Report of Standing Committee on Grapes, Figs 
and Kaki. 
BY B. M. HAMPTON. 
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, 
Fellozv Members of the State Horti¬ 
cultural Society of Florida : 
For some reason beyond my ken, I have 
been appointed as chairman of the stand¬ 
ing committee on grapes, figs and kaki. 
While I have had some experience with 
all of these fruits, I do not want you to 
think for one moment, that I consider 
myself as expert authority on any of 
them; but I suppose you expect something 
said on the subject, and so I will try and 
add my mite. 
The grape and the fig, as you all know, 
are among the oldest fruits of which his¬ 
tory gives us any record. “Under your 
own vine and fig tree,’’ is as old as time 
itself. The vine especially is almost 
world-wide. Take, for instance, our own 
country. You will find it flourishing on 
the bleak and rocky hills of New England, 
and ’mid the sunny glades of Florida, 
as well as on the coral rocks of her thou¬ 
sand keys or islands. One of the most 
valuable fruits known to man is the grape, 
and no home, however humble, should be 
without its vine or more of the health¬ 
ful grape. 
Starting from the shores of the Cas¬ 
pian Sea, you will find it flourishing in 
many lands and under many conditions of 
soil and climate. As I have alreadv told 
you, it grows from New England to the 
southern extremity of the United States 
with more or less profit; but up to the 
present time with less profit in Florida 
than in most other sections where it flour¬ 
ishes. And as I said before, everyone 
should have a vine or two at least, for 
their own use. When you have a near¬ 
by market, other things being equal, you 
can grow them with profit in Florida; but 
as a bread-winner to be shipped to a dis¬ 
tant market^ I do not think it has proven 
a success. 
I have known a number of vineyards to 
be planted in Florida, but for some reason 
they are soon dug up or abandoned alto¬ 
gether, thus intimating that commercial¬ 
ly speaking, they were not a success. I 
myself planted about two acres some ten 
years ago. All went well until I came to 
sell them. For some reason the fabulous 
prices so often noted in the papers of 
Florida, did not pan out. 
I planted a number of kinds of the 
Labrusca species or common grape grown 
in the North for wine or the table mostly 
—all seemed to do well—also quite a 
number of different kinds of the Vini- 
fera or raisin grape. Of the former spec¬ 
ies, the White Niagara seemed to get the 
closest to filling the bill; thrifty, prolific 
and a good quality, it is one of the most 
satisfactory grapes for Florida. Like the 
old speckled hen, it will give good returns 
with lots of neglect. Then the Vinifera 
