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PRICE, FIVE CENTS 
$ 2.00 PER YEAR 
NEW YORK, MARCH 21 , 1 89 1 
VOL. L. NO. 2147 
THREE OF MUNSON’S HYBRID GRAPES. 
The Carman Grape. 
This was produced by T. V. Munson, in 1885, by hybridiz¬ 
ing one of the best Post-Oak Grapes (V. Lincecumii, 
Buckley), found by him wild in Grayson County, Texas, 
with Herbemont. It has borne four successive years. The 
vine is very vigorous, free from disease and begins bearing 
in the second year, producing immense crops, of medium 
to large clusters of medium to large berries, of a very dark 
purple, almost black—when fully ripe. The quality is ex¬ 
cellent; skin, thin and tough; pulp, tender, very juicy, rich 
and sprightly, similar to that of Herbemont; but ripening 
earlier than that variety, though later than Concord— 
about with Catawba, or per¬ 
haps a few days earlier. Berry, 
very persistent to cluster. 
The photo-engraving, Fig. 
76, represents the exact size 
of a good average cluster 
and leaf. 
The Bailey. 
This was named for Prof. L. 
H. Bailey. In 1884, Mr. Mun¬ 
son, the originator, planted 
seeds of a few of the finest 
varieties of Post-Oak Grape, 
discovered by him in several 
years’ rambling and tasting 
wild grapes in the Post Oak 
woods of Northern Texas. 
Of the plants he found he se¬ 
lected a number of the flDest- 
looking and planted them in 
his test-vineyard No. 2, in 
1885. All bore fruit of good 
quality in 1886. One produced 
clusters and berries equal in 
size to the largest Concord, 
and is named Big-Bunch. It 
is very vigorous. Some of 
these clusters were artificially 
fertilized with pollen of the 
Triumph; some with pollen of 
Heibemont; some with pollen 
of Cynthiana and some with 
pollen of other good varieties 
blooming at that season. In 
1887 the hybrid seed produced 
many fine vines. In 1888, the 
choicest of these were planted 
in test-vineyard No. 5. In 1889 
some bore a little, and in 1890, 
most of them bore full crops. 
The Bailey produced heavily 
medium to large, very com¬ 
pact, long, cylindrical clust¬ 
ers, of medium to large black 
berries, of very good, pure 
quality. It was a very beauti¬ 
ful sight to see it with its crop 
of ripe fruit. It ripens but 
little later than the Concord. 
It was of the lot hybridized with the Triumph, hence has 
the same specific blood as the Carman. Here we have 
locked in indissoluble embrace the best of the native blood 
of Massachusetts, Europe and Texas. These vines are 
hardier here in resisting cold than are Rogers’s hybrids. 
The photo engraving, Fig. 77, shows the exact life-size 
of a cluster of above the medium size, but not .[among the 
largest. 
The Husmann. 
This was named for Prof. George Husmann. In the 
year 1883, Mr. Munson, the originator, offered $10 as a 
premium for the best variety of native Post-Oak Grape, 
Y. Lincecumii, to be shown ripe on a section of vine with 
the leaves; the vine receiving the award to become his 
property, with the privilege to move it to his own ground. 
A scale of points covering vigor, leaf, cluster, berry, skin, 
seeds, quality, etc., was established and a committee of 
five experienced grape growers was appointed to make the 
award. Quite a large number of wild vines were shown 
full of leaves and fruit, making ODe of the most interest¬ 
ing of grape exhibits. The premium was awarded to the 
variety discovered by an old gentleman named Hopkins, a 
fine judge of grapes. The variety was named Hopkins in 
his honor, and was removed into T. V. Munson’s vineyard* 
and has never since failed to bear annually a heavy crop of 
fine, large, compact clusters of medium-sized berries. 
In 1886 some clusters of bloom of this vine were arti¬ 
ficially fertilized with pollen from Mr. Campbell’s Tri¬ 
umph, some with Herbemont pollen and some with that 
of the Cynthiana, as all these bloom late and at the same 
time as the Hopkins. In 1887 the hybridized seed produced 
numerous hybrid plants, the choicest of which were, in 
1888, put in test vineyard No. 5 and some of them bore a 
little in 1889, and most of them a full crop in 1890, many 
proving to be really fine grapes. 
