105 



Account of some nc^Y Hybrid varieties of Grapes, originating 

 in Salem, Mass., tlarougli experiments of John Fisk Allen; 

 hj John L. Russell. 



It will be seen by reference to the records of our Horticul- 

 tural Exhibition, September 20-22, 1854, that new varieties of 

 hardy grapes were presented by John F. Allen, of this city. 

 In 1848, Mr. A. had already announced that he was engaged 

 in attempts to raise hybrid seedlings, and gave it as his decided 

 opinion that if experiments were persisted in, varieties free from 

 all the disagreeable properties of the ordinary American species 

 could be obtained. 



Sometime in March or early in April, 1842, Mr. Allen hav- 

 ing gathered carefully the ripened pollen from the Black Ham- 

 burgh and from several so called varieties of the Chasselas 

 grapes, then in full blossom in one of his green-houses, he arti- 

 ficially impregnated the flowers of an Isabella grape vine, which 

 came into blossom a few days afterwards, in a peach-house erect- 

 ed in Dean Street, and which was the only grape vine planted 

 in that structure. This vine having been conveniently situated 

 for introduction into the peach-house by standing in the range 

 of the structure in its course of building, and being an old, well 

 established and fruitful specimen, was reserved by Mr. A. to try 

 the effect of artificial growth in the more perfect maturing of 

 its fruit. Such an opportunity was as auspicious as could be 

 desired, and by visiting the vine twice a day for several succes- 

 sive days, the authors of each expanding flower were carefully 

 removed before any of their pollen could be dispersed. Upon 

 these mutilated blossoms, the pollen previously gathered and 

 sedulously preserved from injury or any mischance, was appli- 

 ed by touching each stigma with some of it, as long as any op- 

 portunity occurred to repeat the experiment. So effectually 

 was this done and so carefully managed, that none but the ar- 

 tificially impregnated blossoms perfected any berries or even 



