GRAPES FOR WINTER CONSUMPTION. 



modated as to space by enlarging the various shrubbery 

 borders by a foot or more in all directions, and planting 

 them there. When one sets himself about the task of 

 seeing how much interesting plant-material can, with 

 good taste, be brought into a small area, he is sure to 

 grow enthusiastic over the task. The wonder is, that in 



the millions of homes throughout civilization, more atten- 

 tion is not bestowed on the growth of hundreds of choice 

 flowers and plants. Nature offers these ; it is for man 

 to appropriate and enjoy them ; and enjoyment consists 

 not in possession alone, but in such practical and artistic 

 uses of the gifts of nature as make them truly valuable. 



GRAPES FOR WINTER CONSUMPTION. 



CREATING NEW DEMANDS FOR BIG CROPS. 



IGANTIC proportions have already 

 been reached in the aggregate 

 annual output of American vine- 

 yards ; yet the enormous sales of 

 rape-vines reported by leading 

 plant-growers for years, and even 

 for the last planting season, indi- 

 cate that there is ' ' more to come. " 

 With a full crop of this fruit, the grower will have to hunt 

 up new markets or new uses for it, or face the fact that 

 the demand remains behind the supply, and that grape- 

 growing no longer pays. The latter calamity will happen, 

 if growers continue to create prejudice against the product 

 of the vine by marketing the early abominations like 

 Champion and immature Ives, or imperfectly ripened 

 clusters of any sort, or fruit suspiciously stained by the 

 improper use of the Bordeaux mixture. 



The greatest care in the production and marketing of 

 the crop, and earnest efforts in the direction of excluding 

 all inferior and objectionable grapes from the markets,, 

 will be needed to prevent a very disastrous glut. If, how- 

 ever, we find means to stimulate and increase consump- 

 tion, the danger may be averted. 



We are glad to see that greater attention is being 

 bestowed upon the production of " unfermented grape- 

 juice." We are in hearty sympathy with this move. The 

 fresh juice of the grape is, next to good new milk, perhaps 

 the most wholesome of all beverages. We would like to 

 see it come into general use. It could, to some extent, be 

 made to take the place of coffee and tea at our meals, to 

 our own great physical improvement, and at the same 

 time affording a most welcome outlet for the surplus of 

 the grape-crop. We have already mentioned Mr. Bald- 

 ridge's exhibit of unfermented Niagara grape-juice at the 

 last meeting of the Western New York Horticultural 

 Society. We are informed that this juice, the product of 

 a loo-acre vineyard in Erie county, is simply heated, 

 carefully filtered, and bottled while hot ; consequently it 

 is free from all drugs or other admixtures. The price is 

 reasonable. 



While this new industry extends the season of grape 

 consumption over the whole year, there may also be a 

 possibility of increasing the use of the fruit itself by 

 growing and holding a greater part of it than heretofore 

 for winter sales. This idea came to us with some baskets 

 of Vergennes grapes sent by E. Willett, of North Collins, 

 N. Y., which were received on February lo, in excellent 



condition. This variety is evidently one of the best 

 keepers among grapes, having an exceedingly tough skin, 

 besides being of superior quality, rich, with sugary, pure, 

 but not hard pulp. The large berries adhere firmly to 

 the stem. The color is a rich amber with a beautiful 

 bloom. One of the bunches is illustrated in outline on 

 page 204. No matter what this grape may be when it first 

 ripens, it must be considered an excellent thing in winter. 

 We believe the general grower will find it profitable to 

 cultivate the Vergennes more largely with a view to winter 

 sales. In our locality we would not hesitate to graft it 

 upon any unprofitable sort. — Editor A. G. 



OPINIONS OF GROWERS. 



Mr. Willett writes : With us the Vergennes has a 

 place that no other variety can fill. Its only weakness is 

 its liability to attacks of anthracnose, sometimes severely; 

 although at other times it is quite free from it. It does 

 not produce large or very compact bunches, but makes 

 up for this in the great number of clusters which it nearly 

 always bears. As a keeper it is unsurpassed. It ripens 

 with Concord. 



My method of preparing grapes for winter-keeping I 

 have never seen in print. It is as follows : Pick the 

 clusters, carefully place them in trays and let them stand 

 in the packing-house a few days to allow the stems to wilt 

 and the moisture to evaporate. Line the baskets with 

 paraffined paper, so that it will lap over the top of 

 basket. Place the cover on and fasten down tightly to 

 exclude the air as much as possible. I n this way 

 Vergennes can be kept all winter, Niagaras till after the 

 holidays, and the season of nearly all varieties can be 

 much lengthened. 



From S. S. Chrissey, Secretary of the Chautauqua 

 County Horticultural Society, we have the following note : 

 "I think Catawba the best variety for winter-keeping; 

 probably Diana comes next. Vergennes lacks quality. As 

 to methods, dry cold-storage is no doubt the best, but I 

 cannot speak from actual experience. The keeping 

 quality of the same variety is influenced by location and 

 soil. Our best keeping grapes grow on the rocky shale- 

 lands considerably back from Lake Erie. To l<eew well, 

 they must not be allowed to get too ripe. The subject is 

 an important one, but very little has ever been said on it 

 in our horticultural society. 



Mr. W. C. Barry, of Rochester, writes us under date 

 of February 19, as follows : We do not think that grapes 



