Vol. XLII. No. 1764. 
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 17, 1883 
PRICE FIVE CENTS 
$2.00 PER YEAR. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1883, by the Rural New-Yorker In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
(1 1)C Umnpu'i). 
THE POCKLINGTON GRAPE. 
Some twenty yours ago a vineyardist near 
Troy, N. Y., sent, a box of assorted grapes as 
a present to Mr. Clmlk, of Sandy Hill, N. Y. 
Mr Clmlk gave a bunch of Concords from 
this box to Mr. John Pocklington, a neighbor, 
who, saving the seeds from oue 
grape, planted them; the vine 
growiug therefrom is now 
known as the Pocklington. At 
that time and in that locution 
a bunch of grapes was a luxu- ^ _ 
ry, as well as u rarity, hence g ^ 
Mr. Pocklington planted the == 
seotls more from curiosity than 
anything else. The Pockling¬ 
ton may therefore be said to 
have originated through char¬ 
ity aud curiosity. 
For several years the size of 
berries and bunch of this va¬ 
riety, as shown iu the litho¬ 
graphic plates, has been by 
many thought to be rather 
overdrawn. The specimens 
shown at the last Fair of the 
American Institute, however, 
would remove any such sus¬ 
picion from the minds of 
those fortunate enough to have 
seen the exhibition of his grape 
there made by Mr. Pockliug- 
ton. There, arranged upon a 
table, were the original Pock- 
liugtons in all their glory, a 
perfect bonanza iu grape cul¬ 
ture. Such bnuchus and I ter¬ 
ries were a sight to behold. 
Bunches a pound and over; 
three weighing four pounds on 
one cane. Most of the bunches 
were shouldered, in some in¬ 
stances being four-shouldered. 
Oue liuuch attracted particu¬ 
lar attention, owing to the ex¬ 
treme size of the berries. They 
were the largest I oversaw. 
The Rose Bugs had thinned 
the fruit ou this cluster, giv¬ 
ing it room to expand, The 1 
berries partook of the shape 
of the original type of Vitis 
Labrusca (the Northern Fox 
Grape), of which variety the 
Concord was a seedling. The 
average berry was the shape 
of the Concord, very large, 
exceeding that of the Wilder. 
These were not ripe euongh 
to judge of the flavor. Mr 
Pockliugtou said he had to 
pick them, us frost had come so early thisyear. 
The grapes exhibited were from vines the 
tenth year in bearing. 
Mr. Pockliugtou informed me as to his cul¬ 
ture tus follows: Soil a heavy clay, vines 
planted IS by 18 feet apart; the trellises have 
three wires, two, four ami six feet respective 
ly from the grouud. The arms are trained on 
the two lower ones, the fruitiug canes being 
tied to the upper oue, practically following 
out the Fuller system. He does uot cultivate 
deeply but thoroughly. The fruit does not 
attain very largo size before the fifth or 
sixth year of fruiting, Even on his old¬ 
est fruitiug vines there is a yearly Increase iu 
the size of the berries. 
I sampled u bunch the first year iu fruiting 
irom Mr. Poekliugtou’s grounds;size of bunch 
and berry medium, eompuet, uot shouldered; 
color goldeu yeUow; Havor sweet, rather 
foxy. Compared with the Beliuda, it has 
more character and is rather more foxy. 
The Poekliugton is a hai dy. vigorous grow 
er, iu its native locality standing the rigor 
of Winter, the temperature haring at times 
reached 85 degrees below zero. The soil should 
be rich and well supplied with food to nourish 
the vine if the largest size of fruit is desired. 
Takeu all iu all, this may lie said to be a mar¬ 
vel among grapes. j. b. Rogers. 
It assumes a fine golden color when pretty 
ripe, where exposed to the sun, presenting a 
very attractive appearance. I have shown 
nothing in the grape line at the various fairs 
this Fall, that has attracted more attention 
from casual observers. As to quality, I ap¬ 
prehend no grape grower of refined taste 
would commend it on account of its pulpy flesh 
and foxy flavor, so characteristic of the wild 
variety: yet there is no disputing the fact that 
these qualities commend it to a great many 
aesthetic as you are. That grape suits me, 
and I want a vine.” And thus it ever has 
been, and ever will be, tastes differ. And 
this ease shows how lasting first impressions 
are. How many fruits and flowers are retain¬ 
ed aud cultivated solely on account of child¬ 
hood’s associations and impressions. They are 
ties that connect the present with the past— 
golden links in memory’s chain. Who can 
forget them, or would, if he could i 
Montclair, N. J. E. williams. 
