THE 
RURAL HEW-YORKEB. 
181 
(Continued from page 161.) 
about size of Catawba, or a trifle smaller^ 
greenish-white, not quite as juicy as Elvira 
and other Riparia I know; with harder pulp 
and a tougher skin, but sweet and of pleasant 
flavor. It will no doubt carry well to market, 
and I would rather eat it than Prentiss, as it 
is more spicy. Makes a very fine wine. 
---- 
THE NIAGARA GRAPE. 
(See page 149.) 
In the Fall of 1879 Mr. J. S. Woodward sent 
us a Niagara grape-vine with the request 
that we would test it under the condition that 
the wood of the season's growth should be re¬ 
turned to him. It was planted in black half¬ 
muck, sandy soil to which a small quantity 
of barnyard manure waB added. The growth 
was confined to a single cane which at the end 
of the season (last Fall) measured in length 18 
feet. The remarkable engraving presented is 
an exact copy of a photograph of a vine taken 
Sep. 6th 1878 iu a vineyard of about one acre 
planted in the 8pring of 1878. The ground 
had formerly been in vintyard of Ionas and 
Israellas which had been removed three years 
previpusly. After their removal, it was 
planted to strawberries which bore one crop 
and the vines were then removed and the 
ground planted to mangels. 
The Niagaras were one-year-old plants and 
after they had grown about one foot high, 
the young growth was entirely killed by frost. 
One bearing arm of the vine shown was 18 
inches; the other 30 inches in 
length, making four feet of 
bearing wood. It bore 63 clus¬ 
ters which weighed when 
picked, Nov. 6 (though ripe in 
late August). 26^ pounds. The 
whole vineyard, according to 
Mr. P. C. Reynold's estimate, 
averaged over 10 pounds of 
fruit per vine. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
with no interests to subserve 
save those of tbo public, has 
endeavored in every way to 
present such information as 
might serve to guide its read¬ 
ers in their selection of the new 
fruits which, in less or greater 
numbers, are every season 
brought to notice. Among the 
many kinds of new grapes of 
high promise, the Niagara un¬ 
questionably, so far as can be 
judged from trials necessarily 
restricted, takes a foremost 
place. Still, beyond the fact 
of its vigorous growth iu our 
Experiment Grounds, we are 
only enabled to state what 
others have said regarding it. 
We should feel sadly disap¬ 
pointed if a grape that has re¬ 
vealed so many qualities which 
seem to adapt It to the wants 
of the thousands, should after 
a while be found warning in 
some essential quality. 
--W- 
CTJRRANTS-LEE'S PROLIFIC. 
(See page 146.) 
The currant plant requires a 
cool climate. It rarely, if ever, 
is injured by cold, but it is 
Impatient of beat and drought. 
So decided is it iu this respect, 
that while it has proved emi¬ 
nently lucrative iu some sec¬ 
tions of the New England 
States, New York and else¬ 
where in the same latitude, yet 
only in exceptional cases has 
it been found profitable south 
of the isothermal line of Phil¬ 
adelphia. It suffers chiefly 
from the blight sunshine of 
July aud August, causing it to 
drop Us leaves prematurely 
and thus rendering it unpro¬ 
ductive. This fea'ure, of 
course, varies somewhat with 
the different varieties, but to 
no great exteut. The spread tt( TnE scuppernong shape.—from life.—reduced one-third.— b, natural size of the berrt.—fig. 143. 
of the currant worm having 
now become so universal ihat the pest is to be 
found almost everywhei’e, has no doubt been 
the means of preventing many from planting 
and caused others to neglect their bushes. This 
should not be, for this insect is as easily con¬ 
trolled as the Colorado Potato Beetle, and any¬ 
one who is not willing to employ the neces¬ 
sary meaua to rid himself of the pest, can 
scarcely be said to deserve the fruit. Nobody 
thinks of going without potatoes on account of 
the beetle! Just here I may uote the currant 
worm has never troubled any of my black 
currants. 
It seems peculiar that in this age of progress 
so valuable aud Important a fruit as the cur¬ 
rant should have Buffered such general neglect. 
