POPULAR VARIETIES OF GRAPES. 373 



trellis is made for them they should be planted at a distance 

 of six feet apart. The trellis may be any height from six to 

 twenty feet, as desired. If planted in vineyard style in the 

 open field, without trellises, they may be set six feet between the 

 rows and three or four feet between the plants, and tied up to strong 

 stakes. 



The first year after planting, if with vineyard culture, they should 

 be cut down, and only one shoot left to reach to the top of the five or 

 six foot stake. If it has grown strongly and ripened well, that shoot 

 will give a few bunches the second year and may be pruned close, so 

 as to resemble a walking stick, but, with the lateral shoots cut back 

 to one eye only that is, the main shoot is allowed to stand, and the 

 side shoots or laterals are trimmed to one bud or eye. This is what 

 is called the Spur System, and will be found to be the most convenient 

 for the inexperienced cultivator. There are special modes of prun- 

 ing, which are best shown by illustration, and for such as require 

 fuller information on this subject, I will refer to my work, " Garden- 

 ing for Pleasure," where the subject of pruning is fully treated. 

 The six kinds which we would recommend for general culture are 

 the following: 



MOORE'S EARLY. This variety has large and compact bunches; 

 berries large, black and covered with a rich bloom ; excellent flavor, 

 and is one of the earliest, ripening about the 1st of September, or a 

 week before Concord. 



PRENTISS. Is of greenish white color, sometimes tinted with rose; 

 of medium size for a white grape, flavor almost equal to the best 

 hot-house grapes; is immensely productive, and sold in the New York 

 markets last year for twenty-five cents per pound, while Concord 

 and other older varieties sold at six cents per pound; ripens middle 

 of September. 



WILDER. Has berries of medium size; color reddish bronze; berry 

 of exquisite flavor, ripening middle of September. 



SALEM. Has large bunches; color, white, tinted with pink; of 

 medium size; delicate flavor; ripening about 1st of October. 



BRIGHTON. Color reddish bronze, bunch and berries of average size, 

 flavor excellent; a most abundant bearer, and one of the very best. 

 Bipens about the 1st of October. 



CONCORD, the last we name, is one of the best known of all the 

 sorts. It is much inferior in flavor, but it has the valuable quality of 

 never failing to bear abundant crops, and is indispensable in 

 any collection, and if but one grape is grown this should be 

 chosen. 



