54 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



December, 



Notes from my Vineyard. 



E. P. POWELL, ONEIDA CO., N. Y. 



The season last year was about a week 

 or ten days earlier than this year; crops of 

 all sorts, Grapes included, have been ten 

 days to two weeks late in ripening. This 

 gives a basis of judgment as to the average 

 time of ripening of different varieties. Last 

 year I picked Lady Grapes on the 30th of 

 August, this year they were ripe about 

 September .5th. Last year Worden was ripe 

 September 1.5th on arbors, where this year it 

 is not fully ripe October 5th. But when 

 well trimmed and open it was ripe this year 

 September 10th. Lady in reality should be 

 put down as ripening in this latitude about 

 the first of September. 



I propose to give a few notes of some of 

 the best sorts out of sixty varieties which I 

 am fruiting. The increase of really fine sorts 

 has been remarkable for the last few years; 

 and out of my sixty sorts I should not like 

 to part with at least twenty five or thirty. 



Agawam is a fine, large Grape rather late for 

 the Red Rt>gers varieties, and quite inclined to 

 scattering bunches under ordinary treatment. 

 SaUm is a finer Grape every way, ripening about 

 September 10th in this latitude. Findley is still 

 better, but not always sure of setting fine bunches 

 as the blossom is not perfect, ripens September 

 5th. Massasoii is a trifle later, and not quit« so 

 pure a quality, but is extra good. 



Of the Black Rogers I should by all odds select 

 Berbert as the noblest, it ripens September 

 15th, and will keep till December or January. 

 Wilder, Barry, and ilfcrrimae are not unlike, and 

 about equally good. I shoidd find it hard to 

 choose, but think I should prefer on all accounts 

 the Merrimae. My favorite of all Rogers Grapes 

 is No. 30. It ripens about September 15th, is a 

 light red, very handsome, prolific, and keeps 

 nicely. It is a meaty, tender Grape, and while 

 not highly flavored is very pure. Moore's Early is 

 ripe before September, and sometimes gives a 

 fair crop, but is not generally a good cropper. 

 Worden comes soon after and is one of the best 

 Grapes at all points ever grown. It is an enor- 

 mous bearer of fine bunches, very sweet as soon 

 as colored, in that unlike t'oiicord, as well as 

 ten days earlier than ('(Hicord. I omitted among 

 the Hogcra to name Gaertner, one of the best and 

 earliest. It should not be omitted in a list of a 

 dozen, a handsome large berry and bunch. 



Of the white Grapes, not one is finer all in all 

 for show, quahty and proUfic bearing than 

 Duchess, it is a marvel of beauty. Lady is earlier 

 and the very acme of quality, but I cannot get 

 good crops from it; ripens about September 1st. 

 Moore'i! Diamond I think is the equal of Lady 

 in quality, and nearly as gooti otherwise as 

 Dtichess. Lady Washinyton gives me superb 

 bunches,but is too ]ate,ripening this year October 

 5th. No Grape in this latitude that fails to ripen 

 before October can get its real character and 

 sweetnes.s. Prentiss is a failure every way, 

 it is tender, not a good bearer, bunches only 

 medium, and flavor very moderate. Jessica is a 

 miserable fraud; those who have praised it have 

 left out the important facts that it is not only 

 small but half seeds, and the flavor is in no way 

 comparable to Lady, Duvlicss, and Diamond. 

 Niagara is a magnificent grower, bearer and 

 bunch. It is not quite first-class in quality, and 

 is late; but not later than September 20th. 



Jefferson is a superb Grape in bunch and 

 quality, light red in color; and comes almost to 

 the ideal, only itis too late for some 5'ears, about 

 October .'jth this year; generally September 25th. 

