THE GENESEE FARMEE. 



119 



they become unproductive. The great size of their 

 berries, their beauty and flavor, may render some 

 of the foreign varieties desirable for the garden of 

 the amateur; but it is believed that they will in no 

 case be found adapted to the purposes of those who 

 desire to proAase this fruit on an extended scale ; 

 avid while such results as are now had can be ob- 

 tained from the cultivation of American varieties, 

 it is hardly worth while to resort to foreign sources 

 for any additional supply. 



"Of the long-established and well-known fevor- 

 ite sorts of this fruit, no remarks are necessary, 

 unless it be to say that the Jenny Lind^ having 

 now been subjected to the test of a somewhat ex- 

 tended and general cultivation, seems to justify the 

 encomiums that were bestowed on it at its first ap- 

 pearance. It was then said that it seemed to be an 

 improvement on the Virginia Scarlet^ to which it 

 bore a resemblance, and was well adapted to be a 

 fertilizer to some of the pistillate sorts — a belief 

 now confirmed by subsequent experience." 



" Currants. — For a long time the Red and White 

 Dutch were the only currants cultivated, and seed- 

 lings raised from them, with a view to improve- 

 ment, did not seem essentially to vary in character 

 fi-om their progenitors.' Some years since, Maifs 

 Victoria was produced, and it was at that time 

 expected that it would prove to be a decided im- 

 provement. It has not, however, answered the 

 expectations that were formed; for, except tliat the 

 bunches are much longer, it does not exhibit any 

 superiority. Subsequently, the Red and White 

 Gondoin and Fertile de Paillau were originated, 

 and these, particularly the two first, proved to be 

 an improvement on the old red and white varieties. 

 Within the last year or two, several new varieties 

 of foreign origin have been introduced, that, it now 

 seems probable, will, from their superiority, super- 

 sede the old sorts. Among such are the Fertile cZ' 

 Angers^ La Gaucase, La Versaillaise^ Macrocarpa^ 

 the Ghampagne^ Ilatif de Bertin, and Blanc Trans- 

 parente, though this last may prove to be the same 

 as the White Grape. Several of these varieties 

 have been exhibited the past year in considerable 

 quantities, and, by their beauty and the great size 

 of both bunches and berries, attracted 'much atten- 

 tion. Some berries of the Versalllaise were found, 

 on measuring them, to be two inches in circum- 

 ference. Several of these new currants are fully 

 equal in size to the Gherry, a variety too acid for 

 the dessert^ and at the same time are sweeter and 

 richer than the old kinds. Among those that may 

 be safely, it is believed, recommended, are the 

 three first named in the abote list." 



" Blackberries. — The exhibition of blackberries, 

 the past year, has been confined to the Dorchester 

 and the Lmcton or N^ew Rochelle. Indeed, these 

 are the only ones at present known that are worthy 

 of cultivation. The show of this fruit the past 

 year was very fine. In size and beauty, the berries 

 of both varieties that were exhibited were probably 

 never surpassed. Twenty-five berries of the Law- 

 ton weighed six and cue-sixteenth ounces; while 

 twenty-five berries of the Dorchester weighed five 

 and eleven-sixteenths ounces. Still larger berries 

 of the Dorchester were, however, subsequently ex- 

 hibitod, though not weighed. Cultivators in this 

 vicinity esteem the Dorchester decidedly superior to 

 ihe Lawton: it is much sweetei", and therefore 



more generally acceptable ; besides, that while the 

 Dorchester., upon being gathered, retains its deep, 

 lustrous black color, the Lawton soon becomes of a 

 deep reddish brown or bronze color, and therefore 

 less saleable. Notwithstanding this, the Lawton., 

 when thoroughly ripe, is, though ratlier acid, a 

 rich, high-flavored berry, and it is thought \\m 

 hardly had justice done to it. It bears to the Dor- 

 chester a relation somewhat similar to that borne 

 by the fruit of the common trailing bramble to the 

 highbush blackberry. Both are valuable varieties, 

 and leave scarcely anything further to bo desired in 

 this species of fruit." 



"Grapes. — During the last few years, no fruit, 

 unless it be the pear, has excited so much interest 

 as the grape; and confident expectation has been 

 indulged that from seedlings, now being extensively 

 raised, some new varieties would be produced, that, 

 free from the defects of the native grape, should be 

 of fine quality, hardy, and sufficiently early to at- 

 tain maturity under ordinary circumstances in the 

 open air in Massachusetts. Although this exj)ecta- 

 tion has not as yet been fu-lly realized, still, this is 

 no cause for discouragement, especially in view of 

 what has already been obtained in the Diana and 

 Delaware^ both a near approach to the requirements 

 of cultivators. The great desideratum seems to be 

 a grape of good size, suited to the dessert, that shall • 

 perfectly ripen its fruit during our short summer, 

 that which some varieties of those not yet fully 

 tested may prove to be. There are already good 

 grapes, if they could be produced perfectly ripe, as 

 the Isabella., Gataicla., &c. Indeed, both these 

 sorts, when thoroughly ripened, leave, so for as 

 quality is concerned, but Httle more to be desired ; 

 but it is to be questioned, whether even the first. 

 certainly not the last, ever, unless under tlie most 

 exceptional circumstances, thoroughly ripens its 

 fruit in the open air in New England. Should tliis 

 opinion seem rash or ill-founded, let but a comjjar- 

 ison be made between these varieties, when grown 

 at the South, or here in a grape-house, perfectly 

 ripe, and the ripest and best specimens that can l>c 

 obtained grown in the open air, and the inferiority 

 of the latter will be at once manifest. And this 

 same remark, it is believed, is also applicable to the 

 Goncord., a somewhat earlier variety tban the Isa- 

 hella., but which it is thought will prove to be bet- 

 ter adapted to a more southern latitude than to 

 this, where it originated. The Hartford Ih'olijic 

 has lately received warm commendations from 

 some sources, and seems to answer this require- 

 ment of earliness; ripe grapes, of this sort, grown 

 in Hartford, having been tested this year on the 

 14th September ; but its earliness is its chief recom- 

 mendation ; it is tolerably sweet, but is not wholly 

 free from the peculiar flavor, as well as the iiard 

 pulp of the native varieties, and therefore hardly 

 suited to the table. Besides that there is this ob- 

 jection to it : the berries, when ripe, fall from the 

 vine at a slight touch." 



" Of all the grapes recently introduced, there is 

 none, that for size, beauty, and flavor, is superior 

 to the Union Village, if there is any that equal it, 

 unless one, to be presently noticed, shall hereafter 

 prove an exception. The only mi-sgiving that is 

 felt with respect to this variety, is that it may not 

 be sufficiently early to arrive at perfect maturity 

 when raised in the open air. It is, however, about 



