Vol. XLV. No. 1914. NEW YORK, OCTOBER 2, 1886. price five cents. 
' ©2.00 PER YEAR. 
Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1886, by the Rural New-Yorker In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 
THE BERTRAND GRAPE. 
bout the middle of last July 
we received from our friend 
P. J. Berckmans, Augusta, 
Ga., a specimen bunch of a 
seedling grape originated in 
Middle Georgia. Said he: “The 
vines are now eight years old, 
and have yielded five crops, 
and this year there are up¬ 
wards of 100 bunches. No 
trace of rot. Vigor all that 
could be desired. It belongs 
to the zEstivalis group. In 
addition to its excellent quality, it has the ad¬ 
vantage of ripening when nearly all other 
bunch varieties are about gone. The origin¬ 
ator calls it Bertrand.” 
The bunches are sometimes shouldered, as 
shown at Fig. 874, sometimes not. Black with 
blue bloom. Peduncles long. Skin firm and 
thin. Very juicy, hig-hflavored and sprightly. 
Flesh melting; pulp not perceptible—one and 
two seeds. A refreshing, delightful grape. 
(See editorial page.) 
PRAISE OF THE NIAGARA GRAPE. 
For two or three years, Geo. W. Campbell, 
of Delaware, Ohio, hus spoken many times un¬ 
favorably of the Niagara Grape, and even at 
this late day he remarks, in his fall circular, 
that it has succeeded w’ell in some places and 
signally failed in others; and also that in suit¬ 
able locatious and favorable seasons it has 
been successful and profitable; which would 
plainly give the average fruit grower to un¬ 
derstand that, in order to succeed with the 
Niagara, he must have a location especially 
adapted to the growiug of grapes and also a 
very favorable season. 
I am engaged somewhat extensively in rais¬ 
ing grapes for market purposes, and have no 
axe to grind. 1 commenced setting the Niaga¬ 
ra Grape in the Spring of 1SS3 for market 
purposes, and have set more or less of the va¬ 
riety every year siuce. I have a fine show of 
them in bearing this year. I train to four 
arms, according to the Kniffin system. I now 
have single arms, with 3d uiee solid bunches 
of fruit upon them. Out of 41 varieties of 
grapes which 1 have in cultivation, the Niagara 
has proved itself to be the strongest grown 
and the most productive of the whole lot. It 
is also as hardy as the Concord, better in qual¬ 
ity, and from six to eight days earlier. It is 
also a long keeper and a splendid shipping 
grape, and, taken altogether, I consider it for 
market purposes the best grape* for growers to 
set that has been practically tried aud is 
uow before the public. 
Grand Haven, Mich. Walter Phillips. 
GRAPE NOTES. 
MOORS’S Early is the best early grape 1 
know of for market or home use; larger than 
the Concord, somewhat sweeter, but a little 
more insipid in taste; not much inclined to 
rot; large seeds. 
Niagara. —Some rot first crop; only a few 
bunches on a grafted vine. Bunches medium 
in size; berry medium and of good quality) 
but with a truce of muskiuess. Not pulpy; 
seeds small. 
Rommel’s Amber.— Little rot. Much the 
same as Niagara Lu size and color; of purer 
flavor. Seeds separating too easily from the 
pulp. Ruther tender for keeping. Bore well 
this year, ripening a little later than Concord, 
I think this is a good home grape. 
Pocklington, —A little rot. A thrifty grow¬ 
er. A large showy grape of poor quality, al¬ 
most as foxy as Martha, which I consider too 
poor to eat. Will do to sell to the legion that 
eat the Ben Davis Apple. 
Early Victor. —Some rot. Ripens nearly 
with Moore’s Early, Champion, Janesville, 
and several others. A medium-sized black 
grape, of flavor distinct from the Concord 
type; no foxiness. I was expecting no rot, 
but was disappointed. Vine a good grower, 
and it may bear better next year. The ber¬ 
ries hold well to the stem. 
Duchess. —Much rot; uo perfect bunches 
left, owing to rot. Youug wood scabbed with 
disease. Berry small—very good. 
Perktns. —Some rot. Does not succeed with 
me. More rot than iu the Concord. Not very 
hardy or early. Rather shy' in bearing. Foxy, 
but bettor than Martha or Pocklington. It is 
medium in size, aud very showy when well 
ripened, being somewhat mottled iu color 
like a Blood Peach. 
Triumph. —A fine grape, but vine too tender. 
