176 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



the low level of the Concord Yalley, where there are late frosts 

 in spring and early frosts in autumn, and a light soil. Many 

 grapes which fail with me might succeed perfectly well else- 

 where. The gentleman in Natick to whom I referred, whose soil 

 is a rich clay, raises the Delaware admirably, which is a case in 

 point. The general fact with regard to the Delaware in our 

 yicinity is, that it grows slowly, and produces small grapes. If 

 it has a liking to a peculiar kind of soil, it is worth while to try 

 it in such soils. 



I have a trial terrace, where I put all new grapes, for trial 

 and comparison. At the end of the terrace grows the lona, two 

 years old ; next to that the Kreveling, and next the Adirondac, 

 both of same age. These are treated in the same manner. The 

 lona grows very feebly ; the Kreveling has a yard or a yard and a 

 half of ripened wood, and the Adirondac ripened two shoots of 

 that size this year. But this is only one instance. Were the 

 circumstances changed, the lona might prove to be the best of 

 all. I wish gentlemen would give attention to this matter, and 

 ascertain what is best. We are only on the threshold of growing 

 grapes. If I have grown grapes for thirty years I have only 

 ascertained how much there is to learn. It took years to get 

 rid of what I thought I knew. 



Mr. Clement, of Dracut. — Mr. Bull remarked, in the morn- 

 ing, that native grapes could not be improved by cultivation. 

 Most boys, who used to ramble around to find wild grapes, 

 thought they were pretty good to their taste, because they never 

 saw any other. When I came to my farm I had grape " on the 

 brain," and I do not know but I have it now. I have travelled 

 many miles to get some of the better class of, as we called them, 

 wild grapes. I had a number of them on grounds that inclined 

 to the south ; but I could not improve the quality of them. 

 They were not one particle better than they were when I used 

 to pick them in the wild state. 



With regard to pruning, I fidly believe one good pruning 

 every year is necessary ; that should be in autumn. If not 

 pruned they straggle off in every direction. 3iore than one 

 pruning is not necessary to get a good crop. I do not wish to 

 discourage people from giving all the attention to the cultivation 

 of grapes that they can. They are apt to be discouraged when 

 they hear so much about pruning and pinching. All this is not 



