42 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Hardy Chasselas is still another, said to be from a cross between Diana and 

 Royal Muscadine, very hardy, and though the foliage is very foreign, it bears 

 the sun well. The fruit, tested by us, was not quite ripe ; still, it was good, 

 and we desire another trial of it. It had but little flesh, and was quite juicy. 



The White Musk, sent with the others, is said to be a cross between Isa- 

 bella and some foreign white variety ; decidedly poor flavor from some cause. 

 We do not regard it as even promising, but it may greatly improve on further 

 trial. 



The fifth variety sent was the improved Clinton, from a cross between the 

 Clinton and Black Hamburgh. The fruit shows very little, if any, of the 

 Hamburgh quality, and seemed to be a slightly improved Clinton. We were 

 not much pleased with it. In color, shape, size and flavor, it sl^tongly resem- 

 bles the Clinton. Some good cultivators in our midst have questioned if 

 there have ever been any hybrids produced between the foreign and native 

 grapes ; but we think they should doubt no longer on this point, from the evi- 

 dence which is accumulating year by year in proof of the fact. We have had 

 another opportunity to test the seedling grape produced by Parker Barnes. It 

 appeared better this year than last, and was pronounced by us a' good grape. 

 The bunches were about five inches in length, shouldered, berries fair size, 

 nearly or quite equal to Hartford in this respect, oval shape, color black, early, 

 being ripe the 9th of September, sweet and good, quite superior to Hartford, 

 and nearly as good as a well-ripened Isabella. We think it worthy a more 

 extensive trial. O. R. Robbins exhibited a grape said to be a seedling, but 

 which so nearly resembled the Clinton that we are led to believe it to be a re- 

 production of that variety, with no improvement. We do not regard it as 

 promising well. 



At the Annual Exhibition there was a fine lot of grapes from Sanbornton, 

 N. H., about which there has been much discussion. The variety resembles 

 the Isabella in every respect, except that the wood is shorter jointed, and the 

 fruit ripens earlier. We think, notwithstanding these facts, that it is the Isa- 

 bella, grown under favorable circumstances ; for we have not forgotten, how, a 

 few years ago, our wisest pomologists were puzzled by some grapes shown by 

 Mr. Cutter of Weston, which proved to be the old and well-known Isabella. 

 Other seedlings have been shown, but none, as we remember, were deemed 

 worthy of honorable mention. The older sorts, such as Isabella, Catawba, 

 Concord, Hartford, Delaware, Rebecca and others, were, with few exceptions, 

 inferior to those of former years, owing, in a large degree, to the rot and rail- 

 dew, followed by the severe drought. 



The time will come, and is not far distant, when our markets will be 

 abundantly supplied with fresh grapes, cut every day from the numerous vine- 

 yards that will cover our hillsides in the vicinity of Boston. Acres of grape 

 vines are being planted in Massachusetts, and it is fair to presume that we 

 shall ere long be independent of our Western friends, from whom we have re- 

 ceived in years past large quantities of this fruit. Let the work go on, until 



