FARRINGTON 
GRAPES FOR WHERE YOU LIVE 
THE NIAGARA 
One of the best white 
grapes and useful over 
wide section of 
country 
the 
Possibly the Most Anciently Cultivated Fruit, the Vine 
Will Always Be Preeminent for Its Merit as a Food and 
for the Beauty of Its Leafy Shade and Clustered Berries 
• HERE is practically no part of the United States which 
will not grow some kind of a Grape. Many are not 
finicky as to soil, and will grow with practically no at- 
tention. And no other fruit is so certain to bear an- 
nually; for Grapes are produced on this season’s wood which rises 
from last season’s wood, hence only killing back of the main vine 
itself interferes with the crop. Grape vines are ornamental, too, 
and if left to themselves will soon cover a large area. To be 
sure, better yields are obtained if the vines are kept properly 
pruned, yet even when allowed to “gang their ain gait,” 
as it were, they will produce enormously. The late E. P. 
Powell of central New York, well known as an amateur fruit 
grower, had a Grape vine with branches over a hundred feet 
long, and a single vine that covered verandas, porches, and 
windows and eventually reached the attic windows and half-way 
round his house. 
Yet it is necessary to understand that there are vagaries even 
among Grapes, and that some of the best kinds can be grown 
only under favorable conditions. This isn't altogether a mat- 
ter of hardiness, either, although that enters into the question. 
One of the best of Grapes, Agawam, bears heavily in some soils, 
but does very poorly in others, and this is true of several other 
varieties. Then there is the Brighton, a marvelous red grape — 
barren if grown alone! This is a fact which escapes the amateur 
likely as not, with the result that he gets no fruit. Grown along 
with Worden or Moore Early, however, Brighton will produce 
heavily. 
Grapes which might be worthless for commercial purposes 
because of becoming soft or dropping quickly, may yet be al- 
most unexcelled for home use, so that there is a certain distinc- 
tion between commercial and garden lists. A few, on the other 
hand, are remarkably cosmopolitan in their nature, with the 
Concord at the head of the list. The Concord Grape will thrive 
in almost every part of the country, being grown even in Cali- 
fornia for wine making. Only in the colder parts of New Eng- 
land does it fail to ripen up as well as it should. Other varieties 
for general planting include the Worden, Niagara, Delaware, 
Brighton, Moore Early, and Winchell or Green Mountain. 
There are others equally good as to quality which have some 
drawback; as for example, the Catawba, which while a popular 
Grape is much subject to fungus 
diseases, and ripens too late for 
sections where early frosts come. 
Many amateurs cannot have 
Concords at their best because 
they really require a long sea- 
son to mature fully, as has been 
stated. Some gardeners may 
well substitute Worden, a seed- 
ling of Concord, which yet has many different characteristics. 
In quality it is even better; but it is not nearly so good a shipper, 
therefore it is less available for commercial purposes. But it 
comes two weeks earlier, and gets sweet almost as soon as it 
turns color, wherein it differs markedly from its parent. Moore 
Early is another popular black Grape which thrives over a wide 
area. It ripens very early, as its name indicates, and hangs 
well on the vines when well established. It is only on old vines 
that it makes large too-heavy-to-carry bunches. One charac- 
teristic of Brighton has already been mentioned. It is never- 
theless when properly accompanied a good red Grape for the 
home garden over a large part of the country, as it ripens well 
in the North. It is not, however, a good keeper. 
Undoubtedly the Delaware is one of the best known and 
popular Grapes in the country. Its quality' is of the best. Yet 
the fact must be remembered that it is not entirely hardy in 
many northern sections, and that it is rather delicate in habit. 
It needs close pruning and good feeding to make it worth 
while. For general planting Niagara no doubt is a better 
known white Grape than any other kind because of its large 
berries and large clusters. As found in the market it often 
is not at its best, as it requires to be left on the vines until dead 
ripe to bring out its best flavor. Unfortunately it is more or less 
subject to disease. I hen there is Winchell. Certainly no 
green Grape surpasses this for general planting. It is early, of 
fine quality, and bears large, compact clusters. It is sometimes 
catalogued as the Green Mountain Grape, and deserves wider 
recognition than has yet been given it. 
G RAPES which will stand the climate of New York are 
adapted to a wide range, so that it may be well to consider 
some of them first. All of those so far mentioned will be in- 
cluded, of course. Many others are being grown to some ex- 
tent, but are hard to obtain at the nurseries. A very good 
kind to add to the list of purple grapes is Barry, which ripens 
with the Concord and has extra good keeping qualities. Colerain 
is a very early white Grape which also has the advantage of 
hanging on a long time, often until frost. This is a very de- 
sirable characteristic in all garden Grapes which are to be 
eaten out of hand. 
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