98 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



confounded Avith the Lady "Washington, 

 a noble grape where it succeeds, but 

 not early enough to ripen well in this 

 climate. 

 Of the 



NEWER WHITE GRAPES 



The Errfpire State has already at- 

 tained considerable prominence. It is 

 a cross between the Hartford and the 

 Clinton, and ripens about with the 

 former. The berries ai-e a little smaller 

 than those of the Niagai-a,but pleasanter 

 to the taste being less foxy, just as juicy, 

 and of a rich, sweet and sprightly 

 flavor. 



Jessica is a Canadian seedling, and 

 is highly commended. It is claimed to 

 be excellent in quality, hardy, and as 

 early as the Champion. 



And now we have before us a new 

 claimant for popular favor, and one 

 which boldly aspires to a leading place 

 among our best white grapes viz : — 



Moore's Diamond, which is re- 

 presented in the colored plate. It is 

 one of a lot of 2500 seedlings raised by 

 Jacob Moore, of Brighton, N. Y., and 

 is a cross between the Concord and the 

 lona. Its introducers speak of it as 

 follows : 



"It is a prolific bearer, producing 

 large, handsome, compact bunches, 

 slightly shouldered. The color is a 

 delicate greenish white, with a rich yel- 

 .low tinge when fully ripe ; skin smooth 

 and entirely fi-ee from the brown specks 

 or dots which characterize many of the 

 new white varieties ; very few seeds, 

 juicy and almost entirely free from 

 pulp, which makes it almost transparent 

 when held up to the light. Berry about 

 the size of the Concord, and adheres 

 firmly to the stem. 



In quality, no other white grape in 

 the market can compare with it. It is 

 as much superior to the other leading 

 white grapes as the Brighton is superior 

 to Concord. In fact we believe that 



nurserymen and fruit growers will find 

 in this grape what they have been so 

 long looking for, a hardy early and pro- 

 lific white grape of fine quality." 



All this however must be taken cum 

 grano salis, until we have ourselves 

 tested it in Canada, and are in a posi- 

 tion either to deny or confirm it. 

 Should it prove of excellent quality, 

 and two or three weeks earlier than 

 the Concord, and hardy withal, we 

 shall certainly welcome it into our 

 Canadian Vineyards. 



TOP-GRAFTING OLD TREES. 



Mr. John Croil, of Aultsville, writes 

 lis the following letter on this subject : 



" Sir : — I enclose an article from the 

 pen of Mr. James Dougall, which ajj- 

 peared in the Montreal Witness some 

 years ago. While I agree on the main 

 with some opinions expressed in the 

 the January number of the Horticul- 

 turist, that the Snow Apple and other 

 pestilence breeding kinds should be cut 

 down and burned, when there is a large 

 proportion of such trees in an orchard, 

 Mr. Dougall's plan, I think, might 

 restore the trees to healthy productive- 

 ness without disfiguring the orchard. 

 He claims for it the advantage that it 

 removes the risk of moisture getting in 

 at the cleft, when the grafting wax 

 comes off, which it generally does, caus- 

 ing often decay, and the death if not of 

 the tree, at least of the grafted branch." 



The article referred to advises the 

 following plan : — 



" Very late in winter or very early 

 in spring before vegetation has com- 

 menced in the least, saw off the main 

 branches of the tree all over so as to 

 form a symmetrical head, cutting clean 

 out all small or badly placed branches. 

 A very fine pruning saw should be 

 used and the cut should be made slant- 

 ing so as to throw the water off. The 

 wounds could be painted over with gum 



