previously, I have regarded it as one of his 
best show varieties. 
Walter, grafted on Concord, was carrying 
a fine crop. 
Iona was much improved by grafting. 
Rebecca was similarly improved. 
Lady rots and cracks badly. 
In passing through bis single vines, put out 
fortesting their virtues, he remarked: There is 
Worden, from -; if you can make 
anything but a Concord out of it you can do 
more than I can. On tasting it, we agreed 
exactly, and record another instance where 
the Concord has been labeled and sent out as 
Worden under the mistaken notion that both 
kinds were so nearly alike as to be considered 
identical. I have since given him an oppor¬ 
tunity to sample the genuine Worden, and a 
single berry sufficed to convince him that it 
was not necessary to be an expert to detect 
the difference. Here was one more fact to 
support the conclusion that we are not sure of 
a thing till we have proved it. 
Having descended to the valley or plains 
below, which resembled a vast amphitheatre 
surrounded by lofty hills, our next call was 
at Mr. Waldo’s, whose vineyard was qt a 
character entirely different from any hereto¬ 
fore visited. 
Duchess here was about as near perfection 
as could be, and the finest show yet seen. On 
its own roots it was only ordinary; but, 
grafted on the Salem, it produced clusters 
we thought would weigh a pound each. Many 
vines were killed last Winter though covered, 
while others wintered safely and were pro¬ 
ducing fine crops. This would seem to indi¬ 
cate a difference in maturity of the wood, else 
why should some survive and not others, 
though treated alike ? 
Wilder, Agawam, Massasoit and Salem 
were very flue here, a vine of the latter with 
an arm 20 feet long bearing a large crop. Last 
year the same vine bore SQ pounds. Mr. 
Waldo thinks this variety needs and does bet¬ 
ter with long arms; with short ones the fruit 
does not seem to set well, and this variety mil¬ 
dews worse than Rogers’s Hybrids generally. 
Mr. Waldo and all others visited on this side 
of the river still adhere to the Puller system 
of training. 
Allen’s Hybrid was very fine here, though 
it suffers somewhat from mildew. 
Rebeccas were grown in quantity, the 
hirgest and finest we ever saw. Grafted vines 
were far superior in vigor to those on their 
own roots. By grafting he secures as good a 
growth of vine as that of the Concord and the 
grafted vines withstand mildew as well, he 
thinks. Twenty feet of growth the first sea¬ 
son are not unusual. He grafts just as the 
buds are starting, setting the graft under 
ground, using one or two buds, the lower one 
being on the inside. 
Jefferson, grafted on Concord last year, 
was heavy in fruit; bunches large and fine, 
fully equal to that in the cut iu the Rural 
a year or so ago. These vines are very much 
superior to those on their own roots and prove 
more hardy. 
Montgomery, a white foreign variety, pre¬ 
sented a very fine appearance; bunches large, 
shouldered and compact; berries medium. 
Last year there were clusters weighing two- 
and-onehalf pounds each. These are also 
grafted on Concords, with the same beneficial 
results as in the case of others. He covers 
this and all tender varieties. 
Iona, very fine. 
AUTUCHON (Arnold) rots worse than any. 
Martha Burdette is as nearly like Diana 
a9 two peas are to each other. 
White Delaware was, as usual, not of 
much account. 
Croton on its own roots sets full, but the 
vinas are not able to mature the crops. 
Grafting affords the remedy. 
Lady grafted on Israelis this Spring, lay 
dormant tilt July, but had since grown 20 feet. 
Lady Washington grafted on Concord had 
shown the same peculiarity. 
Regarding fertilizers, Mr. Waldo stated he 
had always used barnyard manure, but this 
year had applied half a ton of Mapes’s “Fruit 
and Vine Manure” to an acre and a half, the 
results of which were yet to be seen. 
Our next eall was on Air. Pierce, a part of 
whose vineyard is located on the top of a high 
hill surrounded by valleys. Here, early or late 
frosts are unknown the atmosphere i3 so dry. 
Delawares, which are largely grown, were 
very fine, the best yet seen. He was shipping 
them to Boston, the new railroad route just 
opened affording fine facilities for so doing,, 
and the returns looked 25 per cent, better— 
an important feature. 
Rebecca here also was very fine, especially 
when grafted on Concords, and thus treated, 
he thiuks it hardier. He covers all his vines 
except Concords. I 
Wilder was very fine indeed—if possible 
better than at Mr. Waldo’s. i 
Lindlky he finds a free bearer, the most so 
of any of Rogers’s Hybrids. Grafted, it is fine. < 
Lady grafted on Concords is here, too, far 
superior to those on their own roots. l 
i Elvira and Brighton are similarly im¬ 
proved, the latter being so much superior that 
he grows them that way only. 
