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A VISIT TO MR. BULL. 



Probably very few of the thousands who cultivate and derive profit and 

 satisfaction from the Concord Grape are aware that its originator, Mr. E. 

 W. Bull of Concord, Mass., has not been content to stop in his experi- 

 ments, or have any notion of the further great successes he has achieved. 



Accompanied by a grape-growing friend, we made our annual visit to 

 him the last week in September of the present year. We found Mr. Bull 

 as enthusiastic as ever, and as willing as ever to answer the thousand and 

 one questions with which we overwhelmed him. An inspection of his 

 vines showed that the heavy and unusual frost of the night of the 17th 

 September had done vast mischief. Mr. Bull said that this was the very 

 worst season he had known for twenty years ; the dull, cold weather and 

 cold rains in May retarding the blossoming of the vines, and the early 

 frost killing the leaves, and causing the berries to drop. Still, the grape- 

 crop was not a failure ; for, at the time of our visit, they were cutting Con- 

 cords for the Boston market, both from Mr. Bull's vines and from the neigh- 

 boring vineyard of Capt. J. B. Moore. The Concords, however, we did 

 not care so much for, having plenty at home : but we were very desirous 

 to see the new seedlings ; and these were shown to us with the greatest free- 

 dom, and their merits and peculiarities fully explained and set forth. 



The Concord Grape is certainly a vast improvement upon the native 

 grape from which it came ; but it is eclipsed, we think, by several of its 

 own children. Two of these descendants are of especial merit, though per- 

 haps not better than some which the originator does not yet choose to send 

 out. These two are the Cottage and the Una ; the former black, and the 

 latter yellowish-green. "I'hey are both of excellent quality, and the Una is 

 an especially attractive grape. It is claimed that the Cottage is two 

 weeks earlier in time of ripening than the Concord, and that the Una is 

 only a week behind its companion. 



Among other seedlings which we saw and tasted was a very large and 

 excellent golden-green grape, of fine size and shape, and doubtless a valu- 

 able acquisition ; an excellent black grape. No. 51, we think, of extreme 

 earliness ; and a grape, or more than one, perhaps, without a particle of 



