EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS. QUALITY OF GRAPE BY R. G. PARDEE. 



nmon!; the American people," tlian to be able to say he acquired great 

 wealth bv the dissemination of the ConcorJ and other poor varieties, 

 which can have existence only until the truth becomes known. 



Means not waiTanted by the merit of the vine will continue to be 

 used for giving it reputation and dissemination, but none need be dis- 

 appointed who desire to be informed as to its exact quality and worth. 

 It may be stated in conclusion, tliat the gentleman by whose recom- 

 mendation, by his high character and standing, it has been in a great 

 measure sustained, has recently given a public retraction, saying that 

 it " can not stand by the side of Dela\Yare and lona, etc., as holding 

 any value for a fruit, and that it has become so distasteful to him that 

 he can not eat half a dozen berries of it at a tiuie." He may be con- 

 sidered a representative of all who have continued to adhere to it for 

 a time. 



T)ie Concord has performed its mission, which was to teach those 

 who had become discourage 1 by their unsuccessful efforts with Isabella 

 and Catawba, that a more hardy kind would succeed. AVe have now 

 earlier and more hardy kinds than Concord, which have all of the ex- 

 cellecce that belongs to the grape in its richness, purity, and refine- 

 ment, and these, as already stated, are superseding the inferior kinds as 

 rapidly as they can be disseminated, for the Delaware has in a measure 

 already "educated the American taste," and next season not less than 

 one hundred thousand more educating vines will be in bearing in thou- 

 sands of yards and gardens. 



I would not be understood to say that the Concord should be exclud 

 ed from all collections, but that from its lack of merit, it will not long 

 constitute an important item in any. The past season it has rotted 

 often as badly as the Catawba. In market, it has often, for a short 

 time, maintained a respectable position for price, but in a little time, 

 having to sustain a trial upon its merits as a fruit, it has always fallen 

 very low, generally to half the price of the Catawba, and less. I have 

 a fine stock of the plants, produced in the best manner, for garden 

 planting, at very low prices. 



Extracts from Letters. 



I orFER d few letters in exemplification of statements made in the 

 Catalogue, which clearly and forcibly illustrate important points also 

 made in Mr. Meade's lecture. 



The vines from which Mr. Eaton's premium grapes were taken, were 

 those of one year old, best selection, and the grapes were produced 

 tlie second season from planting. Three points are clearly proved : 

 the excellence of the Delaware, the superiority of the vines, and above 

 all, their judicious treatment by Mr. Eaton, without which the results 

 could not have been obtained ; but good treatment is exceedingly 

 simple. 



Westchester County. 

 Editor ok Horticulturist: My attention was first called to the 

 Delaware Grape by an article in your excellent magazine, the Horti- 

 CCLTCRIST, some two j'ears ago last Spring, at which time I moved on 

 to a small place in the country, a short distance from Troy. 



The same Spring I purchased from a Western house a few Delaware 

 vines, (a larger portion of which, by the way, turned out to be any 

 thing but Delawares,) and the following Fall I received a few vines 

 from Dr. Grant, (that were simon pure,) and send you, accompanying 

 this, a few bunches I to-day cut from one of the vines had of the Doc- 

 tor. Can any one at the exhibition (grape) now being held at N"o. 41 

 Park Row (which I designed, but am prevented attending) show better 

 and finer bunches of Delawares from so young vines, having but or- 

 dinary care and culture, and grown, too. In a very exposed situation ? 

 I have grown a number of other varieties, set at the same time ; and 

 notwithstanding all that has been said and written about the Delaware 

 being a poor and feeble grower, etc., I have not on my place a vine of 

 any kind that has done better or as well in every particular as the 

 Delaware ; and when the quality of the fVuit is brought in question, 

 words are not to be found in ipy vocabulary to express the excellence 

 of the Delaware over all other kinds grown out of doors ; and I some- 

 times think I prefer them to the foreign kinds I have growing under 

 plass. But not to be tiresome, have I not succeeded well with my 

 Delawares ? Are they not good ? 



