450 
THE 
RAL NEW-YORKER. 
k 
RCH 
The Lady Washington, one of Mr. Rick¬ 
etts’s grapes said to fee a cross between Con¬ 
cord and Allen’s White Hybrid, has been ex¬ 
hibited by its originator for several years, and 
is of the largest size, veiy attractive in appear¬ 
ance, and of excellent quality. Not of very 
high flavor ; but pure, and free from foxiness. 
The berries are a light, pale yellow, with 
pink tinge when exposed to the sun. A few 
vines planted the past two seasons, have 
made a strong growth, with large foliage of 
the Labrusca character, and quite healthy. So 
far as tested, very promising. Will probably 
be found as hardy and as healthy as the hybrids 
of Rogers. Upon the success of the Lady 
Washington will probably depend the popular¬ 
ity of others of Mr. Ricketts’s beautiful grapes; 
as I suppose it is introduced as one of the most 
promising for general usefulness. It ripens 
with the Concord. 
The Pocklington among the white varieties 
of the pare Labrusca type, is worthy of atten¬ 
tion for large size and handsome appearance, 
with a vine and general habit of growth closely 
resembling the Concord, apparently healthy 
and hardy. It ripens a little later than the 
Concord, and is in some respects better 
flavored though having rather more of the 
native aroma called foxiness. Unlike the 
Concord, however, it is a long keeper and 
I think will be found a popular and valuable 
market grape, worthy of extensive trial. 
Antoinette is the name of oue of the late 
T. B. Miner’s Concord seedlings, of the Con¬ 
cord type, but white in color, and of very fair 
flavor and quality, ripeuiu j a little before Con- 
cord; will bear handling better, and is 
a better keeper. Berries large ; clus- 
I ters medium. I think it will prove 
to be a healthy and hardy grape, of 
better quality and larger size than 
the Martha. 
Purity is a small, white grape, a 
native cross with Delaware ; a stron- 
ir—gcr grower than the Delaware, with 
large, thick, downy foliage which 
has been always free from mildew; 
the vine as hardy as Concord in the 
severest Winters, ltis urnoDgthe ve»y 
^ earliest in ripening, aud in flavor and 
quality is unexcelled even by the 
Delaware. Its only fault, as grown at 
N \ Delaware where it orginated. is its 
' M small 6ize. The berries are- a little 
MSt larger than Delawares; the clusters 
average smaller. As it seems also to 
be, like the Delaware, entirely free 
from rot, it may be worthy of plant¬ 
ing, nothwithstanding its small size. 
Noah is another white grape of 
entirely different character supposed 
to be a Taylor seedling of the Cordi- 
folia class, and the best of its kind 
which I have seen grown in Ohio. It 
seems to have the remarkably vig¬ 
orous growth, health and hardiness of 
the Elvira Grape, with larger and 
less compact clusters, belter quality 
and less liability to cruck when ripen¬ 
ing. A little later than Concord. 
Recommended both for the table and 
for wine-making. 
Several very handsome white varie- 
• ties claimed to be Concord seedlings, of 
various degrees of merit were sent 
me from Illinois, some of which I 
have under trial. If they prove satis¬ 
factory as to growth aud foliage, and 
are as good as those sent me from 
their native place, they will certainly 
rival the best yet introduced. Some 
Delawaro seedliDgs, both white and 
red, promise to be improvements upon 
the parent in size, growth aud health 
of foliage. 
Mooke’s Eaki.t may now be re¬ 
garded as pretly fairly tested, and 
cannot be better described than as 
abundantly proven by the magnificent speci¬ 
mens annually upon exhibition at all our 
prominent fairs and horticultural meetings. 
The idea of any one grape suited to general 
or universal culture in our extended country 
of diversified soil and climate, I fear must be 
given up; and we must look for the highest 
success by choosing the special varieties which 
are best adapted to particular localities. 
With these remarks, I will give my impres¬ 
sions of some of the more prominent new 
grapes as they have appeared to me either by 
actual trial, or from examination upon ex¬ 
hibition. 
The white or light-green and yellow varie¬ 
ties, are the most numerous, and amoDg them 
The Niagara will probably be pushed most 
persistently by the stock company who have 
it in charge, and who are iudustriously manip¬ 
ulating public opinion in its favor. It is a 
handsome, light-green grape ; hunch and berry 
full, medium to large, in size ; skin rather 
thick and tenacious; pulp tender, and qual¬ 
ity fair to good; to my taste better than Con¬ 
cord. It is evidently productive and a strong 
grower, and succeeds well at Lockport, where 
it originated. It may therefore be reasonably 
expected to do well in all similar localities. 
