29 



in December, and in January and February made liberal contributions for 

 the Society's tables. 



The Committee is much indebted, from year to year, to J. Fisk Allen, 

 Salem, for valuable information on this subject. He has made the culture 

 of grapes a special object, and his discriminating eye and close observation 

 will always prove valuable. We would call the attention of the Society to 

 his remarks relative to the identity of the Barbarossa, believing Mr. A. has 

 given the subject the closest scrutiny. Acknowledging our obligations to 

 Mr. A., we herewith incorporate into our report his communication, re- 

 ceived a few days since : 



Eben. Wight, Chairman Fruit Committee Mass. Hort. Society : 



Dear Sir, — In reply to your queries I would say, that the noticeable fact 

 in grape culture in our vicinity the past season of 1857, has been the great 

 increase of mildew, and the crop of fruit has been greatly diminished thereby. 

 The wild grape, as well as the Isabella and Diana, have been attacked — 

 the Clinton, in my garden, being the only variety that has not been affected. 

 The Diana escaped with only slight injury, but the fruit suffered somewhat 

 from the rot, a rare occurrence with any variety in our section. Notwith- 

 standing an unusual amount of rain and cloudy weather, the mildness of 

 the autumn enabled the Isabella and Diana vines to ripen crops of fine 

 grapes, when sulphur had been used in quantity sufficient to check the 

 mildew. A vine on the south of my dwelling yielded one hundred pounds 

 of as rich, sweet fruit as ever the South produced ; and this vine, for thir- 

 teen years, has never failed to mature a full crop. 



Several of my hybrid vines withstood the cold of the last winter, with the 

 mercury twenty degrees below zero. Being injured by mildew, and also 

 growing in a cold, wet soil, the fruit did not sweeten sufficiently ; on a 

 wall, in a warm, dry situation, they would mature with the Isabella, and I 

 think would be preferred, as less pulpy and foxy. The berry is oval and 

 black, as large or larger than the Isabella, the form and size of the bunch 

 like this variety. 



Another vine, that fruited for the first time this year, was the worst thing 

 imaginable, — small, foxy and sour. 



No. 19 fruited for the fourth time. The quality was good, but it did not 

 set its fruit well. This was a general trouble with many wild grapes this 

 year, — the cause, apparently, being some defect in the blossom. The flower 

 is perfect, but the stamen is short, and the anther bursts and spreads its 

 pollen under the pistil, and not over it, as it should do. It must be con- 

 sidered a defect. 



No. 8 — a black, late hybrid that I have thought well of, and that pre- 

 viously had withstood twelve degrees below zero of frost — was killed to 

 the ground. This can only be suitable for the South. 



In my garden, the Early Amber ripened well and early. The fruit is 

 good, but the vine drops the grapes so badly as to destroy its value for the 

 table. The Sage was ripe early in September. It is the best of the large 

 wild fox grapes, and requires a dry, warm soil. 