I regard the Pocklington 
Grape as very promising for 
market, as both bunch and 
berry are very large aud 
showy, while its quality, al¬ 
though not high, is likely to 
be good enough to meet the 
requirements of buyers gen¬ 
erally. The plant, so far as I 
have had experience with it, 
seems to Is* a fair grower, 
while the foliage has the 
hardy peculiarities of the 
Concord, in a good degree. 
It is certainly rather foxy; 
too much so to suit discrimi¬ 
nating tastes, but to the great 
mass of buyers it will not be 
found objectiouably so. 
The most serious objection 
to it, in my estimation, arises 
from the fact that it ripens 
rather late, even later than 
the Concord, for which rea¬ 
son its general success at the 
North must be, for the pres¬ 
ent at least,a matter of doubt. 
T. T. LYON. 
South Haven, Mich. 
POCKLINGTON GRAPE AS GROWN 
I HAVE fruited the Poekliugton Grape this 
season for the first time, having planted half- 
a-dozen vines iu the Spriug of ’81. The crop 
was fair; not large, but sufficient for young 
vines; berries large; clusters rather smaller 
than I expected, after seeiug those exhibited 
heretofore* but 1 learu the size of the clusters 
increases for some years with the age of the 
vine. This being so, 1 shall look for improve¬ 
ment in this direction. The vine is, like the 
Concord, its purent, a good grower, and has 
so far ripened its wood well and proved hardy 
as regards temperature. I had supposed it to 
be “iron-clad” iu other respects; hut this 
very unfavorable season was too much for it, 
as the foliage mildewed and the fruit rotted 
to some extent, bdt fat less than Concord, 
Martha, aud some other varieties. Its ch ie f 
fault, I fear, aside from its quality, will belts 
tendency to drop from the stem whou ripe. 
AT THE RURAL GROUNDS, Fig. 677 
people of both sexes aud of all classes. At 
the Sussex County Fair, New Jersey, 1 met 
ft geutlemau very much interested iu grow¬ 
ing grapes for his own table, and he wished 
me to sample some of what I considered 
tnv Ia*st varieties for home use. After giving 
him samples of Brighton, Worden, Jefferson, 
Duchess, Rogers’s 1, 8, 4l». 15, 48, 44, etc., etc., 1 
remarked, “ You have now lasted the cream of 
the eolle tiou; here is one more," handiug 
him the Pocklington. On tastiug it, he ex¬ 
claimed to me ami to those around there, 
"Gentlemen, that is the best grape I have 
tasted yet!” On expiessing my surprise, he 
said there was some character about it; it 
tasted like the grapes he used to eat when a 
boy, “ That, is, no doubt, true,” I replied, 
“ but l tiiink we have made some progress iu 
grape culture since then, aud in tastes too.” 
“Quito likely,' said he, “but 1 am uot as 
Our experience with the 
Pocklington Grape is that it 
does not start or make a very 
vigorous growth for the first 
one or two years after trans¬ 
planting ; but thereafter it 
will make a good, strong 
growth, ripening up the wood 
very well. Bunch large and 
moderately compact; berry 
large, beautiful, goldeu, when 
fully ripe; quality sullieient- 
lv good, with its haudsome 
appearance, to command for 
it a ready sale at high prices. 
We consider it fairly produc¬ 
tive, and with us it is. so far, 
exempt from mildew and rot. 
We believe it wall tie a valu¬ 
able variety for market. 
WM. PARRY. 
Parry, New Jersey. 
I regret to say I have no Poekliugton 
Grape in bearing—nor have I seen the fruit. 
I set a graft three years since, which grew 
very well the first seasou, liut has made little 
progress since, uud bus borne no fruit. Not 
being very favorably impressed by the des¬ 
cription of it, 1 took no further measures for 
its success. I do not like a foxy grape. 
Leavenworth, Kan. JOHN burr. 
The single vine growing in the Rural Test 
Grounds was plauted in April, 1881. It made 
very little growth the first year, and a fair 
but not strong growth the second year, aud at 
present the main stem at the grouud is not 
over three-quarters of anin'h thick. There 
are three secondary canes which made a 
growth of about six feet. The vine bore five 
bunches, of which our engraving Fig. 677shows 
the average bunch. The bunch showu at Fig 