Compared with other grapes exhibited at 
Rochester in September, 1879, it appeared 
rather earlier iu ripening than Concord; and 
specimens exhibited in fair condition at 
the meeting of the Ohio Horticultural Society 
in December last, show it to be a good keeper. 
I regard it as promising and worthy of trial; 
suitable to the soil and to make and keep the 
soil rich, mellow and free from weeds.” .... 
The Belle de Fontenay is an uncertain vari¬ 
ety, thriving well only here and there. But 
its fruit is bo delicious that one may afford to 
take a heavy risk. The berries are large, 
dark red, firm and possessed of what we should 
describe as a perfect raspberry flavor. It is 
worth bearing in mind that a crop of Fall ber¬ 
ries maybe produced by cutting back the canes 
in the Spring. The berry is of an irregular 
shape and the plant suckers quite too freely. . . 
After wj itiug our brief instructions as to 
“planting strawberries In the garden,” we 
bad occasion to refer to Phillip Miller ’b *‘ Gar¬ 
deners’ Dictionary,” a ponderous work pub¬ 
lished in England in 1759, and again referred 
to on our editorial page. Thus we find that 
methods since then are in many cases surpris 
ingly unchanged. We there find : 
“The usual method is to lay it out into Beds 
of four Feet broad, with Paths two Feet broad 
between each; thefe Paths are neceffary for 
the Convenience of gathering the Fruit and 
for Weeding and Dressing of the Beds; after 
the Beds are marked out, there fhould be four 
Lines drawn in each at a foot Diftance, which 
will leave fix Inches Space on each Side, be¬ 
tween the Outside Rows aud the Paths; then 
the Plants should be planted at about a Foot 
Diftance from each other in the Rows in a 
Quincunx Order, being careful to clofe the 
Ground to the Roots of the Plants when they 
are planted”—etc.. . . . . 
Ellwangek & Barry say that the Thwack 
Raspberry is large, red aud insipid, which tells 
the true story in the fewest possible 
words. They might have added that 
it is the worst berry to sucker known. 
Mr. Henderson praises Durand’s 
Glossy Cone Strawberry as the first 
among seventy kinds in his grounds. 
He says it is the earliest of all, prolific, 
of good size and fine flavor. We 
have not tried it. ...... . 
Mr. Lovett enteitains hopes that 
the Pocklington may prove a better 
grape “ for the million ” than the Con¬ 
cord. We trust it may not prove so 
hard a task to eclipse the Concord 
among grapes as it does to eclipse 
the irrepressible Wilson’s Strawberry. 
Mr. T. T. Lyon was astonished to 
hear the Thwack Raspberry so highly 
lauded at the last meeting of the 
American Pomological Society. We 
were among the first to test this rasp¬ 
berry. Though very firm and of 
good size, it is as nearly destitute Of 
the flavor as a raspberry well can be, 
and so we stated three years ago. We 
cannot suppose that those who have 
eaten the Thwaek can truthfully say 
one word in ils favor as to quality. . 
The following anecdote as told by 
Mr. J. T. Lovett, is very amusing to 
U6 and we trust it msy so prove to our ‘th¬ 
reader s, 
“ One morning in the hight of the 
berry season (and every fruit grower 
knows what a time that is for rush and 
hurr y) a dapper young man presented 
himself at the office, and said he would 
like to look at the berry “ plantations.” 
I conducted him thither, when he 
commenced to dispense hl§ knowledge 
of berry culture with great freedom. 
He asked: “ Well, aw, how many 
brands of strawberries have you?” 
To which I replied, “ Something over 
a hundred and fifty." “Well, aw, 
and what are the names of them ?" I 
knew it to be a task, but the question 
being a direct one I commenced to 
name them, going over the list a& one 
would the alphabet. I had not named 
more than a half-dozen, however, when 
I was interrupted to be told that he, 
sire is apparent that each variety should rest 
upon its own actual merits. For example, in 
speaking of the Great American it says, “ said 
to do well in some places," Of the Pioneer it 
says, “ foliage burns some of the Cumber¬ 
land Triumph, “too soft lor shipping long 
distances "—and so on through the list. 
A list of strawberries agreed to by the late 
Kentucky Hort. Meeting, for succession, fam¬ 
ily use, etc., for that 8tate was:—Warren, 
Longfellow, Cumberland Triumph, Sharpless 
and Kentucky. . .. 
NEW GRAPES 
GEO. W. CAMPBELL, DELAWARE, OHIO, 
There has probably been no time in the 
history of American grape-growing, when 
there were so many new grapes presenting 
their claims upon public attention, as at the 
present time. And the most remarkable and 
interesting feature in the ease is, that so many 
of them appear to have real merit, and to in¬ 
dicate substantial progress in the way of 
improvement. 
