The Knox Fruit-Farm. 27 



The lovely Delaware, pride of American grape-lists, is this year doing 

 all that can possibly be required of it. Ripening early, bearing profusely, 

 perfect in every respect, and furnished with abundant and healthy foliage 

 up'.,n ? thrifty growth of wood, the trellises of this variety have yielded a 

 glorious vintage. The mildew has not affected the vines. Even the vora- 

 cious "thrips " {Telligonia 7Jitis) that often have swarmed upon them, reducing 

 their elegant leaves to shadows, have this year kept away ; and hence the 

 fruit is well ripened and delicious. Would that it could always be so well 

 behaved ! 



The Clinton modestly prefers its claims to public favor ; and it is to be 

 hoped that this vine, which possesses so many excellent qualities, will yet 

 be recognized as something more than a " wi4d frost-grape." It is perfectly 

 hardy, and almost universally healthy and vigorous, holding its verdant 

 foliage until killed by severe frost. It is abundantly productive of nice, 

 compact bunches. Its only fault is that it colors early, and appears to be 

 ripe before it is so ; and of course, if then plucked, it is sour and acerb : 

 but if allowed to hang until ripe, until the shining black berries have been 

 transformed into a rich blue from the exudation of their heavy bloom, it 

 will be found that the acid has all been transformed into sugar, and that 

 the grape is one of the sweetest in the catalogue. 



The crop of Creveling is here very heavy, and some of the bunches are 

 compact and handsome : the trellises are really burdened with the crop of 

 this excellent grape. The usual deficiency and looseness of the clusters 

 of this variety have been attributed to a defective fertilization at the time of 

 blossoming. Vine-dressers should observe the inflorescence more closely ; 

 endeavor to discover whether the cause of the difficulty really lies in some 

 inherent defect of the blossoms, or whether a deficiency of the pollen may 

 not be supplied by other vines trained near them that will blossom at 

 the same time with the Creveling. This variety is one of great value 

 both for table and for wine ; and the complaint of straggling bunches should 

 be met, if it be possible ; for, in its usual condition, the eye of the market is 

 not satisfied with it for a table-grape, for which its spicy richness and melt- 

 ing pulp so highly commend it. 



The Hartford, Perkins, Louisa, Northern Muscadine, North Carolina, 

 Yoik Madeira, and others of that class of early market-grapes, were all of 



