FRUIT committee's repoht. 39 



variety. The same genileman also exhibited another new seedlii)g which he 

 calls the Nonantuin. This is a black grapo, bunch rather small size as it 

 appeared this year, shouldered, berries of good size, oval, similar in sh^pe and 

 appearance to the Isabella ; entirely free from pulp, being quite remarkable in 

 this respect ; good flavor, promising ; some preferred it to the former sort. 

 Time of ripening about the same as the other. Some of your Committee had 

 the pleasure of visiting Mr. Dana, and seeing these vines bearing their fruit, 

 and we do not hesitate to say, that the specimens shown this year were grown 

 under unfiivorable circumstances, so far as relates to the situation of the 

 vines; they growing thickly among other vines and trees, which leads us to 

 believe that under more favorable circumstances even better results would be 

 attained ; yet the past season having been so favorable to the ripening of the 

 grape, it is hardly wise to give a more decided opinion based upon the product 

 of this single year. Other seedlings were shown, by the same gentleman, 

 but none of them seem to be worthy of particular notice. 



There were some ten or eleven seedling grapes sent us from Troy, N. Y., by 

 H. W. Green, said to be seedlings raised by a Mr. Thompson. Tliough they 

 were not all in the best condition, yet it seems to us that none of them can be of 

 great value. No. 1, seemed to be the Sweetwater reproduced, and no improve- 

 ment on that foreign sort, which cannot be successfully cultivated out of doors. 

 No. 2, had the texture of an unripe Black Hamburg, with some mildew upon 

 it, not of pleasing appearance, and from the specimens sent cannot say much 

 in its fiivor. It seems to be a seedling from some foreign sort. No. .3, was 

 like the Catawba in color, size, and shape ; rather late. No. 4, seemed to be 

 the Isabella reproiuced, with no improvement, even if equalling the parent. 

 Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 1 1, were all similar to No. 4 ; so that no person could 

 distinguish them by the fruit. These grapes reached us on the 29th of 

 October, and most of them were fully ripe, but we cannot believe them to be 

 of much value to the public. Parker Barnes exhibited a seedling grape for 

 the first time, which was grown under unfavorable circumstances; bunch 

 rather small, berry medium size, color black, early, and sweet ; superior in 

 quality to the Hartford, worthy a further trial on account of its earliness ; ripe 

 early in September. 



There have been other seedling grapes shown, none of which seemed to 

 be of much value. The older sorts, such as Catawba, Isabella, Diana, 

 Concord, Delaware, Union Village, and Rebecca, were shown in great per- 

 fection by B. B. Davis, C. E. Grant, M. P. Kennard, F. Dana, K. Bailey, S. 

 Weld, A. J. Dean, J. W. Manning, and J. F. C. Hyde. No one contribu- 

 tor has done so much as W. C. Strong, to whom our thanks are due for his 

 efforts in introducing new grapes, and for the successful growing of the older 

 varieties. 



No subject is attracting more attention among Horticulturists than that of 

 the grape. And it is believed by many, that the time will come, if it has not 

 already arrived, when grapes may be grown as successfully as pears, or any 



