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HOME FRUIT GROWER 



Fig. 103. By placing paper sacks over Grape clusters 

 finer though later fruit may be secured 



louse called phyl- 

 loxera ; and though 

 several varieties of 

 purely American 

 origin had been 

 named and dissem- 

 inated they were, with 

 almost no exception, 

 of such poor quality 

 that they soon passed 

 out of existence. Not 

 until the Concord 

 was placed among 

 the "new varieties 

 which promise well" 

 in 'the official fruit 

 list of the American 

 Pomological Society 



in 1854 can Grape growing in America be said to have received 

 a powerful impetus. Being, as Horace Greeley called it, "the Grape 

 for the millions" and a wonderful improvement on formerly introduced 

 varieties, the Concord gave stimulus to both the origination of new 

 varieties and to Grape growing in general, for better than any previous 

 variety it proved that our native species are worth the efforts spent 

 on them. 



Except on the Pacific Coast, more especially California, and in a 

 few favored localities in other States, the European Grape continues 

 to fail unless grafted upon stocks which are not harmfully affected by 

 the phylloxera. Hence no attempts should be made to grow any of 

 these varieties anywhere upon their own roots. As their hybrid 

 progeny are more or less constitutionally weak or partake of the 

 susceptibility of the parent to disease they are distinctly amateur, not 

 commercial, varieties. Several of them are of high excellence and 

 are well worth planting in family vineyards, especially to add diversity 

 of flavors to the list and to extend the season. 



Most people believe that Grapes have a season of only a month 

 or so. This is because they grow, or know, only one, or at most very 

 few, varieties which being in small supply are gobbled up promptly. 

 Yet a moment's thought should remind them that in New York, 

 Boston, Chicago and other large Northern cities Niagara and Concord 

 are usually seen in the fruit stores until Thanksgiving Day and Catawba 

 until Christmas and New Year. Those who give all the credit to com- 

 mercial cold storage will doubtless be astonished to learn that Grapes 



