502 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTUKE. 



THE REBECCA GRAPE. 



BY THE EDITOR. 



It is somewhat surprising that while we have so many 

 choice varieties of the pear, apple, plum, peach and other 

 fruits, the spontaneous productions of our gardens and 

 orchards, so little amelioration should have taken place in our 

 native grapes. For more than thirty years the only kinds 

 really worthy of being enumerated among the eatable sorts 

 were the Isabella and Catawba, and both of them unsuited 

 to the northern section of the country. It seemed to be ad- 

 mitted, by general consent, that the Fox grape, so called, of 

 our woods, would admit of no improvement, and that to have 

 good grapes at all we must grow the foreign varieties under 

 glass. This at least appeared to be the destiny of our native 

 grape till Mr. Bull, from the wild vine of our pastures, pro- 

 duced the delicious Concord, and proved conclusively that it 

 was as susceptible of improvement as any other of our fruits. 

 His success has induced others to follow his example, and at 

 the present time there are thousands of seedling grapes under 

 cultivation, from which, we doubt not, many valuable varie- 

 ties will be obtained. 



Every fine hardy grape is a most welcome addition to our 

 limited stock. The Diana was one, the Concord another, 

 and the grape we are now about to notice is a third. Others 

 there are which already promise much, and some which 

 nearly or quite equal those we have named. We shall de- 

 scribe them all as soon as their real merits are well estab- 

 lished. 



The Rebecca grape isundoubtedly of native origin, although 

 nothing positive is known regarding this. But it bears the 

 unmistakable evidence of its nativity in the coarseness of its 

 leaf, its downy surface beneath, the hardiness of the vine, 

 and the very perceptible aroma of its skin. Indeed, upon a 

 careful examination we see nothing to induce us to believe 

 it has any admixture of the foreign vine ; and it appears no 

 greater a departure from some of the better native white 

 grapes than the Concord does from the black. We have 