Montgomery was a prominent variety here 
also, grafted on Concord. Mr. Pierce thinks 
grafting increases the weight of the clusters 
25 per cent. We saw plenty of bunches that 
would turn the scale at a pound and a 
i pound and-a half. 
Downing (Ricketts’s No. 1), from Israella 
and Muscat-Hamburgh, was, if possible, the 
most attractive and captivating of all. It was 
grafted on Hartford ; vine short jointed, 
und vigorous ; foliage good; bunch very long 
(we measured several that were eight to nine 
inches in length) ; berries large, oval or ob¬ 
long, dark purple; flesh very solid, equal to 
Hamburgh ; season September 20th to Octo¬ 
ber 1st; keeps welL Certainly a very prom¬ 
ising variety as grown by Mr. Pierce, and the 
desire to test it elsewhere was unanimous. 
Not disseminated ; and it is my impression 
that these few vines comprise the whole stock 
in existence. If so, ample time will be had to 
test it more thoroughly before it is offered to 
the public, I hope it will achieve as great 
eminence and honor in its sphere as the illus¬ 
trious gentleman whose name it bears, occu¬ 
pies among his fellow man. 
El Dorado (Ricketts’s), a white, vigorous 
variety of first quality, Mr. Pierce regards as 
“every man’s grape,” because everyone can 
grow it. I hope this is so,and every one of the 
party is going to try it.—[We have fruited it 
for three years and have never raised a fair¬ 
sized or perfect bunch except by bagging. The 
vine is vigorous, but mildews badly.— Eds ] 
Advance, another of Ricketts’6 Seedlings, 
is of good quality but regarded as strictly an 
amateur grape. 
My note book embraces many others, but 
space will permit only a few notes of the 
most prominent ones. 
The declining sun admonished us that the 
day was drawing to a close as we retraced 
our steps to the house, where we were soon 
seated and engaged in conversation. The 
prominent idea, or subject ia all our minds 
was the one of grafting, the successful results 
of which had so impressed us, and Mr, Pierce 
was called on to give his method, which did 
not essentially differ from Mr. Waldo’s, as 
stated above. 
“ What per cent, of your grafted vines 
grow r ? ” was asked. 
“That is a difficult question to answer, 
the results are so variable. Sometimes 
90 to 95 per cent, will grow, and at other 
limes as large a percentage will fail, al¬ 
though the work is performed with the 
same care and attention in both cases, and it 
is difficult to tell why it is so.” 
To illustrate this point, Mr. Burrow cited 
an instance. He bad a little wood of a choice 
variety he wanted to graft, and as Mr. Pierce’s 
success had been so marked he got him to go 
to his place and do it for him, rather than 
risk his own work. He set all the grafts but 
one ; that one he took home and set on his 
own place, and that was the only one that 
grew, and but for that one he would have 
lost the variety. So you see we can’t tell 
what the results will be beforehand. There is 
the fact, you can draw your own conclusions. 
Thanking our host for the facilities afforded 
us for observation, and for the instruction re¬ 
ceived, we bade him adieu and resumed our 
journey, now “homeward bound ,”via Fish- 
kill, where w r e were to take the evening'train 
for New York, and where Mr. Burrow re¬ 
signed his commission as guide, having fully 
redeemed his promise to show us as fine vine¬ 
yards on his side of the river as we had seen 
on the other side. 
I trust these brief and imperfect notes will 
partially satisfy those who were unable to join 
us, and be of interest and benefit to Rural 
readers generally. 
MORE OF THE NEW GRAPES. 
. - 
GEORGE W. CAMPBELL. 
My impressions at the close of the season, 
of the character and promise of some of the 
newer grapes, may be of interest, and have 
some value to readers of the Rural New- 
Yorker. In the Rural of October 21, you 
published some remarks of mine upon the 
Missouri grapes of Mr. Grein, as they ap¬ 
peared in Mr. Snider’s vineyard at Lancaster. 
I have the same varieties fruiting for the first 
time and under unfavorable conditions, at 
Delaware, and have carefully noted their 
character during the growing and fruiting 
season, and 1 will briefly notice such of them 
as seem to me the most worthy of attention; 
and, first, Grein's Golden and No. 1, or Mis¬ 
souri Riesling. Both are very vigorous in 
growth, with abundant and very healthy fo¬ 
liage, showing no mildew throughout the sea¬ 
son from careful examination of their foliage. 
