8 



DESCRIPTION OF VAniKlIES. 



nisins, wlilcli, when sufficiently dried, maintaiu tlie Muscat meaty 

 character witliout any diminution of transiiarency. I am not ac- 

 quainted witli any grape among tlie foreign liinds tliat comprises so 

 "aluabie ;in assemblage of excellences, and we have none among our 

 own, except lona, that can be placed by the side of it, although Diana 

 !a one that we can not spare from our list for garden or vineyard. 



Tona ij a seedling from Diana, and has none of its defects, with a 

 large amount of excellence peculiarly its own. The vine is of best 

 babit. being strong, vigorous, and hardy, with large, short-jointed 

 canes iind abundant thick, fleshy, and enduring foliage, which remains 

 antil both wood and fruit are fully ripened. It flowers and sets its 

 fruit late, but matures very early, and thus avoids danger from late 

 spring and early autumn frosts. It bears very early and abundantly, 

 giving excellent fruit that is tender to the center at first, but improves 

 In spirit, sugar, and richness as the vines acquire mature age. The 

 l>erries are large or very large, and the bunches very large and winged 

 or double-shouldered like the European grapes, and the berries are 

 remarkably transparent from their first setting, which is indicative of 

 the tenderness of the flesli. The color is peculiar, but is sometimes 

 aecn in the Catawba wlien its coppery hue becomes almost crimson, 

 with minute veinings of violet or amethyst. 



Tlie same is often seen in what is called the Grizzly Frontignan, 

 which the lona strongly resembles both in appearance and flavor. 



The structure of the berries is uniform from the circumference to the 

 center, melting under a slight pressure from the tongue, and when 

 fully ripe flows with most abundant clear, vinous juice. 



In flavor it is rich, spicy, with a fine, delicate, muscatel aroma 

 added to its sugary and refreshing wine, constituting it one of the 

 most delightful and refreshing of grapes. For late keeping it is fully 

 equal to Diana, and is not in the least disposed to rot or lose its vinous 

 spirit, but dries readily to the most spirited of raisins, for which it is 

 admirably fitted by having only a few very small seeds, as well as by 

 its tender, meaty structure. From its early bearing and extreme pro- 

 ductiveness, and the certainty of its crops, as well as from the charau- 

 ter of its fruit, it must become equal in value to the Delaware and 

 superior to all others. It has not been tested for wine, but can not 

 fail of taking a high rank for that purpose. On another page its his- 

 tory and characteristics are more fully stated. 



Allen's Hybrid is the only grape that bears in itself full proof of 

 hybridization. The Isabella was its mother, and which of the foreign 

 kinds furnished the father is doubtful. It has all o€ the excellence of 

 Golden Cliasselas, with much more vinous spirit and refreshment. It 

 is nearly white in the shade, very translucent, and fine light amber 

 when sunned near the time of ripening. It has very peculiar leaves, 

 which have great ability to withstand mildew, and appears to be quite 

 hardy. Init may be for safety laid down in winter. It is strong, short- 

 jointed, ;'.nd vigorous in habit, and bears early and abundantly. The 

 bunches are large, sometimes branched like Isabella and sometimes 

 ahouldercd like foreign kinds. The time of ripening is not yet fully 

 .'Ascertained, as it appears each season to become earlier, and may pcr- 

 hai)s surjiass the Delaware. By laying down in winter it will probably 

 be one of the best for the North, where it will be i ntirely exempt 

 from mildew and blight. Each j'ear gives additional evidence that 

 tills is one of our most esteemed varieties for the garden. 



The lona and lamella, after six years of thorough trial in different 

 localities, have uniformly exhibited great excellence, and shown them- 

 selves, all things considered, to be superior to any native kinds in cul- 

 tivation. 



The lona, in particular, for table use, will mark an era in American 

 gn'.ipe culture not less important than that so happily distinguished by 

 the introduction of the Delaware, which has wrought an entire revolu- 

 tion in our ideas of the characteristics of a good grape. 



The former idea, as shown by the Isabella, and even by the Cataw- 

 ba, to "ome extent, even under the most favorable circumstances, and 

 when hi the best condition, was that of a considerable amount of good- 

 ness always inseparable from some degree of badness, which made a 

 very broad distinction between the best European kinds and those of 

 our own country, greatly to the disparagement of the latter. 