To one who can remember when the Isabella, 
the Catawba and the Clinton were the only 
varieties in the catalogues or generally known 
to cultivators, the exhibition the past Autumn 
at the meeting of the Mississippi Valley Hor¬ 
ticultural Sociely at St. Louis, of 249 distinct 
kinds of native grapes seems almost marvel¬ 
ous. And they were not all there, either; for 
some of the most promising of the new sorts 
were conspicuous by their absence. 
FRENCH THORNLESS.—FROM LIFE.—REDUCED ONE-THIRD 
too, had quite a collection. Supposing, When the number is so great, it will be im- 
by my experience, that he wanted me to possible in the brief space of a newspaper 
ask how many he had, and their names, article, to notice more than a few of the newer 
I did so. “Well, aw," he remarked, “I kinds which appear most promising and 
have, I think, three \ one, Ithink, is called worthy of attention. 
the Wilson; the name of one I cannot re- The two classes of grapes presented most 
membah, aud the other is called Mammoth prominently for our consideration are, natu- 
of the West.” adding, “that is a good brand, ra j or cflance seedlings, and hybrids or crOBS- 
isn’t it ?“ Recognizing Monarch of the West es with native and foreign varieties, or between 
as the variety referred to, I told him it our i mpr0 ved native kinds, 
was one of the standard sorts and much es- j am obliged to say< after many year0 of 
teemed by many. Ve , wci , aw, he con- observation and experience in raising hybrid 
tinued, “ 1 suppose you are constantly hybrid- e6 and in testicK those of others, that all 
izing new varieties by grafting, etc. The last Qnr bope6 HIld expectations have not been 
i saw of him he was explaining with his soft realized; and although Borneo! the mostbean- 
“ R’a ” to my foreman that the best way to Uful a3 wdl as the mOBl excellent grapes have 
Lbu wttS b >' 8eed3 and b ? r00t been produced by hybridizing with the foreign 
cuttings. kinds, they have none of them proven quite 
Pkofes&or Geo. Httbmann say6; “ The day as hardy or as well adapted to general use as 
may not be so far distant, when the despised the hardiest purely native varieties. From 
grape of North America will become the only the foreign admixture they generally retain 
hope of the falling grape-growers of ail some degree df tenderness, with a disposition 
nations.”. to mildew of the foliage in bad seasons or in 
The strawberry—or rather small fruit—eat- unfavorable localities. But although they may 
alogue of Messrs. Ellwanger & Barry, gives not be suited to all places, and may always 
short, pithy descriptions of the kinds named require more skill and attention than the 
in what seems to us an eminently trustworthy hardier natives, that they can be grown in 
manner. It seems to have no pets, and the de great perfection under favorable conditions is 
but with some doubt as to its hardiness in se- an early Concord, with smaller clusters, and 
vere Winters without protection. rather larger berries. I cannot see that it is 
The Prentiss is another new white variety, superior to its parent iu any important par- 
sent out for the first time in the Autumn of ticular, except that it ripens from a week to 
1880. There is no question as to the extraor- ten da y® earlier. 
diuaiy productiveness and fine quality of this Worden’s Seedling is one of the best 
grape in its native locality. The clusters and black seedlings of the Coucord character, 
berries are of full medium size; skm thick; very productive, with clusters averaging 
flesh tender ; quality so much like the Rebecca larger than Concords, rather better flavored, 
as scarcely to be distinguished from that va- and five or six days earlier in ripening. It is, 
riety. Upon the health and.hardiness of the however, like the Concord, tendei-skinned, 
vine will largely depend the value of the and does not keep very well after removal 
Prentiss for general use; and though prom- from the vine. In hardiness, foliage and 
ising and worthy of trial, its character in these habit of growth it is almost identical with the 
respects can hardly be considered as estab- Concord. 
lished. Early Victor is the name of a very prom- 
Thb Duchess is still another white grape ising, early, black grape, sent me by John 
of recent introduction. Very handsome, and Burr, of Leavenworth. Kansas. I have fruited 
very good. In qualify, as ixhibited by its it for two years past, and regard it as the best 
introducers, better than either of the two grape of its character that I have seen; aud 
above named. Several vines planted the past one that should entirely supersede the Hartford, 
season made a good and tolerably healthy Early Champion, Jaueaville. Whitehall, and all 
growth ; but from the character of its foliage that abominable class which have, in my 
and general habits, J think it will be found in judgment, no merit except earliness; aud 
mostplaceB, suited only to amateur or garden which no man with a decent sense of relf-re- 
eultuie; subject to mildew of the foliage in spect or humane regard for his Btomach Bhould 
unfavorable seasons, and to injury in severe tolerate. The Early Victor Is very early, 
Winters; like the Croton, ancl Allen’s Hybrid. healthy, hardy, and productive, with really 