 Of all delicious Grapes of course we rank lona 

 about fli-st, one of the best three or four. But 

 lona is too late tor vineyards and is too tender, 

 but instead of lona we have its progeny Bright- 

 on, a Grape of Grapes. With me it bears su- 

 perbly, giving large bunches of large berries and 

 every berry a sack of wine, ripens aU along from 

 September 1st to September 30th. Early Victor 

 will do for a few \ines, its compact little black 

 bunches are ripe with Moore's Early just after 

 Lady, and are sweet. I would not plant many 

 either for profit or table. Poughkeepsie Red is 

 good enough, but no reason for planting it 

 beside the Delaware. Ulster Prolific is of fair 

 quality, small bunches, red, and not very desir- 

 able. Vergcimes is better than the last two, and 

 a good keeper, but I do not see any reason for 

 planting many of the Wnes. Oreins' Uolden is 

 the handsomest yellow Grape I have seen. It is 



howe\'er very sour; which is too bad, it bears well, 

 fine bunches, and large berries, and so hand- 

 some. Pocklington is another golden sort, and I 

 lilie it better every year. It is a large compact 

 bunch, ripe about September 20th to 25th, bears 

 hea\ily, and pleases everybody. Quality some 

 years better than others. Oreins'' No. 7, a little 

 nuisance, no quality, no size all seeds. Golden 

 Gem really a nice little Grape, small, but so 

 good you can afford it room. Hayes, I have not 

 had enough fruit from to make sure of it; but I 

 think it is not over praised. It is good in 

 quality, grows fairly and is a good sized bunch. 



Martha is a very sweet Grape, and when fully 

 ripe, of fine quality, it bears enormously of fine 

 bunches, ripens about September 25tb. Aiignst 

 Gia7it is an astounding grower and the quality is 

 better than I expected. I recommend this Grape 

 as a hardy rampant grower to cover arbors, 

 rocks, out buildings, etc. Diana, all old Grape 

 growers understand. It is a soUd fine bunch of 

 good, but peculiar flavored berries, and a very 

 excellent keeper, it does not ripen till last of 

 September and often not then. Empire State is 

 an admirable grower, prolific, fine bunch, me- 

 dium sized Grape; and no matter what is said, it 

 is only medium quality, but it is one of the best 

 late white Grapes. Goethe is a a fine Grape if you 

 can thoroughly ripen it, light red. This and 

 Rogei'S No. 30 are most Uke hot-house fruits of 

 any of the Rogers Grapes, but I would not plant 

 it except below the line of New York City. 



Among the best of the list, place, for white, 

 Moore's Diamond and Dichess; for medium, 

 Ma/rtha and Hayes; for late, Niagara, Empire 

 State, and Pocklington. In black Grapes take 

 for early, Wmdcn; for medium, ITiWer, Barry, or 

 Meinmac, or all of them; for late, Herbert. For 

 red Grapes take for early, Brighton and Lind- 

 ley; for medium, Salem and Gaettner; for late, 

 Rogers 30 and possibly Agawam. 



There is no excuse for planting any more Cxtn- 

 coi-ds, Hartfords, Champions, Ives, Cottage, or Isa- 

 bellas, unless as a winter Grape, or Rebecca a poor 

 grower. Of Eaton I cannot speak as I have not 

 grown it; of Witt I have high expectations. 

 Woodruff Red is, I think, a humbug if my vines 

 are true to name. 



Plant Grapes I say. It is the healthiest fruit 

 in the world. For yield it is the Banana of the 

 North. Cover your barns with them, your out- 

 buildings, fences, rocks, stone walls, stone fences, 

 and then have a small vineyard. Grow to wires, 

 two wires fastened to poles, about six feet high. 

 If you grow but one vine take the Worden, it 

 will take care of itself as well as the Concord. 



Vines That Lack Vigor. 



D. S. MARVIN, JEFFER.SON CO., N. Y. 



Looking over some Croton and Duchess 

 vines this morning, has reminded me to 

 record for others my experience with these 

 and some other varieties. I have retained 

 for my own use a few of these two sorts, 

 because of their fine, delicious fruit, and 

 good keeping qualities for winter. 



The early spring was propitious, and the 

 vines started vigorously, but there was some 

 drouth at blossoming time, and neither 

 variety had strength enough in the filament 

 of the stamens to push off the petals, there- 

 fore, there was failure to fertilize the ovules, 

 and the vines have no fruit upon them. I 

 shall dig them up, for this is more or less 

 their condition the majority of seasons, there 

 is too great a preponderence of V.vinifcra 

 in their make up. 



Some of our own native varieties are also 

 too feeble for general cultivation, but not 

 always for the same reason. Lady is one of 

 these, always a feeble grower here, never 

 bearing enough fruit to repay its cultivation. 