G rein's Golden 1 believe to be a natural 
cross of the Riparia and Labrusca, probably 
Taylor and Concord; and since the perfect 
maturity of the fruit I regard it as a grape 
of high character, and worthy of the estima¬ 
tion in which it is held by Husmann and others 
in Missouri. It is, when fully ripe, one of the 
most beautiful golden-colored grapes I have 
seen; in flavor, pure.rich and sprightly, wholly 
free from foxiuess: skin thin, but sufficiently 
tenacious to bear handling and shipping well; 
pulp quite teuder. I tested it carefully with 
Lady Washington and Duchess, both perfectly 
ripened, and am compelled to say it was better 
flavored than either. It is but fair to say, 
however, that the Duchess vine had mildewed 
pretty badly in the foliage, and the fruit was 
probably not as well flavored on that account. 
These remarks apply to the varieties as grown 
at Delaware, and under precisely the same 
conditions. At Lancaster, as I have before 
stated, Grein’s Golden had suffered from mil¬ 
dew of the fruit, and the clusters were quite 
imperfect; and the fruit not being ripe, my 
impressions were not favorable. It isdifficult 
to say, this season, what its natural period of 
ripening will be, but as compared with Lady 
Washington, it is the same. As compared 
with Concord, I should say it is a week or 
ten days later. 
Missouri Riesling is much like its con¬ 
gener, but appears to be more likely a true 
Riparia. The clusters and berries are rather 
smaller, and nearly white. Its period of 
ripening is a fewdaysearlier; its flavor is also 
pure and quite sweet; pulp tender, but less 
sprightly, and to my taste not quite as good 
as Gn iu’s Golden. To those who are familiar 
with Allen’s Hybrid, I would say these grapes 
are not unlike it, and I think fully equal to it 
or Croton in their best condition. This, in con¬ 
nection with their hardy vines and healthy 
foliage, renders them worthy at least of trial, 
wherever they will mature. 
Noah, another Taylor or Elvira seedling 
of somewhat similar habit and character, 
which originated at Nauvoo, II!., seems very 
hardy, healthy and productive, bearing me¬ 
dium to large clusters, which are always green 
in color when fully ripe. It is very pleasant 
and sprightly in flavor, but the pulp is too 
tough l or a good table grape, it being speciatl v 
objectionable to those who do not like to 
swallow the seeds; and it has the bad habit of 
falling too easily from the cluster as soon 
as fully ripe. 
Amber and Faith are two more seedlings 
of somewhat similar character, originated by 
Jacob Rommel, also of Missouri. The Amber, 
when fully ripe, has a delicate rosy or pink 
color, very much like Lady Washington, and 
is much like it, except that the clusters are 
smaller, and the pulp more tender. 
Faith is a very strong grower, regarded by 
Mr. Rommel as one of the best of his seedlings, 
and so named because he had faith in its good 
quality and fair promise. It is in size of clus¬ 
ter and berry, as shown in its first hearing 
this season, rather smaller than any of the 
others, but earlier in ripening, and fully equal 
in flavor and quality. All are pure-flavored 
and wholly free from foxy taste or smell; and 
when fully ripe, are also free from the pecu¬ 
liar flavor which I call “immature,” in their 
supposed parent, the Taylor. 
Lady Washington fruited on several vines 
this season, and I was somewhat disappointed 
in its performance. It was not as early as I 
expected from representations of its introdu¬ 
cer, and when ripe it i9 not a White grape at 
all, but a delicate red. The vine is an immense 
grower and the foliage quite healthy—more 
so here than any of Rogers’s Hybrids,and very 
nearly, if not quite, as good as any of the 
Concord class. This I regard as greatly in its 
favor; and, except that it is later in ripening 
than represented, I think it will prove satis¬ 
factory, as it is really good when perfectly 
ripe. While it remained light green iu color, 
and when it ought to have been ripe, I was 
disposed to regard it very unfavorably; but 
after the grapes became clear, and of a light 
red color, I fouud it very pure-flavored, pleas¬ 
ant and agreeable— much like the foreign 
Chasselas, with the same rather firm flesh, of 
uniform consistence from the skin to the cen¬ 
ter. But it will disappoint Northern growers 
who expect it to “ ripen with the Concord.” 
I know this was an exceptional season; but I 
think it will be found at least ten days later 
than the Concord, under the most favorable 
conditions. [It is two weeks later with us. Eds.] 
Highland has also disappointed me, both 
in earliness and quality. The vine is good and 
the foliage healthy. The fruit very large, 
showy and handsome—one of the largest 
grapes in my collection. But it is as late as 
the Catawba; and the best it has got here is 
about equal to Rogers’s Essex or Barry, and 
is much like them ; neither has ripened well 
here this season. Further south, where it can 
have a warm sun and a long season, Highland 
may be valuable; but 1 fear it will prove a 
disappointment to all planters at the North. I 
am sorry to say I have been greatly misin¬ 
formed about this grape. 
