SELECTIONS FOR VINEYARDS 



19 



Tlie second table is for latitude more tlian one degree north of Albany 

 and Boston. For this hititudc I tliink lona will be equal to Delaware, 

 but it is not yet clearly (iroved, and I have made the number much 

 less for the present, waiting full proof witli older vines. 



loNA, September 80th. 

 Mr. Tetkr B. Mkad : 



Dkar Sir : I want to enrich my Descriptive Catalogue with a selec- 

 tion, made by yourself, of one hundred vines, for affording a family the 

 largest amount of enjoyment that can be furnished by grapes ; having 

 in mind, also, an interesting collection, such in brief as you would 

 plant for yourself. 



The considerations which Influence the selection will be valuable and 

 interesting to every one. Your truly, 



C. W. Grant. 



New- York, October 1st, 1S63. 

 Dear Doctor: In answer to yours, requesting me to give a list of 

 one hundred vines, such as I would plant for the table, I send you the 

 following : 



Elsinburgh, 2 



Lenoir, 2 



Kebecca, 2 



Alvey, 2 



Union Village, 2 



Herbemont, 1 



Concord, 1 



Delaware, 25 



lona, 25 



Diana, 10 



Allen's Hybrid, 10 



Israella, 10 



Anna, 8 



Crevcling, 3 



Lincoln, 'i 



The Delaware and lona I should plant most of, not only because they 

 are of excellent quality, but because tlieir liabits are reliable. Their 

 hardiness, productiveness, and excellence constitute them our best 

 grapes, or, at least, ray favorites. The Diana ranks but little below the 

 Delaware ; but it requires a longer season, and the vine needs age and 

 good treatment to work off the toughness of its skin. The Allen, in my 

 opinion, is a grape of very Cue quality, and one that will satisfy a 

 nice taste ; but in some places it has suffered from mildew. In a fa- 

 vorable locality, and with good treatment, it will sustain a high 

 character. The Israella I should want a good proportion of, because 

 of its earlioess, productiveness, sweetness, and good flavor. The deli- 

 cate tenderness of the flesh, melting quite to the center, is a very im- 

 portant characteristic of both the Israella and lona. The Creveling I 

 put in the place of the Hartford Prolific. It is a much better 

 grape, with a more lively juice, and at most only a few days later. The 

 Anna I should be sorry to be without. It requires a long season to be- 

 come perfect, but in flavor, when ripe, it is almost equal to a Muscat 

 of Alexandria. I should be willing to take a little extra pains with it 

 for the sake of its fruit. I forgot the Anna when I said the lona was 

 the only native grape that had a muscat flavor. The Lincoln, the El- 

 sinburgh, the Lenoir, and the Herbemont are all small berries, but 

 there is so much wine in them, and they are so refreshing, that I should 

 hardly consent to be without a few of them. I put in the Union Vil- 

 lage and Concord for their size, and for pui-poses of comparison, as 

 well as to please such friends as like a " big thing " on a plate, and not 

 because they are quite to my taste. The Union Village has not the 

 offensive foxy odor, which characterizes the Concord. I would put in the 

 Catawba, for its spirited flavor, but it rots incorrigibly without more 

 trouble than I feel disposed to give it. I am very busy, and have 

 given you briefly my reasons for selecting the above list, as I supposed 

 you would like to know them. 



months out of the twelve, and the taste it already sufficiently educated 

 or developed to show that only the rich spirited kinds will be in de- 

 mand. Sincerely yours, Peter B. Mkad. 



Selections for Vineyards, Latitude of New- York. 

 For Wi.ve Making. 



For this purpose the number will be limited to two or three, in- 

 cluding only Delaware, Diana, and, perhaps, lona. The proportion 

 will be at least two of Delaware for one of Diana. 



Vineyards for table tsk will also be limited to a few of the best 

 kinds which greatly surp.iss all of the others in value. 



Delaware and lona will lead and become the principal grapes for 

 commerce. Diana, for this purpose, Is also very valuable for late 

 Ueepinp, and distinct in its own peculiar excellence. Israella, when 

 the vines become sufliciontly numerous, will be particularly valuable 

 for Its earliness, and Creveling may also be admitted. 



