Courtland. 



DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. 



Croton. 109 



reddish berries, bees destrojiug the 

 ripe black berries ; but these mixed 

 grapes of the Cottage make the 

 best jelly. 



Mr. Bull in his successful efforts to 

 improve our native grapes, began by 

 sowing the seeds of a wild grape (V. 

 Jjabrusca"), fz'om which he raised seed- 

 lings. He then sowed the seed raised 

 fi'om these and obtained others, among 

 which was the Concord. He then 

 raised 2,000 seedlings before he got 

 any that surpassed the Concord. In 

 the fourth generation, or grandchildren 

 of the Concord, he obtained seedlings 

 supposed to be superior to the Con- 

 cord and nearly equal to the European 

 grape (V. Vinifera). — U. S. Aijr. Bepurt 

 for 1867. 



Mr. Bull's experimental garden is a 

 sandy hillside, soil poor in organic 

 matter but rich in iron. He uses no 

 rich manures; his vines get a little 

 ashes and bonedust, and good culture. 

 Mr. Bull has not succeeded in raising 

 another seedling which would be su- 

 perior to the Concord. But to have 

 raised this one is sufbcient cause for 

 satisfaction ; and it is so much more to 

 the credit of Mr. Bull that he continued 

 his efforts, as the}' were never re- 

 warded by any pecuniary profits. 



Courtland. {Labr.) Introduced by E. C. 

 Piersoii, Waterloo, N. Y., described in 

 Mitzky's "Our Native ^rape" clusters fair 

 size, compact: berries medium large, black, 

 sweet; good (!?) quality; vigorous, hardy, 

 healthy; about two weeks before Concord.— 

 P. .T. Berckmans however says: This va- 

 riety was received from Canada: blue- 

 black, skin tough, acid, very foxy, inferior, 

 resembles Champion. 



Cowan, or McGowan. {Rip.) Bunch and 

 berry medium; black; rather harsh and 

 austere. Not desirable. — Downing. 



Creveling-. {Lnhr.-Hyhr.) Syn. : 

 Catawlssa. Bloom. Columbia Coun- 

 ty^ Pennsylvania. Vine a fair grower, 

 healthy and hardy, but inclined to 

 anthracno«e, rot and mildew; maj- be 

 planted 6 by 6 feet apart, on northern 

 and northejistern hill -sides. Bunches long, loose 

 on young vines, but on old ones sometimes as 

 compact as Concords; at other times very loose, 

 by imperfectly setting its fruit. Bernes medium 

 to large, slightly oval, black with blue bloom ; 

 flesh tender, juicy and sweet ; qualitv best. Ripens 

 early, a few days later than Hartford, and before 

 Concord. Boots thick and warty, and compara- 

 tively few; texture soft, with a thick liber, form- 

 ing young fibers rather slowly; canes long and 

 rambling, slender, long-jointed, and with few 

 laterals; wood soft, of a reddish color, with, a 

 large pith. 



In all these characteristics there is scarce a trace 

 of the ^Estivalis, for which class some would 

 claim the Creveling. Some botanists consider it 

 a hybrid with Vinifera. 



This grape, for a time, was rapidlv growing in 

 favor; this it has not deserved, as it is often un- 

 productive, setting its fruit imperfectly. 



AVe found it unsatisfactory as a market grape ; 

 it would still be more unprofitable as a wine grape, 

 and can only maintain its place as a fine family 

 grape for garden culture. Kev. Burnet, of Ontario, 



THE CROTON GRAPE. 



who has planted and cultivated the C'reveluuj in- 

 termingled with the Concord, says that he found 

 it *^'everything that could be desired, both in re- 

 gard to the bunch and the berry" — ascribing it to 

 impregnation by the Concord. 



Crltir. (Labr.) A seedling from Jeffei-son, originated 

 by J. S. Bruce, Fayetteville, N. C. Vine only moderately 

 vigorous, but healthy; foliage nearly similar to Dela- 

 ware, but coarser and larger. Bunch fairly good size; 

 color of a fully ripe Delaware; clings firmly to the 

 stem, remaining plump and sound for a long time; 

 quality mildly agreeable, not vinous but rich; pulp 

 melting: ripens with Delaware. {After Mitzky "Our Na- 

 tive Grape." Though Mitzky copied largely from our 

 catalogue without giving credit; we do when we copy 

 from his!) 



Crotou. (^st.-Hybr.) Hybrid cross between 

 Delaware and Chasselas de Fontainbleau, origi- 

 nated by S. W. Underbill, of Croton Point, N. Y. ; 

 bore its first fruit in 1865. In 1868 and following 

 years it obtained prizes at the New York, Penn- 

 sylvania and Massachusetts Horticultural Societies 

 and other grape exhibitions, attracting marked 

 attention. The late H. E. Hooker, of New York, 

 said : "The Croton succeeds very well indeed in 

 some localities, and it is certainlv one of the most 