Had it received a tithe of the care and time in 
vulpina, the Southern Fox Grape—the same; 
as the Concord is a variety of onr Northern Fox 
Grape—Vitis Labrusca. A distinctive charac¬ 
teristic of the Southern Fox Grape is that the 
bark is firm, never separating in strips as in 
other species. 
THE SCUPPERNONG GRAPE. 
h. w. ravenel. 
This is an American grape, and an acci¬ 
dental seedling or “chance sport" of our na¬ 
tive Vitis vulpina, or Bullace grape. All the 
traditions of its origin point to the eastern 
shore of North Carolina, on a small lake or 
river of that name. From that original source 
it has beeu propagated by cuttings and layers. 
It is essentially a Southern grape, ripening 
here in this latitude during the month of Sep¬ 
tember, and it could scarcely be cultivated suc¬ 
cessfully beyond the lower portion of Virginia. 
It is later in shooting in Spring than any other 
grape, not blooming here before the middle of 
May,thus escaping all risk of Spring frost. The 
thick skin protects the fruit from atmospheric 
changes and it never rotB. It is hardy, vigor¬ 
ous in growth, well adapted to any kind of 
soil, and, with proper management, it gives a 
safe and certain crop. 
Like its parent, the wild Bullace, the ben-ies 
are few (from one to ten or twelve), borne in 
loose clusters, and mostly ripeniDg together. 
The. berry is round, and, when fully grown, 
about the size of a boy’s marble. Like all the 
so-called “white grapes," the fruit is green 
(like the Malaga in color), changing to a dull 
brown when fully ripe. With a large tough 
pnip when half ripe, it loses most of the pulp¬ 
iness when thoroughly ripe. The flavor is pe¬ 
culiar, and uulike that of all the foreign or 
American grapes in cultivation. 
The whole habit of the grape is so unlike 
that of those in general cultivation and its 
training and management are so entirely dif¬ 
ferent, that I may be par doned for going some¬ 
what into detail in what may be new to most 
of your Northern readers. From the compact 
structure of the wood it is difficult to get cut¬ 
tings to strike. The usual mode of propaga¬ 
tion is by layering.Those who propagate largely 
keep certain vines for that purpose, well cut 
back to the stump, leaving numerous shoots of 
short length with four or flve buds. In the 
Spring theBe start and grow rapidly- By June 
they have attained a length of five or six feet, 
and are then fit for layering. A bunch of 
them, say from six to a dozen, are brought to¬ 
gether, the leaves stripped from the lower por¬ 
tion, a hole made with the trowel near the 
stump, and a handful of well rotted manure 
thrown iu; the vines are bent down into the 
hole, and earth is banked upon them to keep 
them in position, the exposed ends heing 
slightly elevated hy pressing the earth up¬ 
wards. Hoe off weeds and grass during the 
Summer, and by November they are readv to 
be lifted—all well rooted. One good, strong 
root, may give from fifty to a hundred layers. 
These rooted layers may be planted out at 
anytime during the Winter. The usual mode 
of training is on a canopy, which is en¬ 
larged as the vine grows. They should be set 
about 35 to 30 feet apart in all directions, and 
even a greater distance on very rich land. 
With these, as with all other plants, care in 
making a good start, by opening large holes 
and manuring well, tells on the after growth. 
After they are planted out, the young vines 
should bo cut back to three or four buds, aud a 
stake driven In near the vine, standing about 
six feet out of ground, to which the vine is 
tied. As the season advances all the lateral 
shoots must be pinched i ff, so as to leave a 
single clean stem, which is kept tied to the 
stake as it grows. At the end of the first sea¬ 
son it should have reached the top of the stake. 
The following Winter a canopy 
must be started on which the 
vine may be spread. Four up¬ 
right posts, about six feet 
high and ten feet apart, with 
slats over the top, will give 
space enough for the second 
season’s growth. This canopy 
can be extended afterward to 
suit the vine. It is important 
that the vine be kept uniformly 
spread out over this canopy so 
as to give sun aud air. If they 
overlap and become crowded, 
the production of good fruit 
is lessened. The trunk must be 
kept clear of all laterals below 
the main branches on the can¬ 
opy. 
