C|e faabian 



VOL. IV.] FEBEUARY, 1881. [No. 2. 



THE JEFFERSON GRAPE. 



This is one of the seedling grapes raised by Mr, Ricketts, whose 

 seedlings have become celebrated for their great beauty and excellent 

 flavor. Many of his seedlings have been grown by crossing our native 

 varieties with the European grapes, and while these are in many 

 instances most magnificent in bunch and berry and delicious in quality, 

 there yet remains a doubt whether any of these crosses will prove to 

 be of permanent value in this country, owing to the tendency which 

 exists in all of them to be subject to mildew in a greater or less degree, 



But this variety to which we now call the attention of our readers 

 has no intermixture of foreign blood, but is a cross between the 

 Concord and lona, bearing a strong resemblance in both wood and 

 foliage to the Concord, and seemingly as vigorous and hardy as that 

 variety. The fruit is very like that of the lona in color and quality, 

 and ripens about with the Concord. We have several times seen this 

 variety on exhibition, and have had opportunities of testing it, and do 

 not hesitate to say that it is to our taste of excellent quality. The 

 Committee appointed to examine the new grapes exhibited at the last 

 meeting of the American Pomological Society, of which Committee 

 our ex-President, Rev. R. Burnet, was a member, reported of the 

 Jefferson Grape, that the berry was " of medium size, deep pink, very 

 vinous; quality BEST." 



It is stated of the Jefferson Grape that it has never shown the 

 least sign of rot or mildew, and that it is healthy, hardy and productive, 

 and has stood twelve degrees below zero on the trellis without pro- 

 tection. The fruit is said to keep well, and that the skin is sufficiently 

 tough to enable it to endure transportation without cracking. We 

 notice that Charles Downing, the best American authority in such 

 matters, says of this grape that the bunch is " very large, often double 

 shouldered and very compact ; the berriea large, roundish oval, light 



