SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
21 
THE ANNA GRAPE. 
This is a new variety, now first offered for sale by Dr. 
©rant, of Iona, of N, Y. It grew from seed in the garden 
of Mr. Eli Hasbrouck, of Newburg, and first fruited in 
1851. Very fine specimens of the Anna Grape were ex- 
hibited by Dr. Grant at the last session of the American 
Pomological Society, in New York, and, though not quite 
Hiature, the variety appeared to be one of good promise. 
As it has only fruited at Iona, where Dr. Grant states it is 
as early as the Diana, nothing can be said of its ripening 
jo other localities. 
Dr. Grant describes it as follows ; — The bunches are 
large and loose, or moderately compact, on young vines, 
but on those that are mature, compact, shouldered, and 
symmetrical. Berries large globular, translucent, and 
firmly adhering to the pedicels. The color varies from light 
amber in the sun to pearly white or green in the shade. 
The bloom is white and abundant, through which may be 
seen a few brown dots. It is surpassingly sweet, rich, 
tinous, and somewhat spicy in its flavor, and has a de- 
cided but fine and delightful aroma. It ripens quite as 
early as the Diana, and fully two weeks before the Ca- 
tawba, hangs very late on the vines, and is not injured by 
severe freezing. For late keeping it is unequalled, and 
its raisins are not surpassed in quality by any foreign 
variety. 
“In habit, it is much like the Catawba ; very healthy and 
rigorous ; leaves very fleshy and firm, remarkably ex- 
empt from disposition to mildew, and ripens its wood 
earlier and more perfectly than any variety, and does not 
loose its leaves until it has matured its fruit.” 
We tasted the specimens above alluded to, and, though 
not perfectly ripe, we do not hesitate to pronounce it a 
very fine grape. If it proves as early as the Diana, it will 
be a most valuable acquisition. — Hovey's Magazine of 
Horticulture. 
fWe also tested the “Anna,” very fully, both at the Po- 
mological meeting and at lono Island, and our impressions 
of it were very favorable. We have procured several 
vines from Dr. Grant, for trial here, and do not doubt 
that our genial (Jimate v/ill develope all its good qualities. 
—Eds.] 
FRUIT AT THE NORTH — THE FAIRS, &c. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — I have delayed send- 
ing you my promised notes and remarks, till I had seen 
the last exhibition of this season in the Northern States. 
Although the past summer and spring have proved 
most unfavorable for|the setting and growth of the fruit, 
still there has been as fine a supply of Apples, Pears and 
Grapes in the diflferent Fairs as I ever saw before. This 
fact proves once more that, if all corners, aspects, soils 
and latitudes were fairly tested, we should never be with- 
out fine fruit, and plenty of it. I once remarked that if, 
for instance, Georgia had only one good apple tree upon 
every two hundred acres of land, instead of paying for im- 
ported apples from the North, v/e could export our own 
Apples to the North. 
The present season has afforded a remarkable confir- 
mation of that truth; while in most of our gardens in the 
very best orchards fruit had partially or entirely failed, in 
other 'localities there was an abundant supply of all kinds 
of fruits. I never saw a finer collection of Apples (not 
by a few specimens, but by the bushel) than in Hartford, 
at the State Fair’s exhibition. Connecticut has supplied 
the N Y. market with a large quantity of the very finest 
Apples. Hubbardston, Winter Wine. Seek no further 
and other choicer varieties, besides a still larger quantity 
of the more common sorts. 
And what shall I say about the Boston exhibition'? 
It far surpassed the fine collection of Pears and Apples in 
New York City (Mozart Hall and Crystal Palace). It 
seemed to me that the experienced fruit growers of Massa- 
chusetts had all reserved their efforts to make this exhi- 
bition in the Horticultural Rooms in Boston, one of the 
very finest of the North ; chiefly in regard to Pears, un- 
equalled in size and beauty; Among the many competi- 
tors it was hard work to decide upon the best collection. 
As usual, the Hon. M. P. Wilder took the premium, al- 
though he never had so many and so close competitors* 
Many new and valuable varieties, from seed, are now 
making their way among the older varieties, and will 
soon compete with or supersede such varieties, which, al- 
though highly esteemed, are deficient in quality adapted 
to every soil and latitude, or prove to be shy bearers, or 
too much influenced by moist or dry seasons. As our 
fathers have done — admitting new fruit in the place of 
out- run varieties, no longer fit for cultivation — so we must 
do in the succession of ages. For, all our leading varie- 
ties were unknown in the beginning of this century, and 
some of the very best, such as Duchesse, Superfin, &C*, 
are not over 40 years old. 
To return to my first remark about adaptation of some 
soils, and some localities to the production of fruit. Is it 
not a remarkable fact, that v/hile Grapes, Isabella 
and Catawba, have mostly failed in places where 
they used to be most luscious and certain, I found the 
very finest bunches of both varieties grown out doors 
around Syracuse"? Not far from that city, in a peculiar 
locality, those two varieties, now so uncertain in New 
York and Pennsylvaria, succeed most wonderfully. I 
saw there, also, some Hartford Prolific ; but the season 
was too far advanced for this truly early grape, 'which I 
should class above the Isabella, were it not for its liaoility 
to drop, as our wild grapes. But I believe that early 
picking, without preventing the final ripening of the berry, 
would secure the crop. 
In Syracuse, also, there was a fine disjlay of Apples, 
Pears and Plums; but the first not by the bushel, as in 
Hartford — showing, evidently that this was the result of a 
more laborious and extensive collecting process. New 
York State has produced very liitle fruit during the past 
season, but as the growth of the fruit trees in general has 
been most remarkable, I believe that the orchards and 
gardens are ready for another and more successful cam- 
paign. Peaches, as far south as Delaware, have been a 
failure. Very few' were on exhibition, and many of these 
were tasteless. 
In Philadelphia there was but a scanty supply in the 
Pomological department; indeed, in Pennsylvania the 
fruit failure seemed to be more general and complete than 
in the other Northern States. 
Brooklyn had a very fine exhibition of Fruit. No won- 
der! Long Island is the fatherland of some of our best 
Pears — the Lawrence, the Bergen, &c., &c., — and has, 
within its narrow limits, some of the finest gardens and 
graperies of America. 
I have confined my remarks to the fruit department, and 
shall have nothing to say about the splendid Cattle, 
Horses, &c., in these different State Fairs; but I cannot 
leave unnoticed the different new contrivances in the Me- 
chanical department. Self-opening Gates, New Fixtures 
for windows and blinds, Farm Implements, Stoves, Mills, 
Churns. All the most ingenius improvements, for which 
Yankee Land is so justly celebrated, were there in pro- 
fusion, and some, I think, will soon be in general de- 
mand. 
In the Agricultural department there w'as also some 
notable improvement. I remarked, and afterwards tested, 
the Prince Albert Potato, now pretty generally cultivated; 
a truly valuable variety. 
But it would take more space than you could give to 
these notes, if I had to point out and name everything 
