82 American Grape-Growing. 



prize was to be awarded " to that grape which shall, as far as possible, 

 combine the excellences of the native and foreign kinds. The vine must 

 be healthy, productive, of good habit of growth for training in gardens as 

 well as in vineyards, with leaves as well adapted to our climate as those of 

 the Delaware. In short, what is sought is a vine which embodies the best 

 qualities of the most approved American and foreign varieties. I propose 

 to pay this premium on the award of the fruit department of the American 

 Institute ; and invite competition for it at the annual fair of the Institute, 

 soon to open : but, if a thoroughly satisfactory grape should not now be pre- 

 sented, the Institute will, of course, postpone the award till the proper 

 claimant shall have appeared." The committee which first met awarded the 

 prize to the lona of Dr. Grant. But, as soon as this became known, it raised 

 a storm of indignation ; and justly so. To give a grape, which had only 

 succeeded in the immediate neighborhood of its origin, such high, indirect 

 praise, was, to say the least, hasty and premature. It may be even exag- 

 gerated praise to say that " it combines the excellences of the most ap- 

 proved foreign and native kinds." Its admirers claim it ; but, although it 

 certainly is a grape of good quality, it is, to my taste, not as good as a well- 

 ripened Herbemont grown here, to say nothing of the best foreign kinds. 

 But how is it as to its hardiness, productiveness, and health ? Last sum- 

 mer, it was defoliated even in Dr. Granfs own grounds, where not grown 

 under glass ; and there are certainly very few localities, as far as I can learn, 

 where it can be grown with any thing like success. Sjich a grape certainly 

 does not meet Mr. Greely's requirements. This the second committee un- 

 doubtedly saw ; and therefore, as honest men, they could not give the prize 

 to the lona. Mr. Mead says in his circular, lately issued, " It is to be 

 regretted that Dr. Grant did not accept the award as made by the commit- 

 tee who originally had this matter in hand, and thus put an unpleasant 

 controversy to rest." I suppose the reason why the doctor did not accept 

 was that he felt that the award was indecently premature ; and even he, 

 much as he may be prepossessed in favor of his seedling, could not in 

 justice claim it. 



The second committee at last awarded the prize to the Concord ; and at 

 this award, again, there is a good deal of dissatisfaction manifested. The 

 committee very likely thought, after they had summed up all the testimony, 