The Scuppernong is said not 
to need pruning. This is meas¬ 
urably tras. The habit of this 
species is the starting of most 
of the buds which in other 
grapes remain dormant. There 
is then a greater subdivision of 
the branches, and a more bushy 
and compact growth, without 
these long branchless shoots so 
common to other grapes. The 
bushy, compact habit and the 
evenly distributed fruit render 
pruning unnecessaiy. A judi¬ 
cious thluningout of branches 
when they are too crowded, 
and the cutting away of feeble 
parts will help the general 
vigor of the plant. 
The vine will begin to bear 
the season after it has taken to 
the canopy, the second year 
from the layer. As the growth 
increases annually, so does the 
production. I caunot give, 
from my own knowledge, any 
definite statement of the pro¬ 
duction, never having made 
ary careful measurement; but 
25 to 80 bushels to the old 
vines are often spoken of. A 
vintner in North Carolina soys, 
in one of our horticultural mag¬ 
azines: “We have a good 
many single vines that bear 50 
to 75 bushels." A bushel of 
Scuppernong grapes, weighing 
about 60 pounds, will yield 
from three to four gallons of 
wine, besides the vinegar that 
. may be made from the pomace. 
In making the wine, it is usual 
to add about one pound of 
crushed sugar to the gallon of 
juice, to give it more body and better keeping 
qualities. 
Besides the Scuppernong there are several 
other good varieties of Vitis vulpinain cultiva¬ 
tion. Among them may be mentioned. Thomas, 
Flowers, Mish, Tender-pulp, Petdce. The last- 
mentioned and the Scuppernong are greenish 
grapes, the others black or purple, They aie 
all, I believe, accidental seedlings; that is, they 
were found in the woods, and have not re¬ 
sulted from man’s improving agency. 
It is a curious fact in regard to this species, 
that whilst there is a great tendency to varia¬ 
tion in th# quality of the fruit, even in the 
wild state, the other botanical characters re¬ 
main permanent. I have compared carefully 
theBe cultivated varieties with the wild grape, 
its Improvement that have been devoted to the 
strawberry or the grape, there is little grounds 
for doubt but we would now have at least a 
hundred fine varieties Instead of less than a 
dozen that are worth cultivating. Fay’s Pro¬ 
lific-figured in the Rural of September 18— 
Beems to be a move in the right direction among 
red varieties; and Lee’s Prolific, which origin¬ 
ated in England a few years past with Mr. 
Lee, marks a great advance among the black 
As is well known, black currants are used 
principally for making jams and jellies. In 
the New York market, at least, they usually 
meet a ready sale at remunerative prices; but 
growers need a variety with larger bunches 
than those of the varieties hitherto cultivated, 
that the crop may be gathered more quickly 
and at less expense ; while amateurs desire a 
kind with less austere and less musky fruit. 
Lee’s Prolific supplies the requirements of both. 
As will be seen by Fig 111, which is a represen¬ 
tative cluster, it is a vast improvement in size, 
both of bunch and berry, on the old varieties. 
At the same time the quality is much milder 
and better. The bushes are of stocky, rigid 
growth and the term “ prolific " in the name, 
is applied with singulav appropriateness ; for 
the amount of fruit they bear is Bimply aston¬ 
ishing. It ripens about ten days in advance of 
the well-known Black Naples, which, although 
no special advantage, ie, so far as I know, no 
disadvantage. Unlike the old varieties of the 
black currant, it is quite difficult to propagate, 
one reason, no donbt, why it has not become 
better known and a feature which will im¬ 
pede its progress to popularity in the future. 
Little Silver, N. J. J. t. l. 
-♦ » ♦ 
The Scuppernong Grope, 
We do not remember ever before to have 
seen a large, life engraving of the well-known 
Scuppernong or Southern Muscadine. The 
branch portrayed was sent to us from Aiken, 
S. C., by Mr. S. Ott, when the grapes were still 
green, though nearly of mature size. The 
leaves are shiny on both sides, small, coarsely 
toothed. It will be seen that the bunches con¬ 
sist of se veral grapes only, instead of many us 
in other varieties. The berries are large—over 
a half-inch in diameter—having a thick, tough 
skin and a musky flavor, ripening in early Au¬ 
tumn. The Scuppernong is a variety of Vitis 