Vkrgknnks has also disappointed me, but 
in another and more agreeable way. It is a 
much better and more promising grape than I 
expected to find it. Although the vine is vig¬ 
orous and the foliage healthy, somewhat of 
the Hartford type, the fruit is very handsome, 
delicate and pure flavored, and wholly free 
from any suspicion of foxiness. Its color is a 
deep, clear, reddish maroon, pulp tender and 
melting, not very high-flavored but pleasaDt, 
and, I should say, “very good.” Upon a 
young vine, in its first bearing, the clusters 
are small, but the berries are large, just com¬ 
pact enough without crowding, and the skin 
just tenacious enough to bear handling and 
shipping well. It impresses me as a grape 
that will grow in favor; and if it fulfills its 
present promise of iron-clad hardiness, it will 
prove a very useful standard variety for ex¬ 
tensive use, both in the garden and vineyard. 
-»♦■»- 
CAY WOOD'fci POUGHKEEPSIE RED 
AND ULSTER PROLIFIC GRAPES. 
The Poughkeepsie Red is a croBs of Iona 
and Delaware; the vine is a strong grower; 
the leaf resembles that of Delaware more than 
any other. It has been proved perfectly 
hardy in the latitude of Toronto for the past 
10 years. The clusters run iu size from that 
of Delaware to twice as large, many of them 
having from three to four shoulders. Clusters 
have been grown that weighed a pound each. 
The crops are heavy. There have been but 
two seasons in the past 15 years when it has 
ripened as late as September 10th; it usually 
ripens iu August. It contains sugar enough 
to raisin if suspended in a paper bag and hung 
in a warm room. No foxy or offensive aroma, 
disagreeable or unpleasant taste of any kind, 
can be found in skin or flesh. Its saccharine 
matter has stood in different seasons at froui 
102 to lOfi degrees, and the acid at from four 
to live degrees. The oldest wine-maker in the 
State ranks it “ highest of all ” for wine. Al¬ 
though not used before in the description of na¬ 
tive grapes, we apply to it the term “ Perfect.” 
The Ulster Prolific. 
is a cross of Catawba and an edible variety of 
the wild JEstfvalis, and minute thorns cover 
the wood, as in case of the latter. The growth 
of vine compares with that of the Catawba. 
During the eight years we have fruited it, it 
has proved as hardy as any of the wild varie¬ 
ties. Leaf of medium size and wild in appear¬ 
ance; it hangs on to the last and we have 
never known it to mildew. While the quality 
of the fruit is in one particular not as pure as 
that of Poughkeepsie Red, yet it is passed 
upon at the many fairs at which it has been 
exhibited and by all who have visited our 
grounds as the best seedling we have ever 
produced, owing to its peculiar luscious sac¬ 
charine. property. We know of no variety 
that will ripen so great a quantity of fruit to 
a given amount of wood. The joints are from 
one to three inohes long. The clusters are of 
Catawba size; the berry is longer; compact, 
but not crowded. It ripens with the Concord, 
and will hang until the ground freezes. The 
old wine-maker spoken of above says it makes 
a wine of high character. Its unfermented 
juice is unusually sweet. 
On the correctness of these descriptions of 
these two seedlings we await the verdict of 
the country, and aBk any of the numerous 
persons who have visited them and know 
them to correct any error in the descriptions. 
Marlboro’, N. Y. A. J. Caywood. 
Eitriil Copies. 
NOTES ON BACK NUMBERS. 
T. H. HOSKINS, M. D. 
Rural Oct, 14. —What a gain in truthful¬ 
ness, and real beauty to the farmer’s eye, has 
been made in the “animal portraits” of our 
agricultural journals, and especially those of 
the Rural New-Yorker under its present 
management. The Jersey heifer “Princess 
of Athol ” is just alive, as she looks around to 
you in her picture on page 097. 
The Hon. Gideon Pitts is certainly right in 
his criticism of herd-hooks, flock books and 
pedigree records. It seems utterly impossible 
to keep crookedness out of them. Undoubt¬ 
edly they are of some use, and yet it is im¬ 
possible for any one consulting them to know 
how much dependence is to be put upon the 
record, or where their usefulness ends and 
their deceitfulness begins. As the years go 
by they become less and less useful, and the 
buyer must more and more depend upon bis 
knowledge and judgment in making selections. 
Mr. A. B. Allen makes a good point 
against Prof, Sheldon in exhibiting the statis¬ 
tics of our importations from England. 
Prof. Sheldon is a free-trader, evidently. Well 
then, he ought to admire us for the absolute 
free trade of the American States with euch 
other. Never has free-trade had so wide a 
field to work in, or a more perfect demonstra¬ 
tion of its practicability and utility under 
conditions of perfect reciprocity. The trouble 
with England is in her Yankeeism, i. e. her 