The present ideals that of unmingled goodness, with a degree of re- 

 storative, inspiriting excellence that belongs to no other fruit. In the 

 presence of the grape, we can not characterize the juice of the noble 



color, a little tinted with amethyst, and is translucent from tt e flnl 

 setting of the fruit, like the best European kinds ; the bunches arc alw 

 " winged " like those, that is. shouldered on each side, instead of being 

 branched like the Delaware and our ather native kinds. Its seeds are 

 few and extremely small. 



The flesh is of uniform consistence quite to the center, and as swee' 1 

 at the center as near the skin ; in quality and appearance it r.ion. ' > 

 nearly resembles the Red Frontignan than any other grape. Like that <! 

 most esteemed Muscat variety, it is transparent, fleshy, tender, and is 

 even more spirited and vinous, and makes more spirited raisins. It 

 does not decay, and may be kept all winter on the shelves of the fruit- 

 room, adhering firmly to the bunch, and at length dries to raisins. 



It is an early and profuse bearer, never having failed to fully ripea 

 its crop, and has never been affected with rot or any unhealthiness 

 during its trial, even in the most unfavorable seasons for the grape that 

 we have ever known. The third year from tlJe seed (185T) it bore and 

 thoroughly ripened many fine bunches. 



The habit of the vine and the quality of the fruit are both so good, 

 that it would be difficult to say in what respect they could be altered 

 for the better. 



It ripens fully two weeks before the Isabella, hangs long upon the 

 vine, and is not injured in its flavor or texture by severe frost. Flower- 

 ing late, it avoids danger from spring frosts. It has none of t!;e of- 

 fensive native muskiness, but a genuine, delightful Muscat flavor, and 

 with its spirited richness, it may be inferred th.it it will take .ns high 

 rank for wine as for the table, although it has not been tested for that 

 purpose. 



The ISRAELLA is a large black grape, ripening one week before the 

 lona, and is the earliest black grape that is large, excellent, and hardy. 

 Like the lona, it adheres firmly to the bunch, is a late keeper, and 

 dries early to raisins, which are sweet and rich. It matures from with- 

 out toward the center, and when fully ripe, has no acidity or tough 

 ness remaining, being exceedingly sweet, rich, and good thrt ughou 

 its entire substance. It is somewhat suggestive of a spirited Green 

 Gage plum by its peculiar luscious flavor. It is not deficient in vinous 

 life, and is pronounced most excellent by all who have eaten it. 



The vine has uniformly maintained its remarkable health and hardi 

 hood, and, during the five jears of its fruiting, has been constant in 

 its exceeding productiveness. It has never been affected by mildew, 

 nor has the fruit suffered from '' rot." 



The lona and Israella, at first fruiting, stood out from a great num 

 ber of seedlings very prominently for excellence of flavor, and the 

 hardy endurance and productiveness of the vine. 



A few words in regard to the origin and history of these vines may 

 here be added. The years lSaO-54: inclusive were very favorable, by 

 their he.-it and dryness, 'o the growth of the vine ; in 1SC>4, however, 

 there was some thinning of the crop by the rot among the Isabellas 

 and Catawbas, but scarcely a show of it among the Dianas, which had 

 that season arrived at a good degree of maturity, and excited my sur- 

 prise by the size, beauty, and excellence of the fruit. 



I determined to plant all of the seeds from that kind that could be 

 saved ; and the remarkable excellence of the Isabella and Catawba 

 grapes that season, surpassing any thing that I had before seen from 

 those kinds, suggested the idea that circuiustances were opportune for 

 planting seeds from the best and earliest ripened bunches of these also. 

 They were planted in ground that had been trenched two feet deep 

 or more, and the roots of the best of them occupied the full depth of 

 the worked ground, and without any protection, endured the severe 

 freezing of the winter that followed without injury. 



I transplanted five thousand of those which promised moat by their 

 hardiness, vigor, and nearness of joints, rejecting the long-jointed. 



The next season was particularly trying to the leaves, by its sharp 

 alternations from cloud and fog to wind and fierce, bright sunshine. 

 The leaves of many suffered greatly from sun-scald, and for this tea 

 derness two thousand were rejected at the end of the season. 



The lona stood out very distinctly above them all, having produced 

 two canes that appeared to be large enough for bearing, which were 

 pruned for that puppose. 



The result more than realized the pretty high expectations that had 

 been indulged, and a small stock was propagated frrm it by layering. 



apple as "blood," which we may now do in speaking of the animating j which greatly exhausted the mother-plant. All of this stock was lost 

 iuice of the best of our own grapes. the following winter by a destructive fire, by which I lost houses and 



The lona is a large bunch, with large berries of a very peculiar wine I a large stock of plants which were in a pit adjoining. 



