290 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. 



detect the foreign element in either. They pos- 

 sess, on the contrary, all the peculiar characteris- 

 tics of the native grape in wood, leaves, and fruit. 

 The flesh of all of them is more or less " but- 

 tery," like the Concord, though in several the 

 fibrous center ripens much better than in the 

 Concord, and, it may be added, they are much 

 better grapes. In a very few there is a little 

 of the meaty consistency seen in the Diana, and 

 these begin to be vinous in their flavor, and in 

 quality are the best of these seedlings. But in 

 all this we can not detect the mixture of any 

 foreign element. The experiments of Mr. 

 Rogers are exceedingly interesting, not because 

 he has failed or succeeded in producing hybrid 

 grapes, but because he has demonstrated that the 

 wild grape, through its seedlings, is susceptible 

 of a very high degree of improvement. That is 

 the source to which we must look for any valu- 

 able results. We would not say one word to 

 discourage him in his efforts to produce hybrids, 

 but would suggest that he also use some of our 

 best native grapes of a vinous character in his 

 experiments. He will find less trouble in fertili- 

 zing, and produce far more valuable results. 



To hybridize the grape is no easy matter; 

 yet there are scores of people who think they 