It will not be manv vears before hardy graocs will be for sale eight 



/« C. W. Orant influenced hy interest %n the recommendation 

 of kinds T 

 The question very often arises : " Is not C. W. Grant influenced hy 

 pecuniary motives in his recommendations of vines for cultivation?" 

 " Is it not for his pecuniary Interest to propagate and sell the Delaware, 

 and to discourage the sale of such kinds as Hartford Prolific, and Con- 

 cord ? " 



A brief statement of facts will show the direct contrary, and that on 

 learning their character I at once gave up the advantage of having at 

 an early period a large stock for propagation and sale, which had been 

 acquired at great expense under an erroneous representation of their 

 character and quality. In 1S57 I had the best stock of both these 

 kinds in the country, and had learned their extreme facility of propa- 

 gation, but I had also learned their poverty of quality and the excel- 

 lence of the Delaware and Diana, both of which had in my hands made 

 very great improvement in their habits of growth and in the quality 

 of their fruit ; and the vines of my propagation which had been put 

 into other hands in different parts of the country, numbering in nil 

 some two hundred and fifty plants, showed clearly that the improve- 

 ment was permanent and progressive. In the language of Col. AVilder : 

 " They had at lona Island, in the hands of Dr. C. W. Grant, received 

 just what was required in the way of cultivation for the development 

 of their true character, which is so different from that which they ha<: 

 before exhibited, that they were scarcely recognizable as the same fruit." 

 Of the excellence of the Delaware in every respect, in its improved 

 condition, I had numerous testimonials from every quarter before mak 

 ing a general offer of plants to the public, and had made a pretty ex 

 tended " proving " of the Diana also. Before it came into my hands 

 it was generally declared to be a weak grower, as was also the case 

 with the Delaware. 



AVhen the statement of the performance of these two kinds in my 

 hands was made to Mr. Longworth, he affirmed strongly his beliel 

 that " neither of the kinds (Delaware and Diana) in ray hands could be 

 true," and he could only be convinced by receiving vines from me, and 

 testing them in his own grounds, where the Diana, to his astonishment, 

 even produced better results than it had with me. 



Meanwhile, the vines of the Concord that were first disseminated 

 bore fruit in many of the different States, and although it became often 

 better than at Boston, it everywhere exhibited a large measure of its 

 defects and want of goodness, which are radical, so that it could not 

 anywhere be called a good grape by the side of the Delaware and 

 Diana and the other best kinds that have been described. Wherever 

 these kinds were brought into use. Concord, with rare exceptions, be- 

 came at once distasteful, and ceased not only to afford enjoyment,.but 

 was rejected from use. My own opinion only concurred with that of 

 all who were able to appreciate the excellence of good grapes, juid 1 

 could not recommend the vines for dis.'emination umler the apprehen- 

 sion that buyers would soon regret having planted them. 



It is true there are some idiosyncratic tastes in grapes as in other 

 things, which will adhere to the bad for their defects and reject the 

 good for their excellencies, but these are rare exceptions and should 

 meet with compassion for their imperfect perceptions. 



The Hartford Prolific was even more objectionable and not to be re- 

 commended. I dug up and threw away a large part of my stock vines, 

 which had been obtained at a very great expense, although the vines 

 commanded readily a very remunerative price, and were so easy 

 of propagation that ten vines of Concord that would satisfy purchas- 

 ers could be more cheaply produced than one Delaware, of which fact 

 no one was earlier or better informed than myself. 



The labor of introducing the Delaware was much greater than I 

 could have anticipated, and some opposed its dissemination with zeal 

 that would have been very commendaCle in a good cause, but the work 

 is now well done, and the grape has left its detractors on an unenviable 

 eminence where their goodness would never have placed them. I have 

 never regretted my decision, and hope my children will esteem it a 

 better inheritance to be able to say, " IMy father Iab<ired zealously f^ir 

 the dissemination of good vines, and the knowledge of their cultivMion 



