THE GENESEE FARMER. 



347 



the Delaware; wonld advise every man to plant the- Dela- 

 ware grape vine, because the taste of the Delaware would 

 excite a demand for the delicious fruit, and get great 

 })rices. The Hartford Prolific grape I mentioned, be- 

 cause it is our earliest good grape, and gets used up 

 quick. 



Mr. Crain'e, of Niagara county, had two Delaware vines 

 planted out in his grounds ; one against the east end of 

 his hou.se, and the other trained upon an open trellis, thus 

 liaving an exposure same as the vines in a vineyard have. 

 The third year had a good growth of wood, and we have 

 seven fy-tiv'e tiue clust'ers of most delicious fruit, which 

 ripened up early and well. Should not hesitate a single 

 moment in planting the Delaware upon a larger scale than 

 anything else. flave cultivated the Hartford Prolific 

 grape for four or five years, and can most fully endorse 

 what Mr. Barrt has said. It certainly ripens four weeks 

 earlier than Isabella, and sometimes more. Hartford 

 Prolific ujjon the 1st of September (nearly a month ago,) 

 was ripe as Isabella usually is upon the 10th of October. 

 Allowed his Rebecca vines to remain all winter tied to a 

 stake as grown in the summer, and this spring found that 

 even the terminal bud was sound ; so sound that we used 

 the last bud for propagation. In answer to a question, 

 Uv. C. stated that his Delaware grape vines in the vine- 

 yard, under ordinary vineyard culture, made the most 

 tVuit, and the clusters were larger and finer than upon 

 liie vine against the east end of his house; while the vine 

 trained upon the house had grown more wood. 



Mr. HooKKR here remarked as to Rebecca standing out, 

 that it was the roots of the Rebecca and not the tops that 

 sult'ered fVoni winter sometimes, and it required a little 

 extra covering or protection to the roots to keep them 

 from the effects of frosts in the ground. The wood of 

 tlie Rebecca vine is always hardy to the effects of frost; 

 but the summer's sun is apt to burn the leaves. As to 

 Delaware, had noticed when last at the Hudson river, a 

 short time ago, that those who had the most experience 

 in the merit.s of the Delaware grape, were now preparing 

 to plant this variety extensively-. One man will plant 

 2,")00 to 3,000 Delaware vines immediately, confidently 

 believing them to be the most profitable grape that he can 

 grow for the New York market. Delaware is certainl}- an 

 uncommonly productive grape. We can get ten bunches 

 (if Delaware where we can raise one bunch of Rebecca, 

 and Delaware grows a short jointed wood and does not 

 make too much wood. 



Mr. Laxgworthy here rose and remarked that in his 

 neighborhood Delaware is obtaining great notoriety. 

 Some planters think they must have all Delawares set 

 out. Delaware is a truly delicious grape; but size of 

 fruit has its influence upon prices in the market. 



Mr. HooKEK resumed : Don't for market grow all one 

 sort of grapes ; nor all one kind of pears ; nor all one 

 kind of peaches. By all means grow a variety of fruits. 

 Every planter wants Delaware, and he wants Concord as 

 well.' He wants the very earliest fruit, and he wants 

 Diana as well, which is early, but not quite as much so 

 as Hartford Prolific. 



Mr. Ellwangeii here remarked, that there is one thing 

 in the Delaware that must not be overlooked, and which 

 is very much in its favor. If not wanted for eating nor 

 for market, it will make a good wine, and it always 

 ripens. 



Mr. MooDT said that the grape was the fruit of all fruits 

 which entered most into general consumption. Everybody 

 eats grapes ; but its greatest use in my opinion in this 

 country is for wine. We want a grape that will make 

 wine, and good wine. We buy an immense quantit}' of 

 wine, or wliat is called wine, from abroad. Some people 

 are particular as to what they drink, but nobody that I 

 have ever seen has been so conscientious that he won't 

 drink good native wine. We want a grape sweet enough 

 to make wine without the addition of any sugar to the 

 juice, and having found such a grape, we can't raise too 

 many of them in this country. Diana will also make a 

 fine "wine, beyond any doubt, for it also is a sweet grape. 

 There is not "any of that fibre which is in most of our na- 

 tive grapes; aud which, when pressed, is very sour, and 

 needs sugar. In my opinion, Diana and Delaware are 

 the only two grapes which will here in this country make 

 a really fine ivine. Strong growers, with short jointed 

 wood which ripens perfectly ; early and abundant bear- 

 ers, the fruit will hang upon the vines a long time after 



ripening, and the frost does not injure the fruit when 

 fully ripe. 



