THE GENESEE FARMER. 



128 



ETTiNG THE SxAKES. — The stakes should be of 

 e good, lasting wood, such as oak, ash, hickory, 

 ir, chestnut, &c. They should be about two 

 les tliick, and five feet six inches long, to be 

 en eighteen inches into the ground, which will 

 e four feet out. The best way of setting them, 

 3 punch a hole with a round, sharp-pointed 

 vbar, of about the thickness of the stake; set 

 stake in tlie hole, and drive it home with a 

 ^et. Be careful that they are set in their exact 

 es, and upright, that they may come in per- 

 [y straight rows every way. 

 ver}' spring th-e stakes must be examined, to 

 that they are sound, and not heaved out of 

 e by tlie winter's freezing. If any are found to 

 'otten, tliey must be re[)laced by new ones, or 

 rsed, the sound end being put in the ground. 

 France, about Fontainebleau, the vines are 

 led in the fall, and all the stakes are pulled up 

 carried under cover, or piled in little stacks in 

 vineyard, and re-set in the spring. They stick 

 7f stakes in the ground, something in the form 

 sawbnck, and then pile a number of stakes on 

 le position that a stick of wood is placed to be 

 }d; but I forget how to describe it exactly. 

 1 must preserve them nmch longer than if they 

 3 left in the ground altogether. In France, the 

 g is usually done with a small white rush ; in 

 country, with a willow twig, which is twisted 

 er than tied. The small yellow willow is the 

 , and it is well to have a small patch of them 

 nns, for the use of every vineyard. Fifty plants, 

 n three years old, will produce ties enough for an 

 ©f vines. They should be planted in wet soil, 4 

 apart each way, and headed down every spring. 



WHAT VAEIETIES OF GEAPE3 TO PLANT. 



ie Catawba and Isabella are so generally well 

 s^D, that it is useless to make any remarks of 

 1. But of some of the newest kinds which 

 > been well tried and brought into notice 

 lin the last ten years, it may be well to give a 



I description, for the benefit of those who are 

 yet familiar with these as yet scarce, but most 

 ce and luscious of our hardy grapes. 



'ith your leave, Messrs. Editors, as my list must 



5 a beginning, as weU as any other list, and as the 



mare is universally conceded to be at the head 



very native collection, I shaU begin with that 



ety. 



iie Delaware has been mostly disseminated by 



Thomson, of Delaware, Ohio ; hence its name. 



II give a memorandum which I made while 

 ig some beautiful Delaioares sent us by Mr. 

 MsoN, early last September. "The size is 

 11 to medium, one bunch shouldered. Bunch 

 pact, three and a half inches long, one and 

 e-fourths diameter; berry, one-half to five- 

 ths of an inch diameter ; form round ; quality 

 'best^ tasting like fine flavored sugar, and dis- 

 ing completely in the mouth, leaving a luscious 

 3 on the palate ; seeds, one to two ; color, dark 

 ler or chocolate ; time of ripening first of Sep- 

 ber, have been gathered ripe as early as fifteenth 

 LUgust, 1858. One of the Tia/rdiest vines we have. 

 OGAN. — The best earliest grape, having been 

 :ed ripe tenth of August, 1858. Bunch, size 



shape of a medium Isabella-^ color, black; 

 !ity very good ; quite as hardy as the Delaware. 



Diana. — Second in quality to but one, and that 

 the Delaware. Perfectly hardy, strong and free 

 grower, and one of the freest and earliest bearers 

 that I know of. Begins to ripen a few scattering 

 berries the middle of September, which are sweet 

 as soon as colored ; keeps improving till middle of 

 October, if allowed to hang so late. A fully ripe 

 Diana is perfectly luscious and cloying, leaving 

 the lips, after eating a bunch, slightly sticky, as 

 though we had been tasting syrup. It is destined 

 to be as good a wine grape for New York as the 

 Catatcba for Ohio. Hangs well on the vine, and 

 also on the bunch afte-r being gathered, and is a 

 good keeper ; color, when fully ripe, dark amber. 



Concord — "When well grown, the largest and 

 finest looking, both in bunch and berry ; hardiest 

 black grape we have. Time of ripening, a fortnight 

 earlier tlian the Isabella^ and more hardy than that 

 variety ; quality, sweet and very good, with a lit- 

 tle native aroma. Is being extensively planted, 

 both for fruit and wine, and is growing in favor 

 every year. 



NoRTHEEN Muscadine. — Very hardy; moderate 

 grower ; good bearer, and is principally valuable for 

 its early ripening quality. Time of ripening, mid- 

 dle of September, and has a good deal of that 

 peculiar native aroma, of which some people are 

 very fond, and others are not. Must be gathered 

 as soon as ripe, or the berries are liable to fall from 

 the bunch ; color, dark red. 



To Kalon. — The To Kalon is one of the finest 

 grapes. "When well ripened it is perfectly sweet 

 and luscious, with a very agreeable aroma. Flesh 

 very delicate and tender, the seeds leaving it as 

 freely as from any foreign variety. Berries an 

 inch in diameter ; bunch large ; color, dark amber, 

 inclining to black ; quite hardy; strong grower with 

 peculiarly beautiful foliage, and moderate bearer. 



Union "Village. — The Union Village \s every- 

 where spoken of as being a splendid grape, as large 

 as the Black Hamburgh. The fruit 1 have not yet 

 seen, but the vine is a fine grower. 



Rebecca. — This is a beautiful white grape. — 

 Bunch very compact ; berry slightly oval, with a 

 delicate bloom ; flesh delicate, sweet and juicy ; 

 very good. The vine is a delicate grower the first 

 year, but afterwards moderately strong. 



Golden Clinton. — This a seedling from the 

 common Clinton \ perfectly hardy; fre^ grower; 

 and a great bearer. Ripe fifteenth of September; 

 skin thin ; flesh very sweet and juicy, with no 

 pulp. A nice white grape. 



King. — Very hardy ; free grower ; an abundant 

 bearer ; the fruit of one vine having sold in one 

 year for $15, at the rate of 12^ centi? per pound. 

 Bunch and berry small to medium ; berry, round ; 

 color, black ; skin rather thick, which makes it a 

 good keeper. I have a bunch by me now, (16th 

 of March,) which was cut from the vine the 2d of 

 last September, and is pretty fair raisins ; flesh of 

 some consistence ; good; time of ripening, last week 

 in August. Its best qualities are, it is extremely 

 early, hardy, and a great bearer. 



Eooh^ster, K Y., March, 1859. JOS I AH SALTEE. 



TnoTTGH rapid growth is desirable in succulent 

 vegetables, this is not the case with most flowering 

 shrubs, wlaich form bushy, and therefore hand- 

 somer plants, when grown slowly. 