" I have some six hundred feet of grape trellis, and some dozen vari- 

 tties of grapes gi-owing. I now wish I iiad but one varletv and that 



the Delaware. Dr. Grant and yourself have not said half enough in 

 its praise. Very respectfully yours. 



Trot, N. Y., Sept. 80, 1S63. E. 0. Eatos. 



Mr. Baton received the prize "for the tent five hunches of Del- 

 awares,'''' for these, at the New- York Grape Show, at the Agricul- 

 turist Office. 



I make an extract from a letter by one of our most distinguished 

 horticulturists on a visiting tour in the vicinity of Hartford : 



" 41though I shall see you soon, and tell you how gratifying the sight 

 which the excellent performance of your vines has almost uniformly 

 afforded, and always when your directions have been followed, I can 

 not forbear mentioning a few instances in this letter. One is a case in 

 Manchester where vines of your production, three years from planting, 

 are carrying a crop of Delawares that are worth a journey to behold, 

 by the side of those from another quarter, five years old, for which a 

 much larger price was paid, and which have not one fifth as much 

 weight of fruit of an immeasurably inferior quality. The purchaser 

 showed me, by calculation based upon the value of the fruit now on 

 the vines, that your vines were cheaper at the price which he paid 

 than the others would have been if he had received them free with a 

 gratuity of two dollars each with every vine. Sir. Mottier was right 

 when he decided to plant none but your best Delawares." 



Dated, Hartford, Sept. 4, 1SG3. 



Tr.OT, Nov. 7, 1S63. 



Dr. C. W. Gr.int : Dear Sir : A few days since I called at your es- 

 tablishment, and was exceedingly well pleased with all I saw there, 

 but was displeased at being told I could not have half an hour of con- 

 versatio!! with yourself, and I left, giving you no order. 



I bad seen an advertisement stating that " first-class vines were pro- 

 duced at the establishment named, by an improved process so choa[i- 

 ly," that I liesitated a little as to going. When I saw the vines, I did 

 not doubt the cheapness o the process rf pr'oduction, but I also 

 saw that I should have to take them to Saratoga with me to keep them 

 alive through the next season. 



Their process was certainly very much cheaper than yours ; the word 

 " improved " should have been omitted ; I need make no further com- 

 ment than by sending my order to you. / may say their second 

 class pleased me just as well as their first ; and their third ! They 

 told me that staking them as you do, and removing the laterals to get 

 one well-ripened cane, was disadvantageous. I should like to see them 

 attempt to stake theirs. Kespectfully, James Batbs. 



Chicago, Nov. 20, 1803. 



Dr. C. W. Grant : Dear Sir : Four years since you gave me a plan 

 for growing vines and trees in our not very genial climate or soil 



I hope you may publish an engraving and description of the plan in 

 Lakdmarxs, for general benefit. 



The Pear-trees have done well, but the vines deserve most honorable 

 mention. 



We have looked upon half of the produce of the one hundred Dela- 

 wares as our own, and the other half as belonging to the needy. I 

 gave one hundred dollars to the Sanitary Commis^on from the pro- 

 ceeds of the devoted half, and have more than that remaining foi 

 other purposes besides reserving one hundred pounds for the sick, 

 in a cabinet which you have taught us to make. They are so much 

 more winey and refreshing thap those from the houses, that we have 

 ceased to desire the foreign kinds, as you assured us would be the case. 



If all of your promises are as fully honored as those in regard to the 

 Delaware grape, no protest will meet you anywhere. 



Yours truly. 



The Quality of Grapes. By E. G. Pardee. 



" Our tastes are in some good measure the result of education. 

 When first called upon to judge of a new fruit, we are liable to err, by 

 reason of our imperfect stand-point of comparison or prejudice. Some 

 persons' tastes never become reliable. It requires, at all times, a very 

 nice discrimination, and no small amount of judgment and experience. 



" In the question of the comparative merits of our delicious native 

 grapes, time and exper ence are working out the most important re- 

 sults. During the last three years the writer has taken especial p^ns, 

 not only to cultivate his own taste, but also to test the numeroui v.iri- 

 eties under multiform culture, climate and soil. The past season bav- 