In this connection, Mr. Ellwanger spoke of the Dela- 

 ware as sure to ripen about the middle of September, and 

 then it could be left to hang on the vine until the middle 

 of October, if not needed sooner. In Europe the vint- 

 ners let their grapes hang upon the vines as long as pos- 

 sible ; and the longer they hang the more sacchai-ine mat- 

 ter they have in tliem. As to" the quality of early ripen- 

 ing, the earlier the grape matures the more you can de 

 pend upon it, provided it Avill hang on the bunch ; and 

 then you are perfectly sure of having your grapes 

 ripened. 



Mr. Langwortht here said that Mr. Moody was on the 

 right track in his strong commendations of the Diana 

 and Delaware grapes. They are certainly good enough 

 for eating by any fruit lovers, aud then when not needed 

 for consumption in that way, they possessed the Tery m- 

 portant attribute of making a wine which was a good 

 wine, a fine flavored palatable wine, and sweet enough 

 without sugar. 



Mr. Baiuiy had drank Delaware wine in Cincinnati, and 

 he could coufideutly say that it was the best American 

 wine he had ever tasted ; far better than the best Cataw- 

 ba ; better than any foreign wine he ever saw or put his 

 lips to. 



Mr. Craixe thought that the Delaware was more pro- 

 lific than even that'splendid grape the Diana, under the 

 same treatment. 



Mr. HoPKiN.s, of Tompkins county, had had considera- 

 ble experience with the Delaware vines and fruit last 

 summer and last fall. The Delaware is largely grown in 

 New Jersey, and has been thus grown during thirty or 

 forty year's, until they have time to become very large 

 vines. Under all sorts of treatment, they show that the 

 vine will stand as much bad treatment as the Isabella. 

 In one place found a vine allowed to run all over an apple 

 tree, with a total neglect as to being pruned; and yet it 

 was bearing a full crop of fruit all over the top of the tree. 

 In every place where I have found it, it is valued very 

 highly indeed; is valued above any grape they have ever 

 seen. In the northern part of New Jersey, in places 

 where the winters are as cold and as variable as they are 

 here, and where they do not give to the Delaware the 

 least kind of protection, it sustains itself better than the 

 Isabella does under the same exposure. Judging from 

 the fact that upon the high grounds in the colder parts of 

 New Jersey, the Delaware vines have done remarkably 

 well, Mr. H. could assure cultivators that in Westera 

 New York it will do as well as any other grape vine, and 

 will produce as many pounds of fruit to the vine as any 

 other kind. Its sterling good qualities can be best realiz- 

 ed by its being called the '' Italian Wine Grape" by some 

 foreigners who saw it in the grounds of Judge Provost, 

 at Kingswood, N. J. It has oue valuable quality whereia 

 it is different from any other of our native grapes, except 

 the Diana, and that is, that as soon as it begins to be col- 

 ored it is sweet and good. 



Mr. Moody here begged to remark, that in his expe- 

 rience the Diana had been fully as productive as the Dela- 

 ware ; and although he layered all the wood for propaga- 

 tion, still these layered branches set fruit ; and every in- 

 dication about the Diana shows signs of its being au 

 early bearer. 



Mr. Craixe repeated his opinion as to the Delaware. 

 Vines this year had made canes twelve and fifteen feet in 

 length, and he thought that a Delaware plant in its third 

 year's growth will b"^ear more fruit under the same treat- 

 ment than the Diana. He admired them both very much, 

 but thought it'his duty to commend the Delaware as he 

 had already done. 



Mr. HoAG spoke in favor of having a regular succession 

 of grapes, in about an equal proportion of the varieties, 

 as much as we do of any otker frui".. If this be properly 

 attended to, we can ha've and enjoy the luxury of the 

 grape as long as we can apples — for at least six months 

 steady. Would speak well of a variety called the Garrig- 

 nes, which ripens at least ten days earlier than Isabella. 

 Has grown it side by side with Isaoella, and Garrignes is 

 more hardy, maturing its fruit linely while Isabella rots. 

 Although the flavor or quality may not be quiie equal to 

 that of Isabella, still it is very hard.v, and exceedingly 

 productive. 



Mr. Ellwaxger again remarked, that as a rule, the 

 i grapes that ripen early are the kinds that keep best. An 



