1862. 



THE ILLINOIS FARMER 



49 



' Bragdon— I have seen it tested a dozen times 

 and put next to the Delaware. 



Recommended for general cultivation. 



[Here is another grave error of the Society, 

 and one that they will repent at leisure ; we re- 

 fer to the same reason given above in regard to 

 tho Delaware.] 



Concord. 



Andrews — When thoroughly grown, I think it 

 one of the best; could I have but one it would be 

 the Diana or Concord; it is a free bearer, large, 

 and delicious, when well grown, 



Douglas — I prefer Concord to Diana. It is 

 remarkably hardy with us; I have seen it in sand, 

 gravel, clay and prairie soil; it is hardier than 

 the Catawba or Diana, and the best we have for 

 general cultivation; it is the best one grape, but 

 has never been over propagated like the Dela- 

 ware, remember. 



Sanders — The Delaware is a poor grower, 

 whilst tho Concord is stronger, so that it bears 

 propagation better; cut down the Delawares more 

 and they would do better. 



Chandler — It is a rambling but good grower, 

 not better than the Diana, but better than the 

 Delaware; stands without covering with us at 

 Madison, Wis; 



Kidder — I believe it is the grape for the people. 

 It will bring twice as much as the Catawba; has 

 a white bloom and handsome bunches; you can 

 manure it, for it will bear stimulating; I saw 

 vines this year two and a half years planted that 

 produced sixteen pounds of grapes each, worth 

 twenty cents perpound, or $3 20 to the vine. 



Asa Kennicott was opposed to pandering to 

 the popular taste. 



Sanders — Where is the poor man to buy his 

 fruit ? The grower can afford to raise cheap 

 grapes, and the consumer to buy them. 



Dunlap — I indorse Mr. Sanders; I planted a 

 first class orchard at Leyden, in this county, and 

 all the first class fruit is dead, while the second 

 class varieties are doing well. I am done with 

 all this first class fruit, suited only to the fasti- 

 deous palate of some, would-be parvenu; give 

 us goed fair fruit in abundance, fruit for the mil- 

 lion at a cheap rate. I have no objection to am- 

 atuers growing strawberries worth a dollar a 

 quart, or grapes five dollars a pound, but these 

 will never tickle the palate of the laborer, or be 

 found on the table of the washer woman. Let 

 us talk about something that is useful, and some- 

 thing that we can all have. The Concord is the 

 people's grape; it grows everywhere; there is a 

 difference of opinion on the Delaware; none on 

 the Concord. 



Kidder — The Concord grape properlyripened 

 is very good, in the opinion of the best judges. 



Ozanne — I have the Concord infruit for three 

 years. It ripens ten days earlier than the Isa- 

 bella; its flavor is good; one in ten preferred it 

 to Isabella; is quite hardy on the trellis all win- 

 ter; bears well; I think it the grape for the peo- 

 ple. 



Sherman — It ia one of the grapes for the peo- 

 —2 



pie; it is third in quality, counting Delaware as 

 first, and Diana second; it is a strong grower 

 and a hardy grape, but should not include the 

 other two. 



President — A fruit that may be had with com- 

 mon treatment. 



Periam — What are the qualities for general 

 cultivation ? 



Andrew — The millions can have grapes when 

 they learn how to take care of them. The culti- 

 vation of grapes forces itself upon us because of 

 the late bearing of large fruits and our hot sum~ 

 mers so favorable to ripening. If one thousand 

 Concords and one thousand Delawares were sold 

 out indiscriminately, the former would do the 

 most good; the Diana, too, is apt to fail in green 

 hands, though I never knew it to blight. 



Periam — The secret of grape culture is in the 

 winter treatment; we can get along with it in the 

 summer. 



Kidder — Grapes, I think, can be grown on flat 

 prairies; hill sides are not necessary; in Eurepa 

 the hill sides are used, not because they are best, 

 but cheapest. 



Sanders — Late frosts are the chief trouble with 

 grapes; they should be protected as late as pos- 

 sible; this can never be a great grape growing 

 country, 



[Probably not on the drift sands north of Chi- 

 cago, but easy when on the well drained prairie, 

 whether hill sides or not, such grapes as the Isa- 

 bella, Catawba, Concord and Hartford Prolific 

 will yet make glad the masses that give them 

 good culture.] 



Periam — Covering a vine makes it start quicker 

 when uncovered, so that it is more liable to in- 

 jury. 



Bragdon — I believe grapes can be grown with 

 good common care. 



Andrews — The time of uncovering vines with 

 me is the first week in May, without much ref- 

 erence to weather; I throw off the earth, let 

 them dry, and then raise' them up; we need not 

 fail with grapes oftener than elsewhere. I have 

 from one to two hundred per cent, greater re- 

 turns from grapes than anything else in the way 

 of fruit; I would put the roots of all fruit trees 

 deep in the ground in Northern Illinois; the hoi 

 weather comes and cakes all the top soil, and the 

 thinly covered roots are baked; if they survive, 

 it is to make a full growth, and be tender enough 

 to freeze in the coming winter; any one can find 

 the dead roots and satisfy himself; I trench the 

 earth three or four feet deep, and bring the sur- 

 face soil to the top, and put in the tree without 

 packing the earth around the roots; the soil 

 around Bockford does not require underdrain- 

 ing. 



Bragdon — Brush says he can make two hun- 

 dred to three hundred dollars profit per acre. 



Nash — In the spring of 1856, I found all my 

 vines dead, and went to raising potatoes: about 

 the 25th of April I noticed a vine lying on the 

 ground, and covered with potato tops of the pre- 

 vious year, which was still living. I took the 

 hint^ and sinee th«Q I }a; them down in Novcm- 



