Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-11


on our soils this beautiful fruit has proved itself
u1srortiy-of eplture from its unprodurt
many plants having no fruit whatever succeed
| ing plenteous blossoming.
The cnterprising proprietor of these grounds
Is eminently believer in progressive horticul-
ture, and spares no expense IN procuring new
kinds that have promising characters. Among
the hundreds of vsieties that have been tested
bv him, he especially recommends the Iriomphe,
| Golden Seeded HericaTt, Fillmore, Victoria,
i Wilson. OF newer sorts, the Russell, and a
plant numbered 700, possess admirable qualities,
and prove the possible development of this fruit
in a remarkable degree.
| But to return to the grapes, the object of more
immediate interest at this season of the year.
| You will expect to hear something of their APP
pearance and of the varieties in cultivation. In
the first place the vines presented an, aspect OF
perfect health and vigor; excepting slight m
/ iurv from hail they seemed TO have enjoyed
complete immunity from all the ills that vines
arc heirs to-no insect depredations, no mildew
on the foliage or canes, rot on the fruit, which
was perfect except in a few instances where
they had suffered from over production, and that
was only apparent in deficient coloring. Though
the neighboriood had been visited by some Sc
we're frosts the foliage still beautifully green
and abundant Upon some of the trellises, and
ripenine into rich tints of yellow upon others,
with a slight frost scorching the Isabelds, and
only the foreign varieties, and some of the very
earliest npening sorts of the natives, had cast
their leaves and looked bare, on the 10th OF
October.
The show of fruit was the most magnificent
ever beheld-the quantities enormous, the ap-
pearance smooth and fair, the color rich, with
perfect bloom II would have been enough to
excite the poetry of a mans nature, if it were
not too deeply buried beneath the facts and fig
ures of severe investigation, such as that in
hand at the time of this visit.
Mr.. Knox has thrown himself into the culture
of fruits most heartily, and with the greatest lib
crafty he has purchased plants of every Kind of
small fruits that promised to be worthy of cul-
ture Hundreds of strawberries have been tested
upon his grounds; all the currents and goOsebcr-
ries, the various raspberries of modern cata-
logues the blackberries, and lastly, in order of
ripening, the grapes have been subjected to the
test of fruitage. No expense is spared in pro-
curing the varieties that said to promise well,
and MANY Of them have already been made TO
Weld their increase untler his assiduous care.
1 propose to transcribe few of the remarks
made upon my note papers while passing over
the grounds, among the vines, but shall not de-
scribe all the kinds in cultivation. The first va
rieties planted were of the Isabella and CotaIrbd,
the kinds then generally cultivated Both ofthese
are bearing abundantly, the former heavily laden,
but not at all the richer for its treatment here,
parison with other sorts. The latter, less deeply
tinted than in more southern latitudes but pro-
ducing q magnificent crop of splendid lunches
of beautifully perfect fruit. sea - HP -
Pho Concord was in full yigor, covering the
relIis TO the top with foliage and fruii-a perfect
show The lunches not uniformly so large
a we sometimes see them, nor arc the berries
equal in size to the stereotype Illustrations on
nurserymen's catalogues but the skin is thin, the
3 melt 10 mice md
though the flavor be somewhat musky, not to say
foxy, or IS some statesmen express II, of certain
varieties, with characteristic native arano,
still is the fayori;e with the people, and is sell
ing freely at double the price of the Isabellas and
Catawbas Offered in the markets. Indeed, for
general planting az every mans dOor-stone,
throughout the country, this hardy vigorous,
and productive variety, apparently free from all
the ills of grape vines has the highest claims TO
universal favor. Still, some Of us may be al
lowed to have our preferences for table grape.
For wine, the Concord has begun to assert Its
claims, and a few samples has already been pre-
scented to the conn0isseurs, who have pronounced
it promising red wine. A good deal of it has
been made at Herman, Mo-. this year, and Mr..
Musman writes mt that the must weighs from IS
to 90.
Next is the Diana, which is vigorous and pro-
ductive, the bunch compact, the berry of beauti-
full color, tough skin, and rather firm pulp, juice
sweet and having a peculiar flavor, which has
been called feline" The thickness of skin en-
abes this grape to be kept long time, so as to
be sale in the Christmas holidays-when ii
commands a high price. The wine from this
grape is very highly favored with the aforesaid
feline, and though peculiar, and at first, perhaps,
repulsive, it strangely grows on ones affections
it will be valuable for mingling with the juice OF
some other grapes of less decided character-the
Deld,care itself has been suggested as one that
might borrow piquancy from the Diana.
The Delr1care has succeeded admirably in this
vineyard, where il has been extensively grown,
and with such success rs to induce much further
planting. Mr. Knox has several acres now in
course of preparation for vineyards aud extend
ed nursery rows of the vines produced this year
stand ready to be set in their future stations
Whatever complaints may DC made of this variety
elsewhere, and some of Us have had our troubles
with the slender little things for which we have
paid our money, this vine appears to find a con
genial soil upon the coal measures of the Mon
ongahela hills. Three year old plants have made
a splendid growth of firm, close, jointed wood
and in many cases the vines have completely co
vered the trellis, and run along on the top-seve
raj shoots were seen of at least twelve feet in
length, and in most cases there were more thar
the regular apportionmeni of eight canes to tho
vine as well as an abundant crop of fruit. Thi
grape has attained so much attention of late
years, and is so familiar TO the horticulturists
our country, that il is not worth while TO descrbs
Its beautiful clusters of transparent rosy berries
thickly spread along the vines. The wine is ct
tracing great attention, and five dollars per gal
loI. has been refused for that made by Mr.. Mot
tier near our city, who has had perfect success
in growing this grape here. The weight of th'
must with him m September was 102-Mr
Wcrk's (probably the first rum, weighed log
The wine sells at S24 per box or dozen. TIN
vines, once established bear most abundantly
and the luscious fruit is only too sweet for mos
palates, as table grape, and to be eaten as no
Rey rather than as food. The fruit sells at Pitts
burg for so cents pound.
The Union Village is also quite successful
grape with Mr.. Knox on account of its grca
size and fair quality, it commands a high price
bringing fifty cents pound. The vine is vigor
Gus and productive but the fruit is too mucf
like the Isabella 10 give much encouragement t.
une-grOwers it is essentially an amateur ant
market fruit. The excessive growth of tn
canes on this vine renders il somewhat tender
bus did not hear any complaints in this regar1
where the growth Is difiused upon the trellis, a
The canes are not then so rank.
The HerbemoRf shows all its vigor and green
ness of foliage even at this late date, making
perfect screen of the trcllis, and the numerou
large clusters, thickly packed with the delicious
yisous, dark-colored berries, were almost con
cealed from view This vine is somewhat ten
der, and the canes, like those Of the Diana, ar
taken down and covered with earth IN the winter
but tie fruit is so spicy, and so free from pulp
that 1t Is fully appreciated by the proprietor, VIII
rates it among the best table grapes. Its quail
ties for wine arc well known here The mus
this year weighs lO1.
I The ELsiatoro, an old variety but not general
cultivated is prime favoriic with Mr.. Knox, o.