THE CONCORD GRAPE AND ITS ORIGINATOR. 17 "^ 



south, and Mr. Bull at once recognized in it great possibilities for 

 grape growing. But his first experiment in the new home was 

 disappointing. There was in the garden of the Fayette street 

 house in Boston a vine of the Sweetwater variety of grape which in 

 a very sheltered place managed to survive the winter, and on his 

 removal to Concord INIr. Bull took this vine with him and planted 

 it in the most protected part of his new garden. The vine grew 

 and flourished the first season, but the winter cut it back severely; 

 however, it started up again the second summer only to be com- 

 pletely killed the following winter, in spite of ample protection. 

 Through this experience ]\Ir. Bull was confronted with the same 

 problem which had upset many others Avho had attempted grape 

 growing in the North, namely, the lack of a variety sufficiently 

 early and hardy to be depended upon to ripen in this climate and 

 particularly (to quote his own words) "in the valley of Concord 

 which has a season shortened at both ends by early and late frosts.'* 

 So he turned his attention to the native stock about him and pro- 

 cured from all quarters native vines which had a local reputation 

 for excellence; but here again he met with disappointment. Still 

 he had faith in the native stock and, having read a great deal of 

 Van Mons and his work of raising pears from seeds, he came to 

 the conclusion that this process was applicable to the grape, so he 

 went to work along new lines. 



There was a native vine {Vitis Labrusca) growing in one corner 

 of his farm which he watched carefully; the habits of the vine 

 pleased him and when it fruited jNIr. Bull noticed about it at least 

 one of the qualities that he sought, it ripened its fruit very early. 

 Moreover, the quality of the grape was good, so he felt greatly 

 encouraged to use this grape for the experiments he wished to make. 

 To quote his own words, "I put these grapes whole into the ground, 

 after they had thoroughly ripened, skin and all at a depth of two 

 inches, October 1, and covered the row with boards. I nursed 

 these seedlings six years and of the large number obtained only one 

 proved worth keeping. The seeds of this were in turn planted and 

 from these I obtained the Concord. On the 10th of September, 

 1849, I was enabled to pick a bunch of grapes and when I showed 

 them to a neighbor who tasted them he at once exclaimed, "Why, 

 this is better than Isabella." Mr. Bull continued to nurse the vine 



