DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. 



^Walter. (Labr.) Raised by that enthusias- 

 tic horticulturist, Mr. A. J. Caywood, of Pough- 

 keepsie, N. Y., crossing the Delaware with the 

 Diana. From the many premiums awarded to 

 this grape, from the favorable reports by all 

 who have seen or tested it for wine, it may well 

 claim to be a first class grape, and to merit a 

 trial wherever American grapes are successfully 

 grown. It labors yet under the disadvantage of 

 having been representsd as the climax of per- 

 fection, or, at least, as being- superior to all 

 other American varieties, by its originator. In 

 justice to the latter, however, it must be admit- 

 ted that he honestly believes all he claims for 

 his seedling, and has distributed the same with 

 a liberality and a disinterestedness scarcely ever 

 equalled by any originator of a new variety. It 

 is now growing in almost every soil and loca- 

 tion of this Union, and the opinions on its true 

 merits and adaptability for general cultivation 

 widely differ according to localities. In those 

 where vines are much subject to mildew, the 

 Walter cannot nourish, it drops its foliage, and 

 is far from desirable ; but in favorable localities, 

 especially where the Delaware succeeds well, 

 there the Walter will also prove desirable a 

 fair grower and good bearer. Even in less fa- 

 vored localities it proved healthy and gave 

 splendid results when grown on Concord or 

 other vigorous roots, while on its own roots it 

 failed. 



In general appearance the characters of both 

 the Diana and Delaware are discernible. The 

 bunch and berry are of medium size, of light 

 Catawba color. Flesh tender, rich and sweet, 

 with an agreeable spicy flavor, strongly remind- 

 ing of the Diana. The fruit is possessed of a 

 most exquisite and delicate aroma, and a bou- 

 quet equalled by no other American grape that 

 we know of. Quality best, both for table and 

 for wine. Ripens very early, about same time 

 as Delaware. Vine, in moderately rich sandy 

 soil, where free from mildew and from Phyllox- 

 era, a very fair grower, with dark brown, short- 

 jointed wood ; large tough leaves, green on the 

 upper and lower surface, not woolly ; must 99 

 to 105 ; acid 5 to 8 per mill. 



Wilder. (Rogers' Hybrid No. 4.) This 

 promises to be one of the most profitable and 

 popular varieties for the market in cultivation, 

 its size and beauty being equalled by its vigor, 

 hardiness and productiveness. Bunch large, 

 often shouldered, sometimes weighing a pound ; 

 berry large, globular; color dark purple, nearly 

 black; slight bloom. Flesh tolerably tender, 

 with a slight pulp, juicy, rich, pleasant and 



sweet. Ripens with, and sometimes earlier 

 than the Concord, keeping for a long time. 

 The vine is vigorous, hardy, healthy and pro- 

 dvitive; roots abundant, of medium thickness, 

 straight, with a smooth, moderately firm liber. 

 Canes heavy and long, with well-developed lat- 

 erals. Wood firm with a medium pith. The 

 figure of the Agawam (page 34), and of the 

 Senasqua (page 75), may serve as fair illustra- 

 tions of the form and appearance of the Wilder 

 grape. 



Wylie's New Seedling- Grapes. "Too much 

 can scarcely be said in praise of Dr. Wylie's persevering 

 efforts in the improvement of the grape." P. J. Berclc- 

 mans, Ghas. Downing, Thomas Meetian, W. C. Flagg, 

 P. T. Quinn, Committee on Native Fruits, of the Am. 

 Pomol. Society. (Proceedings 1871, page 54.) 



This testimony, and the excellent character of these 

 hybrids, as regards flavor and general appearance, en- 

 title them to special attention; and we give them a 

 place in our Catalogue, although they have not been 

 sufficiently tested, and we are now growing them under 

 restrictions not to sell or give out any wood of same. 

 But as soon as they will have been sufficiently tested in 

 different'localities and proven satisfactory, their origin- 

 ator will distribute them with great liberality, though 

 few persons can appreciate the immense labor and per- 

 severance which his experiments have cost. As early 

 as 1859 he had raised many seedlings of Delaware and 

 Foreign; all have proven failures. Catawba, Isabella, 

 Halifax, Union Village, Lenoir, Herbemont, and other 

 hybrids, which he produced by crossing any of those 

 with foreign, have nearly all failed most of them from 

 mildew and rot. Many would produce vines of healthy 

 appearance, but they would fail to set their fruit. In 

 1863 he had over one hundred promising seedlings; 

 gave Mr. Robert Guthrie, of York County, S. C., about 

 65, mostly hybrids of Halifax and Delaware. These 

 flourished , and never missed a full crop ; but after some 

 years Mr. Guthrie hsid to be absent, and the vines were 

 entirely neglected. Mr. Wylie's own soil is a tenacious 

 pipe clay, the worst for grapes, and during the war, 

 owing to quartering of troops adjoining his lot, his 

 vines were ruined. Thus there exist now but a few of 

 those Halifax and Delaware Hybrids saved again by Mr. 

 Guthrie. In 1868 Mr. Wvlie planted about one hundred 

 seedlings of Concord fertilized with foreign, and about 

 fifty Diana fertilized with West's St. Peter, white Chas- 

 selas and Lady Downe's Seedling. Of these many mil- 

 dewed badly, some died, and he abandoned them. Af- 

 ter many failures to produce seedlings of Hybrid-Scup- 

 pernongs, he finally succeeded, but owing to a little 

 hot house being over-heated, he again lost nearly all of 

 them. He commenced anew with his experiments and 

 had hundreds of new seedlings growing, when they 

 were cut down by a severe frost, on the 27th of April, 

 1872, a frost which killed all kinds of grape vines in 

 that section. Again, in November, 1873, his resi- 

 dence was burned , (no insurance) and consequently he 

 had to leave his place to depredations from broken 

 fences, &c. But it is now rebuilt, and Mr. Wylie is 

 back again at his old place, experimenting and working 

 with the same zeal and enthusiasm as ever, wishing: 