The Husmann is of the lot hybridized with Triumph, 
hence the blood of this variety is "ne-half Yitis Lincecumii, 
THE CARMAN GRAPE. From Nature. Fig. 76. 
one-half Triumph, (the grape which took first premium at 
the finest grape show ever made in the United States, in 
St. Louis in 1881, as the best new table grape), and the 
Triumph is but one-half Concord, V. Labrusca, and one- 
half Chasselas Mosqu6, (V. vinifera); thus the pedigree is 
of the finest native (three quarters) and foreign (one-quar¬ 
ter) blood. The vine is robust and healthy, with scarcely 
a perceptible trace of foreign character. 
The Husmann ripens a week ojr more later than Con¬ 
cord. Its clusters last year (1890) were large to very large, 
some measuring 10 to 12 inches in length. The cluster- 
stem is long and strong, and the berries of medium to 
large size, sufficiently compact on, and persistent to the 
cluster, black, of good quality, with no “ foxiness ” or 
other objectionable flavor. The variety is very prolific. 
Figure 79 shows a photo engraving of an average bunch. 
A MICHIGAN GRAPE TRELLIS. 
The trellis described below has been in use for about 12 
years in this part of Mlchigau, the great fruit region of 
Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, and has been adopted by 
many leading fruit growers. It is called a flat trellis and 
differs from the well-known 
upright trellis in its having 
all the wires at a uniform 
height from the ground and 
spread out on a horizontal 
bar nailed to one side of the 
post. The height of the trellis 
depends on the choice of the 
grower, most preferring it 3X 
feet from the ground, while a 
few choose to have it 4% or 5 
feet high. The wires—usually 
four in number—are placed 
one foot apart and fastened 
with staples to the top of the 
crosspiece, which should be 38 
inches in length. 
The posts on the ends of the 
rows are set slanting outward, 
so as to require no braces, 
thus effecting a considerable 
saving in labor and expense 
in a large vineyard. Set thus 
they will endure the strain of 
tightening the wires for a 
number of years before they 
will reach the upright posi¬ 
tion, when they can be reset. 
The cross-pieces for the ends 
are made of common stud¬ 
ding, 2x4 inches, sawed into 
appropriate lengths. Four 
holes are bored in these, each 
one foot apart, through which 
the wires are pulled, bent over 
and wound around on the in¬ 
side. No staples are needed 
to hold the ends of the wires 
in place, and it is only a short 
task to unfasten them when it 
becomes necessary to tighten 
them again. The inside cross¬ 
pieces may be made of flat 
pickets, or sheeting one inch 
in thickness and four inches 
in width. No. 11 wire is gen¬ 
erally used for the trellis. 
This may be plain or galvan 
ized. The posts are set 16 feet 
apart where the vines are planted eight feet apart in the 
rows, thus allowing one post for every two vines. Four 
arms are left when the vines are pruned. These are 
trained in opposite directions on the two central wires. 
The outside wires are designed for the support of the new 
wood and fruit in summer. 
Some grape-growers, including the writer, prefer to use 
only two wires for the trellis, as the benefits derived from 
four are not considered sufficient to repay the large addi¬ 
tional expense and trouble. In addition to this is the ad¬ 
vantage of closer cultivation, as the trellis is reduced one- 
half In width, and so a considerable amount of hoeing is 
saved. Crosspieces 18 inches in length are used and the 
two wires are fastened with staples near the ends of these. 
Either of the trellises here described will last for a dozen 
years or more, If strong, durable posts are used. 
Berrien Co., Mich___ geo. e. pullen. 
Young Wood in Winter.— Has all, or nearly all, young 
wood tbe same tendency in winter as is shown by the 
Red-barked Dogwood to be more red or yellow ? This 
high color comes on with the high coloring of the leaves 
in autumn, and disappears with the new growth in 
spring, P. P. . 
