120 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Mr. Charles Woolet, of New Paltz Landing, Ulster 

 Co. N. Y.i last year produced from three-fourths of an 

 acre, four tons of. the most beautiful grapes I ever saw. 

 I think I hazard nothing in saying that his clusters aver- 

 aged half a pound each. They brought 10 cents per lb. 

 Varieties, Catawba and Isabella. The earth was not 

 trenched. Mr. Woolet never fails to ripen his grapes. 



S. B. Trowbridge, Esq., a retired gentleman of Pougb- 

 keepsie, who cultivates the vine more particularly for the 

 pleasure it atfords, produced last year at the rate of 

 $1,021 per acre. This gentleman gave me a very inter- 

 esting statement of his mode of cultivation. 



Mr. Bruyn t , of Esopus, Ulster Co., and Isaac Meritt, 

 of Hart's Village, Dutchess Co., both last year produced 

 results equal to anv of the above; so I am informed by 

 their neighbors, but not having seen them and their 

 grounds, can not speak as of facts. 



Messrs. J. Heaton and W. Kniffin, my neighbors, have 

 equalled any case I have named. Mr. Heaton's vineyard 

 covers several acres. 



No one acre of the above cost over $200— cost of vines, 

 preparation and planting. 



We have no doubt that most of the vineyards in Cen- 

 tral and Western New York would show similar results, 

 and we trust that at an early day we may be enabled, by 

 the action of our Fruit Growers' Society, to lay before 

 our readers a large collection of facts on this subject. 

 • As it is our sole purpose at this time to note the direc- 

 tion of the public mind in relation to the matter of grape 

 growing, and not to enter into the practical details of the 

 subject, we shall only offer, for the advantage of those in- 

 tending to plant the present season, a few remarks on the 

 value and comparative merits of the best and most relia- 

 ble sorts ot grapes. 



The Isabella in our latitude, and the Catawba further 

 south, until within the last year or two have been almost 

 the only varieties of Vineyard culture, but henceforth 

 there will be a greater diversity, and, we have no doubt, a 

 much superior quality of crops. 



The Delaware grape now holds so high a place in public 

 favor, and is so widely known, as to be scarcely entitled 

 to the distinction " new," which alone gives eclat to many 

 varieties, and we are happy to state that this sort has 

 progressed so far as to be firmly established in our best 

 societies' lists of fruits for "general cultivation." Vine- 

 yards of it are beginning to be planted, and the most 

 gratifying results to be realized. Mr. A. J. Catwood, 

 who collected the facts we have quoted from the Horti- 

 culturist, says in the same article: "I think the Delaware 

 and Concord will far excel the Isabella and Catawba for 

 vineyard purposes. The American Pomological Society 

 places it on its list for general cultivation, and the same 

 may be said of the various Fruit Growers' and Horticul- 

 tural Societies throughout the country. At the meeting 

 Of the Farmers' Club of New York, May 7th, 1860, Mr. A. 

 S. Fuller, in making some remarks on grapes and wines, 

 said that "while trying some wines a few weeks since, at 

 the residence of J. G. Schneike, of Cincinnati, who has 

 experimented with as many varieties of native grapes as 

 any other man in this country, be made some statements 

 which may be as interesting to others as they were to us. 

 In naming six of the best varieties of vine-grapes in the 

 latitude of Cincinnati, he placed the Delaware first and 

 said the Delaware wine was the richest, and preserved the 

 . real bouquet of the grape, and it improved by age. The 

 vintage of 1859 contained Sh per cent, of alcohol. Even 

 in South Carolina and Georgia > the Delaware is ranked 



first by the most experienced grape growers ; and if such 

 is the case where the Catawba can be produced in perfec- 

 tion, how much more surely is it entitled to such prefer- 

 ence here, where it proves the hardiest vine grown, and 

 one of the very earliest to ripen its fruit, being at least a 

 full month in advance of the Isabella. 



We could go on adducing reliable statements, all to the 

 same effect, in regard to the value of this variety, until a 

 volume was filled, but we deem it unnecessary in the 

 present state of information on the subject. We have 

 said thus much to assure our readers that this grape has 

 lost none of the favor with which it was first regarded, by 

 the repeated and various trials to which it has since been 

 subjected. 



The following brief description will suffice to distin- 

 guish it by those to whom it is not familiar: Berries 

 small, round; skin thin, of a beautiful amber color; flesh 

 juicy, very little pulp ; flavor sweet, sprightly and deli- 

 cious ; bunches medium size, very compact and some- 

 times shouldered. A good, free grower and one of the 

 hardiest vines known. 



In our memorandum book of last year we find the fol- 

 lowing at the date of Sept. 9 : Delaware ripening well, a 

 few bunches quite colored, all more or less. Sept. 19. A 

 great part of the fruit already used. 



Diana. This variety, in quality, ranks only inferior to 

 Delaware. As we have never before given an engraving 

 of it, we now present one. Its berries and bunches lire 

 larger than the Delaware, and it is also a stronger grower 

 — equalling, we think, the Isabella, in this respect. It 

 ranks very high in the estimation of practical fruit grow- 

 ers, and like the Delaware, is placed by the American 

 Pomological Society on its list for general cultivation. 

 In the severe winter of 1860-61, this variety in this vicin- 

 ity, with the Isabella and Catawba, was badly injured by 

 the cold, and we have no reason to suppose it any hardier 

 than them. The Delaware, Concord and To Kalon were 

 the only ones among some forty varieties that were able 

 to stand this test of Arctic cold. It would be unfair, 

 therefore, to place much against the Diana on this ac- 

 count. 



Dr. Miner, of Houeoye Falls, in this county, who has 

 had most experience with this variety, regards it very 

 hifhly, and as a most profitable sort for extensive culture. 

 Nicholas Longworth, the great grape grower and 

 wine maker of Cincinnati, says: "The Diana I deem 

 superior as a table grape to the Catawba." 



In reference to the Diana as a wine grape, Mr. Schneike, 

 whose remarks in relation to the Delaware we quoted, 

 said, in connection therewith, that with the Diana he had 

 but little experience, but from the wine he had made from 

 it he was inclined to place it next to the Delaware. 



The bunches of the Diana are large and compact; ber- 

 ries large, amber colored, round, abounding with a rich, 

 vinous and aromatic juice ; ripens in this vicinity from 

 one to two weeks before Isabella. Our memorandum of 

 Sept 9 says: Diana commencing to color: 



Concord. This variety, from its hardiness, fine ap- 

 pearance, vigorous growth, productiveness and early- 

 ripening, must become extensively planted. Berries 

 large, round; thick bloom, dark color; bunch, in size 