 In and in breeding appears to be the reason 

 for its failure. Pocklington has the same 

 fault but not so marked; in rich soil and 

 while young If not allowed to overbear, it 

 usually does well. 



While Cottage is vigorous enough, yet 

 there is some defect in its reproductive 

 organs, apparently deficiency of pollen, 

 which makes it likewise an unprofitable 

 sort. And while Hayes seems better in 

 quality than other seedlings of Concord, it 

 too lacks vigor of vine here. Miner's Vic- 



toria is more showy in fruit, but the vine is 

 feeble, while Worden and Brighton are both 

 vigorous and reliable here. 



The Apple Tree of the Future in the 

 North. 



J. L. BUDD, IOWA AORICULTmiAL COLLEGE. 



The suggestion of Mr. Wier, in regard to 

 the proper method of top-working the Apple, 

 is valuable. But his experience as to rela- 

 tive hardiness of root grafts and top-worked 

 trees of green varieties at Lacon, 111., 

 nearly 100 miles south of the 43d parallel, 

 will hardly warrant the idea that top-work- 

 ing will be the one thing needed to make 

 old varieties profitable on, or north of, the 

 43d parallel west of Lake Michigan. 



With an experience of over thirty years 

 near the 43d parallel, in central Iowa, and 

 an intimate acquaintance with the fruits 

 and fruit growers of northern Iowa, I have 

 reached conclusions that differ from his. 



Top-working does not materially benefit 

 varieties liable to disease of the foliage in 

 our dry, interior climate, nor varieties liable 

 to kill from the top downward. Our close 

 observers need not be told that leaf troubles 

 have usually preceded our loss of many 

 varieties of the Apple of the grade of hardi- 

 ness of Ben Davis and early Richmond 

 Cherry, and that top-working such sorts 

 will not save them. 



Again, varieties liable to kill down from 

 the top, even where they have retained per- 

 fect foliage, such as the Peach, the Chicasa 

 Plums, the Chinese Pears, and the .Jonathan 

 and Dominie Apples, are not materially 

 benefited by top-working. 



Varieties liable to stem injury, but with 

 good foliage, and wood not liable to be in- 

 jured at the top, are benefited by working 

 on hardy stocks. Fameuse, Grime's Golden, 

 Roman Stem, and Willow, are examples of 

 this kind. But stocks cannot be selected at 

 random. All our experience and observation 

 favors the idea that winter sorts worked on 

 varieties as early as Duchess and Wliitney's 

 No. 20, ripen their fruit prematurely. We 

 have seen Grime's Golden and Ben Davis 

 on Duchess stocks that dropped their fruit 

 in a mellow condition by the middle of 

 September. 



South of the 42d parallel, Gros Pomler 

 has proven a good stock. North of this line, 

 the best available stocks we have are those 

 of the Hibernal, Recumbent, and Silken 

 Leaf, but I know of no winter variety of the 

 old list hardy enough to work on profitably, 

 except the Roman Stem, and that will not 

 stand up to the 43d parallel. 



How the Chicago Gardeners Gather 

 and Keep Onions. 



Relatingto thissubject the Prairie Farmer 

 gives the following account: 



"The Onion crops, one of the great market 

 and shipping crops of gardens in the vicinity 

 of Chicago, bid fair so far to produce a full 

 yield. Onions are pulled as soon as the tops 

 begin to turn, and thrown into windrows, 

 where they are left to dry down. If there 

 is much rain the winrows must be stirred 

 out occasionally. When dry enough so the 

 tops will rub of easily, and when perfectly 

 free from dew, they are freed from the tops 

 and placed under cover, thinly on racks, 

 where they become fully seasoned. Some 

 growers place them first in piles, to sweat 

 slightly. This assists in drying out. They 

 are also sometimes seasoned by laying in 

 long ventilated piles in the fields, being 

 covered with hay and mats to protect fully 

 from rain. If to be sold in the local market 

 this seasoning and hardening is not needed. 



To keep through the winter they may be 

 kept on slatted racks, one above the other 

 in layers not more than six inches thick. 

 The place where they are kept must be dry, 



