PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARME^g' CLUB. 209 



gentleman to grow the trees expecting to get good fruit, because, as it is 

 well known, the Virgalieu pear, for several years past, has almost uni- 

 versally failed. 



The gentleman said — What, then, would you have me to do ! 



Mr. Fuller replied — Graft other varieties; and, in answer to the question 

 when ? replied that he would do it at once. 



Mr. Carpenter said that he would not graft the first year. He would let 

 them grow one year, and then graft one-third, and the remainder in the 

 two succeeding years. 



Mr. John G. Bergen said — My experience is that it is better to graft 

 the first year. If the trees are planted in autumn, I would graft them 

 the next spring. This is particularly the case with the cherry. 



Mr. Fuller said that he would transplant and graft at the same time, cut- 

 ting of!' two-thirds of the top, unless in cases where the trees had been 

 transported a long distance, or kept out of ground until the limbs were too 

 dry to graft. Nine-tenihs of the nursery trees are so much injured by 

 drying, that most of the top and roots should be pruned away. If trees are 

 grafted when they are transplanted, the growth of the graft is slower, but 

 more hardy and sure to live. 



Mr. Bergen is sure that more grafts will live set in transplanted trees 

 than in trees that are not removed. As to the Virgalieu, it is not a safe 

 variety to plant, yet I know trees which produce good crops of excellent 

 fruit every year. There are some other sorts that are not to be depended 

 upon — Vicar of Winkfield is one that does not rank high in my estimation. 



Mr. Fuller said that he esteemed it the highest among 400 sorts that he 

 had grown. 



A Plea for the Isabella Grape. 



Mr. Geo. W. Gage writes from Chautauqua Co., N. Y., as follows: 

 "In your Club discussion, held Nov. 23, you say you are glad to give 

 others the opportunity to speak freely. I accept the offer. At that meet- 

 ing, while talking over the merits of the Isabella Grape, you observe that 

 it is a great waste of gas to trj'- to keep up the balloon that has so long 

 held the Isabella Grape above all other sorts, and charge its friends with 

 great sensitiveness whenever its merits are questioned. Now, I am not 

 going to waste much gas in an effort to keep up the balloon you mention. 

 Neither do I feel any great sensitiveness on the subject much preferring 

 that the Isabella and all other sorts should stand upon their own merits, 

 neither attempting to disparage nor extol their qualities, not considering 

 the judgment or taste or interest of any one or two individuals as conclu- 

 sive in the matter. The Isabella has been in cultivation in this county 

 for many years, and continues to hold a fair rank among the many varie- 

 ties more recently introduced. The Diana, Concord, and Delaware, and 

 many others, are cultivated in our vicinity, all good, but the old Isabella 

 holds on hardy and vigorous, and giving abundant crops and as yet the 

 pigs have not enjoyed a very large share. I know of but one instance in 

 this county where the Isabella has been threatened with extinction, and 

 in that case the Concord was to be its successor — the Diana and Delaware 

 were eschewed. The adjoining vineyard of fifteen acres still holds on to 

 [Am. Inst. J 



