434 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



Grape Culture ; another row of vines are placed 

 three feet apart, and trained according to the old 

 "single cane renewal" of the books ; and several 

 vines are allowed to ramble pretty much as they 

 please; the principal care being to keep up a good 

 stock of bearing wood. 



Thus much for the trellises, and training, and 

 now for a few notes upon the different vai-ieties of 

 grape. 



Allen's Hybrid. — A pot vine of 1861 ; now 

 making a fair growth, of very handsome wood ; 

 expect it will prove worthy of general cultivation 

 a little further south — and perhaps here. 



August Pioneer. — A layer of 1861 ; has made a 

 vigorous growth ; said to be a desirable, hardy 

 fruit, but I doubt if it comes quite up to its min- 

 isterial recommendation. 



Blood's Black. — A layer of 1861 ; fair grower. 



Black Seedling. — Strong grower ; promises well 

 for a wilding seedling. 



Clark's Seedling. — A. layer of 1861 ; has not 

 grown well with me ; one died, and this one start- 

 ed late, and grows feebly — probably was layered 

 from the last year's wood ; is well spoken of by 

 those who ought to speak truly. 



Clinton. — One of the feeblest growers I have ; 

 layers of 1860, planted 1861, have made but little 

 wood, and show no signs of fruit ; expect it to be 

 desirable in New England as a wine grape. 



Canadian Chief. — A pot vine of 1861 ; feeble 

 growth ; do not expect much from either vine or 

 fruit, though, from its origin, and handsome 

 bunches, I wish it may prove desirable. 



Cuyahoga. — A pot vine of 1861 ; feeble ; ex- 

 pect it to prove desirable. 



Canhy's August. — A layer of 1861 ; feeble 

 gx'owth, and very small foliage. 



Concord. — Vines of one to five years old ; strong 

 growers ; out of thirty-three have not lost one ; 

 layers of 1859, planted 1861, show a goodly num- 

 ber of handsome bunches ; stands very near the 

 head of the list of desirable out-door grapes for 

 this latitude. One row of twenty-seven vines is 

 trained according to Bright's method — ;". e., each 

 vine is allowed to grow but one cane, which is 

 fruited one year, and then cut down, and next year 

 a new cane is grown, to fruit the year after. In 

 this way a crop is grown every other year. By 

 cutting down every other vine each fall, I have a 

 fruiting cane every four feet. This is a very sim- 

 ple method, and will return good crops, but it 

 costs more to stock a vineyard than by most oth- 

 er methods. The Concord thus far behaves admi- 

 rably under this discipline. 



Dclaioare. — Pot vines of 1860, planted 1861, 

 made a feeble growth the first year, (one-half of 

 them dying outriglit,) but this year will give sin- 

 gle canes of four to six feet of good wood. Very 

 hard to propagate, either from eyes or layers. For 

 quality of fruit, and hardiness, this stands at the 

 head of the list of out-door grapes, but I expect it 

 will soon be eclipsed by a larger variety. Thus 

 far I find it rather a troublesome vine to train, on 

 account of its disposition to send out numei'ous 

 laterals. But as at present advised, I consider it 

 the leading grape, for vineyard or garden. It 

 leaves little to be desired, except size, and that I 

 shall doubtless secure ere long. 



JJracut Amber. — Three year old layer when 

 planted, 1861 ; made rather poor growth last year; 

 this year growing finely, but only set one feeble 



I bunch of fruit ; is spoken of as a fair table-grape, 

 ; but promising well for wine. From Dr. Jackson's 

 analysis, I am incHned to the opinion that it may 

 j prove worthy of general cultivation for wine pur- 

 1 poses ; but it must show greater bearing qualities 

 [ than as yet with me, or it will be passed to the 

 I rear. 



Diana. — One vine five years old, planted 1860, 

 made good growth, but shows only a few very 

 poor bunches of fruit ; find it slow getting layers 

 from it. Of fifteen purchased layers of 1860 plant- 

 ed in 1861, only five survived, and they have not 

 yet shown much vigor ; of some eight or ten plant- 

 ed this year, all have made a moderate growth. 

 Late and uneven ripening are serious objections 

 to this otherwise desirable grape. 



Early Isabella. — Said to be a seedling of the 

 old variety, but two weeks earlier. x\ppears and 

 grows much like the original, and a specimen of 

 fruit on layer of 1861 throws a doubt on its early 

 ripening. 



Empire. — Layer of 1861 ; a very vigorous 

 grower ; smooth leaf, and badly eaten by insects, 

 and so far as present appearances indicate, it is 

 too succulent and tender for this latitude. 



Early Hudson. — Layer of 1861 ; strong growth, 

 and looks promising. 



Franklin. — Layer of 1861 ; a fair groAvth. 



Oarrigues. — Layer of 1861 ; a very vigorous 

 grower ; looks well. 



Granite State. — A very strong grower ; fair- 

 sized bunches, but berries now twice the size of 

 either Concord, or Hartford Prolific. Said to be 

 a fair table grape ; not yet proved for wine ; ri- 

 pens 1st to 10th September. 



Hartford. Prolific. — Of twenty layers of 1860, 

 planted 1861, every one made a very vigorous 

 growth, and several ripened a specimen of fruit ; 

 propagates early ; vines this year have double the 

 fruit of Concords one year older ; evidently a great 

 bearer. Is a fair table grape, and analysis speaks 

 Avell for its wine-making qualities. Deserves 

 more attention here at the north-east. 



Isabella. — More mildew on one vine, than on 

 all my other varieties put together ; crops very 

 nearly ruined. 



Jennings. — Layer of 1861 ; good growth; looks 

 well, and is well spoken of. 



Logan. — Layer of 1861 ; good growth. 



Louisa. — Similar to Isabella ; said to be earlier ; 

 layer of 1861 ; vigorous growth. 



Marion. — Layer of 1861; moderate growth; 

 small foliage ; not very promising. 



Northern Muscadine. — Layer of 1861 ; fair 

 growth ; generally considered as a very ordinary 

 native grape. 



Nancy. — Layer of 1861 ; good growth, of very 

 slim cane ; not very promising. 



Ontario. — Layer of 1861 ; fair growth. 



Oporto. — Layer of 1861 ; a strong growth ; 

 gives promise to be a desirable wine grape. 



Pennel. — Layer of 1861 ; a fair growth, but 

 small foliage. 



Perkins. — Layer of 1861 ; good growth ; is well 

 spoken of for its fair quality, earliness and nardi- 

 ness. 



Pebecca. — The tenderest and feeblest vines I 

 have. Generally reported to me as too tender for 

 this latitude, but a fine grape, when well grown. 



Rogers' Hybrids. — I am convinced that several 

 of these will prove decidedly popular, and worthy 



