^78 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



fall. I gathered from the both, after 

 having cultivated them for five years, 

 twelve bunches, and I came to the con- 

 clusion that I could do better than that 

 with some other varieties. I am much 

 pleased with the " Vergennes." Mine 

 bore about fifty bunches, fair size. I 

 have put away the greater part of 

 them for the winter, and shall watch 

 with some interest the result, for if 

 they will keep, then it will be well to 

 cultivate them. They ripened fairly 

 Avell, and since I gatliered them they 

 have appeared to ripen more. The 

 Jessica bore a very good crop, and 

 ripened. I notice that if it is allowed 

 to remain too long on the vine it 

 shrivels. The " Purity " also ripened. 

 The great fault with this vai-iety is that 

 the bunch is small. The berry is very 

 firm, of a bright amber colour, and rich 

 flavour, and the vine is a fair grower 

 and bearer. Any one cultivating a 

 few vines I think would be pleased 

 with this kind. The Burnet I have 

 discarded. The Rogers varieties did 

 not mature very well. I am disap- 

 pointed with the " Massasoit" (Rogers' 

 3). The bunches are small, irregularly 

 set, and the vine a poor bearer with 

 me. 



I was glad to read in the Annual 

 Report that you spoke at Barrie so 

 highly of the " Lindley " (Rogers' 9). 

 I have now grown it seven or eight 

 years, and from the first day it fruited 

 have had a high opinion of it. Its 

 fault is that the bunches are irregular. 

 The Pocklington turned out satisfac- 

 tory. It has a very handsome appear- 

 ance, and for that reason people like it. 

 The flavour is not high class, but still 

 it is a reasonably good grape. The 

 lona did not ripen»- nor the Elvira. 

 Notwithstanding the " Elvira " did not 

 ripen, I have a high opinion of it, and 

 think our Canadian cultivators should 

 endeavour to x-aise seedlings from it. 

 It is healthy, hardy, and an immense 



bearer, but a little late ; but if the 

 summer had been an usual one it would 

 have ripened. We made jam of the 

 fruit and it went to a jelly, the skins 

 being entirely absorbed into the juice. 

 The colour was rather of a greenish 

 hue, but that could be remedied by 

 adding the juice of some black variety. 

 I have this year planted the " ]\Ionte- 

 fiore " and " Black Elvii-a " (seedlings of 

 the " Elvira "), and the " Golden Gem " 

 and " Bacchus." I don't know whether 

 they will ripen, but they appear to be 

 highly recommended. All but the 

 Golden Gem appear to be wine grapes, 

 and the Gem should be a wine grape 

 too, as it is a cross of the Delaware and 

 lona. 



Our Canadian fruit growers do not 

 appear to go in for raising seedling 

 grapes, except a few, and those which 

 are raised we hear very little of I 

 have noticed from time to time for 

 several years past that Mr. Mills, of 

 Hamilton, had some valuable seedlings, 

 but they do not appear to have been 

 oftered to the public. What we want 

 is a grape which will ripen in the last 

 week in September, and of a quality 

 superior to the Concord, and at the 

 same time as hardy as that variety. 

 Surely perseverance will produce us 

 such a grape. 



Notwithstanding I covei-ed my 

 grapes last winter, three or four were 

 frozen to the ground, and several of 

 my neighbours who did not cover lost 

 all their wood. I think it is absolutely 

 necessary in the vicinity of Toronto to 

 cover eveiy winter ; for even if the 

 winter is mild the chances are that the 

 spring will injuriously atfect them, and 

 besides, it prevents their budding too 

 early, and they thereby escape the 

 spring frosts. 



Several of my peach trees were 

 killed last winter, and I have come to 

 the conclusion that the game is not 

 worth the candle. 



