THE GENESEE FARMER. 



125 



©f this variety. He insisted that ho had a large 

 white grape, which he had transplanted from the 

 woods, and "so perfectly delicious was it, that it 

 could be smelt over the whole house." 



The new varieties have attracted much attention, 

 6inc« we have little or no hope of success with 

 either the Catawba or Isabella, except in the most 

 favorable location, in this region. Mr. Cutter has 

 shown the Isabella, thoug hardly equalling those of 

 past years, while Mr. Grant has shown the Isabella 

 and Catawba. Some few others have shown the 

 Isabella^ grown in the city or in the immediate 

 vicinity. This, however, is no criterion for general 

 culture, for we have had Black Hamburghs, Sweet- 

 water, and other tender grapes grown on walls in 

 the city. "What we want, is a grape of a quality 

 not inferior to the Isabella, and ripening seasonably 

 to insure a crop previous to the autumn frosts, 

 unless the mildew should prove destructive — and, 

 from its ravages the past season, we have reason to 

 fear our worst predictions may be verified, unless, 

 with the aid of sulphur, it should be stopped. 



The Concord, so often spoken of heretofore, has 

 ripened in many instances where the Isabella has 

 failed. Mr. Bull has shown them in abundance, 

 but few others have done so, probably for the rea- 

 son that it has not been planted out a sufficient 

 length of time to allow of a liberal show. Those 

 shown by Mr. B. were large, both in bunch and 

 berry, and few grapes prove more attractive than 

 does the Concord, Avith its rich bloom overlaying 

 every berry. It is a valuable acquisition, and Mr. 

 B. is dasernng of a liberal reward for his patient 

 waiting, biding the time when the community will 

 say he should be amply compensated for originat- 

 ing so valuable a grape. 



The Rebecca has now become so popular for its 

 early ripening, good qualities and hardiness that if 

 not already in the hands of most grape growers, it 

 soon will be. It is one of the most valuable grapes 

 for out-door culture that has ever been introduced 

 amongst us ; and then, too, it is so easy of propaga- 

 tion, that in the hands of almost any person it can 

 be multiplied ad libitum. 



Not so, however, with the Delaware ; this proves 

 one of the most difficult of propagation, either from 

 eyes, cuttings or layers, hence it must for a length 

 of time be procured with difficulty. We regret this 

 for it is one of the most valuable not only for its 

 earliness of ripening, but for its hardinesss in with- 

 standing almost any degree of cold to which it can 

 ever be subjected. The Chairman of your Com- 

 mittee has had a vine of this variety planted out 

 for four years, which withstood the winter of 

 1856-7, without injury to the extent of a single 

 inch of even the smallest shoot, while an Isabella of 

 the same age and on the same trellis was killed, 

 both root and branch; the Diana, alongside, was 

 killed to the ground. 



The Delaware, on its fourth year, was allowed to 

 ripen fifty bunches, which, for the table, proved 

 most desirable. As a table-grape we see no reason 

 why it is not equal to the Hose Chasselas ; at least, 

 it is a good substitute for either that or the Red 

 Traminer. The past season, (for the first time,) it 

 was subject to mildew, though slightly, when com- 

 pared with other varieties in its immediate vicinity. 

 The mildew has been the most serious drawback 

 we have to contend with in open culture ; at least 



such was the difficulty the past season, and unless 

 the application of suli)hur will serve to retard it, 

 we do not see any reason why we may not be 

 obliged to abandon the culture of the vine. The 

 free use of sulphur accomplishes its object under 

 glass, and perhaps there is no good reason why it 

 should not for out-door culture. The past season 

 was so Avet that the mildew was much more serious 

 in its ravages than in any former period within our 

 recollection. 



The Union {Union Village) has this year sur- 

 passed those of any former exhibition ; the bunches 

 weighed more than one pound each, and the ber- 

 ries were considerably larger than the general 

 average of Black HamburgJis as we find them on 

 the tables of the Society. The grapes were shown 

 by E. A. Brackett, Winchester, and since Mr. 

 Brackett, prides himself on the introduction of this 

 seedling (from the Isabella,) it is fair to presume 

 that by judicious thinning of the branches and con- 

 stant attention for the encouragement of its growth 

 he has determined to astonish the public ; however, 

 what has been done can be done again by others. 



In corroboration of its resemblance to the Black 

 Hamburgh, Ave Avill mention an anecdote, which. 

 seems well vouched. A distinguished culturist of 

 the vine, and probably the largest in this country, 

 (who is a dear lover of this variety for his family 

 board,) presented bunches at the exhibition of one 

 of the most distinguished of our sister Societies, 

 whose judges are not second to those of any kindred 

 Association. Accompanying the grapes he sent a 

 note, asking if they had ever seen better grown Black 

 Ramburghsl So close was the resemblance of bunch 

 and berry, that the highest premium Avas aAvarded 

 the contributor as the best Black Hamburghs, and 

 the judges Aver© not aware of their mistake till 

 informed by the contributor. The berry has not 

 the consistency of the Hamburgh., while it possesses 

 a sweetness at once distinguishable even to the most 

 common observer, and it is fair to presume that the 

 Committee neglected testing the fruit. It is one of 

 the most rampant growers, and Mr. Brackett 

 clmms that it Avill ripen as early as the Isabella. — 

 Of this fact we cannot speak any more decidedly 

 till it shall h'ive become more Avidely disseminated, 

 and in other hands and other localities, for we 

 should judge the location selected by Mr. Brack- 

 ett as most favorable for the fruiting of the vine. 

 On referring to Mr. Allen's communication it Avill 

 be seen that the Union, as well as the Rebecca, did 

 mildcAV. The Union, in possassion of your Chair- 

 man, did not shoAV a particle of mildew. It Avas 

 planted in ground, the subsoil of Avhich is a coarse 

 gravel, and the field had been subsoiled to the 

 depth of two feet or more. There Avas also in the 

 same roAV, to stakes or posts, the Wnc^yrd, Isabella 

 (Cutter's,) Diana and Breck, none of which showed 

 mildew in the least. To be sure, the drainage was, 

 as a matter of course, good, and to this fact alone 

 may possibly be attributed the escape from mildew. 



The Logan is a new grape, and Avas this year 

 introduced for the first time at our Annual Exhibi- 

 tion, by Geo. W. Campbell, Delaware, Ohio. It 

 is a black grape, with a rich blue bloom, larger 

 than the Diana, but not so large as the Isabella. — 

 The bunches Avere of the size of the Diana. We 

 should judge that it must ripen earlier than any 

 other grape AAath which we are acquainted, and this 



