48 



BUDS, BLOSSOMS, FRUITS. 



go unchallenged ; for, from my point of view, there is 

 not a grape mentioned in Mr. Powell's article that has 

 more good points than the Woodruff Red, and I think 

 it would trouble Mr. Powell to name a variety better 

 adapted to universal use in all points excepting only 

 the solitary one that it does not suit his peculiar, indi- 

 vidual taste. In many sections where one or two vines 

 were sold upon its first introduction, hundreds are now 

 ordered from the reputation made by the few first sen' 

 out. I freely allow that neither my opinion nor that 

 of Mr. Powell changes the character of the grape ; 

 but a great many people have tested the Woodruff in 

 my presence, and no one ever expressed any such opin- 

 ion as Mr. Powell. I have had several persons say they 

 liked it better than the Delaware, and although I could 

 not agree, it confirmed me in the opinion formed long 

 ago, that there was no use in quarreling about diversity of 

 tastes. Allow me to introduce a few words from a letter 

 recently received from an entirely disinterested source — 

 a gentleman who was not a professional grape-grower — 

 which seems to me to sustain just the position I take. 

 He says ; " In a recent number of The American Garden 

 is a rather autocratic deliverance from a Mr. Powell in 

 regard to the merits of different grapes, which among 

 other things says, in substance, that the Woodruff Red 

 is a gross and beastly thing, unfit for cultivation. This 

 leads me to conclude that one can hardly depend upon the 

 evidence of his senses as regards the value of any vari- 

 ety of fruit, and that it is after all more a question of 

 locality or personal preference than anything else. In 

 the spring of 1887 my brother bought a vine of Wood- 

 ruff Red — of you, I think — and I have since eaten of the 

 fruit of it ; and it seems to me an exceptionally fine 

 grape, superb in appearance and pleasing to the palate. 

 My brother has most of the leading varieties in cultiva- 

 tion, and gives this the preference. The last season he 

 has sold a large quantity of different kinds to a near-by 

 market, and the Woodruff Red was the favorite overall 

 others." 



I will offer the testimony of only one other, as to the 

 "good points" in question. It is from Mr. Powell 

 himself; ''Woodruff. A red grape of superb foliage; 

 fine bunch, large berry ; ripe the very last of Septem- 

 ber. Quality excepted, Woodruff is a great acquisi- 

 tion ; but it is not good to eat, and it is very late." I 

 should also differ with Mr. Powell quite as much in my 

 estimate of some other grapes which he commends 

 highly, but which are of little value in this locality. 

 This, however, only goes to show that it is unsafe, if not 

 unfair, to condemn a variety as wholly unworthy or 

 "beastly," simply because it may not be adapted to our 

 locality, or suited to our personal taste. The Hubert 

 grape, so highly praised by Mr. Powell, I have found, 

 in favorable circumstances, all he describes ; but in 

 unfavorable seasons, cold and rainy at the time of 

 ripening, it has been wholly poor and almost flavorless. 

 The Lady grape, which Mr. Powell finds so unpro- 

 ductive and imperfect in its clusters, is in other places 

 just the reverse. Persons have written me they wished 



Mr. Powell could see their Lady vines, whose fault was 

 that they bore too heavily, and required thinning. 

 Brighton in unfavorable seasons has poor clusters, and 

 is unproductive ; and I think it has Mr. Powell's "dead 

 flavor " when over-ripe. In favorable circumstances, 

 however, it bears well ; and if eaten when just ripe it 

 is very good — even better than the Woodruff — but when 

 the two hang long on the vines, side by side, the Wood- 

 ruff, like the Niagara, improves, while the Brigh- 

 ton acquires the "dead flavor " and is poorest of all. 

 The Empire State also has been a disappointment to 

 many, and will continue to be so if it is allowed to 

 over-bear, which it will do if permitted. I find it a 

 strong grower, with healthy foliage and perfect blos- 

 soms, setting its fruit well even in unfavorable weather. 

 It almost always forms about twice as many clusters as 

 it can bring to maturity ; and unless severely thinned, 

 the consequences are as described by Mr. Powell. The 

 grapes do not ripen ; they shrivel, fall from the stems, 

 and are of no value. If half or two-thirds of the clus- 

 ters are removed as soon as bloom is over, the Empire 

 State will give very different results, according to my 

 experience. The Jefferson also requires the same 

 treatment, when it will ripen perfectly and leave little 

 to be desired in excellence and beauty. — Geo. W. 

 Campbell, Ohio. 



'•That Little Curl" of Marvin's.— (Page 616.) lam 

 as much surprised at friend Marvin's surprise as he was 

 surprised at seeing six clusters of grapes on one cane. 

 I have produced six bunches so often, and in a few cases 

 seven on one cane, that I was under the impression it 

 was quite a common occurrence. I have vines of Wy- 

 oming Red, from which was taken a cane 11 inches 

 long with seven clusters from three to five inches in 

 length. I have also repeatedly cut canes with six and 

 seven bunches in frofn 13 to 15 inches from Elvira, 

 Noah and Early Victor. The theory that pinching or 

 spring pruning has a tendency to cause the vine to pro- 

 duce heavier crops is probably correct. I am a great 

 advocate of spring pinching-pruning, but I am in some 

 doubt as to whether it is an advantage to varieties that 

 are highly productive, as is the case with several of the 

 labrusca family. 'Tis a true saying, " It takes a brave 

 heart to trim the vine, " for there are few who trim close 

 enough. Moore's Early, condemned by many for not 

 being productive enough, has always given me a good 

 crop of fruit, due, I believe, to the mode of severe 

 pruning. In trimming I leave one or two eyes, never 

 more than three ; then in the spring pinch the young 

 growth one or two joints beyond the last cluster, while 

 quite small. The sooner this is done after the clusters 

 show themselves, the better, as it concentrates the sap 

 in the fruit and makes it grow larger ; the leaves also 

 grow larger, and being more fully developed resist dis- 

 ease better. Still, thjs pinching process should not be 

 carried to extremes. Whether spring pruning makes 

 the grape produce more or not, is a question, but it cer- 

 tainly makes the clusters and berries much larger. — 

 Geo. R. Wood, Jefferson Co., Ky. 



