirty-three degrees below zero, and killed all the Isa- 

 bella vines. A friend wrote him that he had a grape that 

 endured that winter without injury, and he obtained cut- 

 tings and brought them, to Rochester, and named it after 

 Gov. Clinton. 



Mr. Smith said the Northern Muscadine had this year 

 been excellent. 



Mr. Barry said the Rebecca, when ripe, is one of the 

 very highest flavored grapes. Unfortunately, the vine is 

 rather tender, and sutlers from the sun, and in some cases 

 from the winter, but those who have a favorable situation 

 should plant the Rebecca, and they would have a most 

 delicious grape. 



Mr. Hoag fruited thirty or forty varieties last season. 

 Of these he found a few very desirable. Would name 

 the Delaware, Diana, Concord, Hartford Prolific, To-Kalon 

 and Perkins. The To-Kalon is perfectly hardy, a good 

 bearer, and the fruit superior to the Isabella, and keeps 

 well, but the clusters are somewhat broken. The vines 

 were on the trellis last year, and did not suffer in the 

 least. The Perkins is the hardiest of all grapes, ripens 

 early, only a few days later than the Hartford Prolific. It 

 keeps well and improves by keeping. A little foxy. 



Mr. Lay was much pleased with Concord. 



Mr. Fisn thought Northern Muscadine a good grape. 

 It does not drop from the vine. Let some remain last 

 season until frost. 



H. N. Langwohthy had five or six years experience 

 with Northern Muscadine. The bunches are very small, 

 and it had proved very unproductive with him. 



At the conclusion of the discussion, it was suggested 

 that a vote should be taken, which was ordered, with the 

 following result: 



Hartford Prolific 5 Oporto 1 



Northern Muscadine 2 Perkins 1 



Delaware 7 To-Kalon 2 



Diana G Onion Village 1 



Isabella 6 Rebecca 2 



Concord 7 Catawba 2 



Clinton 1 



The following officers were elected for the ensuing 

 year: President, Hugh T. Brooks, of Wyoming; Vice 

 Presidents, J. J. Thomas, W. B. Smith, and W. R. Cop- 

 pock; Secretary, C. P. Bissell, of Rochester; Treasurer, 

 W. P. Townsend, Lockport. C. P. Bissell was unani- 

 mously elected the first Life Member of the Society. 



