Grape Growing. 13 
this bottom down with one hand. The face of the crate should 
show no stems, should practically hide the edges of the basket, and 
should stand high enough to give the top of the crate a slight 
bulge. Cleats on the bottom and top save this bulge from any 
pressure in stacking the crates. The packed crate should have a 
gross weight of twenty-eight pounds or more. 
Fig-. 5. Fig. 6 
Tin form for packing grapes Transfer of grapes from form to basket 
Native grapes are packed in eight-pound baskets. This basket 
is commonly called a ten-pound basket, but it holds only eight 
pounds of fruit. The basket should be well filled and faced as 
neatly as possible. The fruit should be culled as carefully as 
vinifera grapes. 
VARIETIES. 
The number of varieties of either vinifera or American grapes grown 
in Colorado is not large. Some of the best varieties of the vinifera grape 
apparently require a longer growing season than most parts of Colorado 
enjoy. None but the earliest can properly mature their fruit in the higher 
altitudes. Of these foreign grapes the Flame Tokay, Alexandria (Muscat of), 
Cornichon, and Sultanina (Thompson Seedless) are easily the favorites. 
Among the native varieties the Concord, Worden, Niagara, Moore (Early), 
and Agawam are the leading ones grown for the market. 
The following description of leading varieties is not intended so much 
as an aid to the identification of varieties as to help the aspiring grape- 
grower to more intelligently choose varieties for planting. 
VINIFERA VARIETIES. 
Alexandria Muscat of). —Commonly called Muscat. Vine a mod¬ 
erately strong grower on good soil, quite prolific. Canes moderately short 
jointed; leaves not large, rather round, bright green above; bunches 
medium size, rather straggling and open, shouldered; berry oblong, green¬ 
ish yellow to light yellow when well ripened, sometimes slightly bronzed, 
flesh solid and skin thick, flavor sweet and musky. Fruit ships well, quite at¬ 
tractive. Vine rather subject to attacks of mildew. One of the best 
grapes and will mature in a comparatively short season. Picked from Sep¬ 
tember first to later in earliest sections of western Colorado, but It is sel¬ 
dom fully ripe before the middle of the month. 
Black Hamburg. —This is another very promising variety. Vine strong 
grower; bunches large, broad at shoulder, rather compact; berries large, 
slightly oval, skin thick, almost black, firm and sweet. A good shipper and 
quite attractive, ripens just before Alexandria. 
Cornichon. —Vine quite a strong grower, but rather bushy; canes 
