THE GRAPE IN KANSAS. 29 



EXTRACTS FROM A BULLETIN ON GRAPE CULTURE ISSUED BY 

 THE MISSOURI EXPERIMENT STATION. 



By PKOF. J. C. WHITTBN. 



For several years a number of varieties of grapes have been grown on the 

 horticultural grounds. Others have been planted from time to time during the 

 past ten years. In the spring of 1894 a vineyard of 130 varieties was planted, 

 comprising all the more prominent varieties in the older vineyards and many newer 

 sorts then coming into prominence. This planting has been enlarged each season 

 since, until it now contains about 150 kinds. The present bulletin deals mainly 

 with the grapes planted in 1894, they having just completed their fifth season's 

 growth and their third or fourth season's fruiting. This has enabled us to com- 

 pare vines of the same age. The following is a summary of the results of these 

 studies : 



1. The following varieties ripened in 1898 ahead of Moore's Early: Early 

 Ohio, Champion, Green Mountain, Moyer, Hartford, Jewel, Ives, Janesville, 

 New Haven, Aminia, and Brighton. 



2. Among the best very early varieties for commercial planting, judging from 

 our own experience and the experience of practical growers, are: Green Moun- 

 tain, Campbell's Early, Jewel, New Haven, Aminia, Brighton, Moore's Early, 

 and Norfolk. 



3. The grapes having the largest berry are : Columbian Imperial, McPike, 

 Eaton, Salem, and Moore's Early. 



4. The Ozark is the most vigorous and productive variety we have tested. 



5. Among the most promising comparatively new or little known varieties 

 are: America, Aminia, Brilliant, Campbell's Early, Green Mountain, Hicks, Mc- 

 Pike, New Haven, Norfolk, Ozark, Rochester, and Rommel. 



6. In our opinion, more attention might profitably be given to growing and 

 working up a demand for fine table grapes, especially the earlier varieties. The 

 demand for grapes of the best quality increases as the consumers become ac- 

 quainted with their merits and acquire a taste for them. 



7. It pays to sack fine table grapes of most varieties, as it adds to their ap- 

 pearance and keeping qualities, thus increasing their value and insuring ready 

 sale at good prices. Those that are capable of self-fertilization should be sacked 

 while in blossom or before; those incapable of self-fertilization should be sacked 

 as soon as the fruit has set. 



8. Those varieties which have descended from our native cestivalis grape, or 

 from the closely related post oak grape, are more healthy, vigorous and drought 

 resisting and hold their fruit longer than other classes of grapes in this section. 

 They are also more prolific, if we count simply the number of berries set, regard- 

 less of size. In some varieties of this class the berries attain very large size with- 

 out diminishing the number of berries in the cluster. Ozark is an example. 



9. Varieties of the labrusca class have the largest and handsomest fruit, and 

 produce most in quantity, though not in number of grapes. They sometimes 

 suffer from the heat of summer. 



10. The hybrid varieties between the American and European grapes average 

 highest in quality, though they lack the vigor, health and drought-resisting ca- 

 pacity of our native grapes. 



11. About sixty per cent, of the varieties tested are capable of perfect self- 

 fertilization ; that is, they will set fruit without the aid of pollen from other va- 