The Concord is the most reliable grape we 
have, and it will be a long while before it will 
be superseded here. People ordinarily prefer 
it to the best of Rogers’s hybrids for steady 
use, just as they prefer a Janet to a Grimes’s 
Golden Apple, or bread and butter to cake and 
pastry, benjamin buckman. 
Saug. Co., Ills. 
[Moore’s Early is not anywhere, so far as 
we know, as productive as the Concord. It 
ripens at least 10 days earlier, and the berries 
are larger. In these two respects it excels its 
parent, while the vine is fully as hardy and 
vigorous.— Eds.) 
From Nature. Fig. 374. 
|3omolo0icnl. 
A GARDEN FRUIT EXHIBITION. 
While much may be learned of fruits by 
viewing them when on exhibition at the fail's 
and horticultural meetings, much more can be 
learned by visiting growers and seeing the 
fruits on the trees and vines, thus learning 
the growers’ methods. Hence my recent visit 
to the fruit gardeus of Ellwanger & Barry 
was enjoyable and profitable. Mr. W. C. 
Barry, recently returned from a long season 
of retirement among the Adirondacks, was 
my guide. First we visited the plum orchard. 
Here were ripening the productive and popu¬ 
lar Reine Claude and Lombard, the small and 
prolific Damson, the showy Pond’s Seedling, 
the large and showy Quackenboss, the Yellow 
Egg, the beautiful and fine-flavored Washing¬ 
ton and many others. 
“ Which two prove the most popular for 
market, Mr. Barry '{" 
“The Lombard and Reine Claude. The 
latter pays best, ripening after the others are 
mostly gone. Washington is one of the 
largest and most beautiful, and of superior 
quality.” 
“How about the Wild Goose, Weaver aud 
others of the native type?” 
‘ They are of.no value for this locality, 
where we can grow those so much superior in 
size and quality. They make straggling, un¬ 
couth trees and, with a few exceptions, do not 
show as much vigor. ” 
“How do you manage the black-knot i” 
“We simply cut off the diseased limbs and 
burn them. You can see that none of these 
trees show any signs of the disease.” The soil 
was kept in fine tilth, the branches well 
thinned. The trees did not appear to have 
been planted over five years. 
We then passed across the ornamental 
grounds. Here are long stretches of closely 
cut turf, extending farther than the eye can 
reach, bordered with a thousand varieties of 
shrubs and trees. Then I passed on to the 
private garden of my guide, to see his dwarf 
pears. His favorite appears to be the Anjou* 
The trees were well laden with as tine speci¬ 
mens as the most critical could desire to see, 
each perfect in form and color and of large 
size, though they had not attained full 
growth. 
“The culture of these fine fruits is one of 
the greatest pleasures I enjoy,” remarked Mr. 
Barry. 
“What is your opinion of seeding dwarf 
pear orchards to grass?” I asked. 
“I should seed it only when is was making 
excessive growth, and then cultivate it again 
after the excessive growth has been checked. 
On this soil it is not possible to get an exces¬ 
sive growth. We fertilize the soil as highly 
as possible, yet the annual growth does uot ex¬ 
ceed 18 inches. If the wood begins to ripen 
well by September 1, we do not consider the 
growth excessive.” 
“But w ill such high culture lie profitable for 
those who grow for market?” 
“Yes,” replied Mr. Barry. From the ap¬ 
pearance of these trees I concluded that few 
need fear that their soil is too rich, or that their 
trees are growing too vigorously. I should 
rather infer that most dwarf pear orchards are 
suffering from starvation. The trees were 
trained low. There were many varieties all 
bearing heavily, and yet this is uot the bear¬ 
ing year for pears in this vicinity. I cannot 
see how men of wealth and taste can more suc¬ 
cessfully beautify a part of their home grounds 
than by planting choice fruits. 
On our wa}' to see the grapes, we stopped to 
test the Surprise Melons, which Mr. Barry says 
he has found to be the best of all in quality. 
The flesh is as yellow as gold, and equal to a 
peach in flavor. Mr. Barry says it is as re¬ 
freshing as the finest wine. 
The grapes, grown under glass, without art¬ 
ificial heat, except such as the glass afforded, 
the roots extending into the garden beyond the 
house, wore an attractive exhibition. The 
leaves were broad and luxuriant, the canes 
of the present season’s growth being thesize of 
my largest finger, but nowhere crowded, 
trained with the greatest care aud watched 
tenderly Should the gardener forget to give 
them aii- in the heat of the day, they would 
BERTRAND GRAPE. 
