CULTURE or GRAPES. 371 



varieties are offered for sale here, but they are so subject to mildew, 

 that they rarely do any good. Of the native varieties, that known 

 as the Downing is of a greenish white color when ripe, and of very 



HOTJGHTON ,S SEEDLING GOOSEBERRY. 



fair quality. We have also a red native seedling known as Houghton's, 

 which is of average size and flavor. The culture is same as that of 

 the currant. 



GRAPES. 



Although grape vines can be grown in almost any soil, yet if a 

 position can ba obtained on a sloping bank, facing south or south- 

 east, running at an angle often or fifteen degrees, where the soil is stony 

 or shaly, they will be found usually to do better than when planted 

 on level lands, particularly if they can be manured. All the finest 

 vineyards in Germany and France are so located, and the fruit is 

 always better flavored and freer from mildew and other diseases than 

 when on the level. However, such conditions are not always to be 

 obtained, and the vines of course are not so easily worked as when 

 planted on the level. There is now so much advance made in our 

 hardy native varieties of grapes, that those who have not had 

 opportunities of seeing them will be surprised to find the vast im- 

 provement that has been made in this delicious fruit within the last 

 ten or fifteen years. We have now grapes of the finest flavor of all 

 colors, ranging through all the shades of green, amber, red and black, 

 ripening in succession from the middle of August until the middle of 

 October. Immense areas are now being planted with the kinds 

 which have proved most profitable for market purposes, and as they 

 can be safely shipped to almost any distance, there is no need of 

 being dependent upon a local market. There is much misconception 



