110 THE GRAPE IN KANSAS. 



Total expense of same, including baskets, commission, and picking, same as last 

 season, $355.31; making net, $685.50. While our crop last year was almost 

 double what it was this season, our actual gain was only $134, as you see. The 

 large yield last year caused the price to drop, while the expense of marketing 

 was almost double that of this year. ' We believe, for the money and labor spent, 

 our grapes yield the largest returns of any crop we raise, excepting peaches. 

 These, of course, are not always a sure crop. From our experience, we find it 

 does not pay to put grapes in cold storage, as the New York grapes come into 

 market immediately after grapes are done here. The first New York grapes we 

 bought this season cost us twelve and one-half cents laid down here, and were of 

 superior quality. 



MR. DUKELOW, Reno county : I have twenty acres of grapes, and I find four 

 kinds that pay: Moore's Early, Culver, Catawba, and Niagara. I have some 

 other varieties, but they do not amount to anything. Only these four are any 

 good. The best is Moore's Early, an excellent bearer, and of good quality. I 

 shipped a good many grapes to Oklahoma City. 



Question : Did you get any better prices for them down there ? 



Answer : I ship Catawbas mostly. I do n't get any more for them than I did 

 for Moore's Early. 



Q. : Did you ever raise the Champion ? 



A.: Yes, sir, some years ago; and I never gathered the last crop at all; they 

 did little good. 



Q.: How much difference in the time of ripening is there between Moore's 

 Early and other grapes ? v 



'A . : Moore's Early are all gone before the others commence. 



J. L. WILLIAMS, Jackson county : I have been raising a few grapes for my own 

 use more particularly for myself and for home use and it do n't pay. The most 

 profitable grape with me is Moore's Early. It comes before the Concord, and I 

 get better prices for it than for any other. For the Concord, for the last two 

 years, we got about one cent a pound. I have trouble to sell them all. One year 

 I made some wine for church use, and they paid six cents a pint ; at that rate I 

 received twenty-one cents a pound [basket?] for the grapes. 



A DELEGATE : A valuable grape that has not been mentioned is the Wirt ; it 

 comes in right after Moore's Early, bears heavy, and is generally ready for 

 market .before the first Concords. It is a heavy bearer, and best- flavored grape 

 I know. Last year was the first time it failed to ripen ahead of the Concord ; 

 this year it came in with the Concord. The Niagara is another good grape. It 

 is a heavy bearer, and I think the only profitable white grape. 



F. W. DIXON, Jackson county: We grow a few grapes, simply for our own 

 use. I have only Concord, Niagara, and Moore's Early. Moore's Early and 

 Niagara will bear ten pounds where Concord bears one. I had a fine crop of 

 grapes until the little birds got at them, and in a few hours they used them up. 

 They were the golden robin and sparrow ; they came to the grapes in clouds. 



A. L. BROOKE, Shawnee county: I do n't know a little bit about grapes, but 

 I want to tell something good -that some other men know. If you want a good 

 grape, one that is better than any other grape, raise Norton's Virginia. 



F. HOLSINGER: I am located in town, and when my grapes ripen the sparrows 

 take them; they soon destroy the whole crop. You can remedy that by sacking 

 the grapes; it won't pay to sack grapes, excepting a few for home'use; but you 

 can preserve them in that way. There is much to be said in favor of sacking 

 grapes. The proper time is when the blossom has fallen. [When the size of 

 bird shot. SEC.] I usually take two-pound paper sacks. They sell for forty- 



