THK CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



275 



fruited ; it has a sweet, rich flavour ; 

 berry a little smaller than Brighton, 

 but much larger than Delaware ; it is 

 a good keeper. The leaves on the 

 young shoots of this variety have a 

 beautiful golden bronze apj)earance, and 

 are quite ornamental. 



The Delaware is the most sought 

 after by the public of all the red 

 grapes ; but it is believed when the 

 Amber Queen and the Brighton come 

 to the front, as they are bound to do, 

 they will take the highest rank both 

 for market and table, their appearance 

 and flavour being of first quality. 



GRAPE NOTES. 



BY T. C. ROBINSON, OWES SOUND. 



As the vineyai-d season comes and 

 goes, what sweet spots and streaks are 

 indented on the memory in judging the 

 merits of the multitudinous varieties 

 that so successfully claim our attention ! 

 Some of the introductions of recent 

 years are certainly i-emarkable for their 

 excellence. Among these the one which 

 has attracted the most attention, pei'- 

 haps, is the 



Niagara. — I find it well up to the 

 claims made for it. Season of ripening 

 about with Worden ; cluster large, and 

 quite compact without cracking ; bei'ry 

 as large as Concord, rather oval, of a 

 fine shade of greenish yellow ; and 

 quality very sweet and delicious, though 

 not as rich as some others ; while the 

 vine is a remarkably strong grower, 

 very productive, and the foliage is of 

 the healthy Labrusca type. Unfortu- 

 nately, my crop of all varieties was cut 

 short by a late spring frost ; but the 

 abundant blossoms showed what the 

 Niagara could do. In sjjite of the 

 strong foxy smell which it develops 

 when kept in the house for some weeks, 

 I would rather grow it for profit than 

 any other variety which I have tested. 



Jessica. — I have not yet fruited this, 

 and shall watch the columns of the 



Horticulturist with interest for the 

 reports of those who have it in bearing. 

 Some vines that I have have grown 

 well. 



Moore's Early. — Perhaps this grape 

 will pay the best of all the black 

 varieties that can be grown for a dis- 

 tant market, provided it is given rich 

 soil. This condition touches its weak 

 point, viz : its lack of vigor in growth. 

 I would not like to call it a jwor 

 grower, yet it is notably behind Con- 

 cord and the Rogers' varieties in this 

 respect. Yet we cannot expect to have 

 the great advantages of extra earliness, 

 size, etc., without paying for them in 

 some way. And when the Moore puts 

 so large a measure of its sap into fine 

 clusters of very large, firm, handsome, 

 and well flavored fruit, that rijjens 

 along with Champion, we should not 

 grudge a little extra manure and elbow- 

 grease, to enable the vine to stand the 

 strain, and grow enough wood to do it 

 again next year. I find the fruit to be 

 tougher-skinned than either Concord or 

 Worden, and the quality about like 

 Concord. 



Lady is another variety which labors 

 under the same defect. If it gets good 

 treatment it ripens about with Moore 

 and Champion, and while the clusters 

 are only of medium size, yet the berries 

 are often as large as Concord. It 

 seems a rather slower grower than 

 Moore's Early, with rich soil and fair 

 cultivation. I think it will be found 

 of great value as the earliest white 

 gi'ape in general cultivation. The fruit 

 is sweet and good, and the foliage, like 

 Moore's Early, is of the hardy, insect- 

 proof and disease-resisting Concord 

 type. The fruit of the Lady is too 

 tender-skinned to ship far. 



Champion. — What a poser this grape 

 is. How one would like to kick it out 

 for its sourness when first colored, and 

 for its poor quality that is worse than 

 sourness when fully ripe ! And yet,. 



