Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-12

kinds as under ordinary treatment are considered
shy bearers, producing only an average of ten
perfect and well sized berries 10 an hundred bios
SONS, are here made to WELD IS per cent; but
the stools are so strong, having so MANY points
of inhoreScence in each crown. that the aggre-
gate of fIuitage Is much larger than even the per
centage of fruit producing flowers would make
il appear to be.
Thus in numerous counts very carefully made
upon the ground last June, reached the follow
ing results One plant of the Wonderful pro-
duced $50 blossoms. \ plant of the Bonte 81
Julien had 81 blossoms which Welded 81 fruits
or so. Kitley's Goliath had 64 per cent of fruit
Trollepe's Victoria, 50 per cent; and all of
these varieties are considered strongly staminate
and, with the usual culture, they barely yield 10
per cent.
very extensive investigation by counting in
the case of the Iriomphe de Gdud gave less than
~ per cent. of the blossoms yielding perfect
fruit, and vet, so numerous were the flowers on
these plants, that the number of resulting fruits
very great, being nearly fifty several
plants; whereas, with the common field culture
on our soils, this beautiful fruit has pVved itself
unworthy of culture from Its unproductiveness,
many plants having no fruit whatever succeed
ing penteous blossoming.
The enterprising proprietor of these grounds
is eminently believer in progressive horticul-
kinds that have promising characters. Among
the hundreds of varieties that have been tested
BY him, be especially recommends the Triomphe,
Golden Seeded, Hericart, Fillmore, Victoria.
Wilson. OF newer sorts. the Russell. and
plant numbered 700 possess admirable Qualities,
and prove the possible development of this fruit
in remarkable degree.
But TO return To the grapes. the object OF more
immediate interest AZ this season of the year.
You will expect to hear something OF their ap-
pearancc and of the varieties in cultivation. In
the Iirst place the vines presented an aspect of
perfect health and ylgOr; excepting slight in
jury from hail. thev seemed 10 have enjoyed
complete immunity from all the ills that vines
arc heirs to-no insect depredaiions, no mldew
on the foliage canes. no rot on the fruit which
was perfect, except in few instances where
they had suffered from over production, and that
was only apparent in deficient coloring. Though
the neighborhood had been visited by some
we're froSts the foliage was still beautifully green
and abundant upon some of the trellses, and
ripening into rich tnts of yellow upon others,
with slight frost scorching the IsdbellaS, and
only the foreign varieties, and some of the very
earliest ripenng sorts of the natives, had cast
their leaves and looked bare, on the 20th of
October.
The show Of truit was The most magnificent |
ever beheld-the quantities enormous, the ap-
pearance smooth and fair, the color rich, with
perfect bloom: it would have been enough 10
excite the poetry of mans nature. if it were
not too deeply buried beneath the facts and fig
urcS 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
erality he has purchased plants of every kind of
small fruits that promised 10 bc worthy of cul-
tura Hundreds oi strawberries have been tested
upon his grounds; all the currents and gooseber-
ries, the various raspherries of modern cata-
logueS, the blackbcrries, and lastly, in order of
ripening, the grapes have l.ecn subjected to the
test of frutaye. No eIPen-e Is spared IN pro-
curing the varieties tha. are said to promise we'll
and many of them have already been made 10
Weld their increase under his assiduous care.
j propose 70 transcribc few of the remarks
made upon NV Botc papers while passing over
the grounds, among III" vines, but shall not de-
scribe all the kinds in cultivation. The first va
Tieties planted were OF the Isabella and Cdta,cbd
the kinds then generally cultivated Both of these
are bearing abundantly the former heavily laden
but not all the richer for it, treatment here,
being, in other places Hat and insipid in COM
parlson with other sorts. Tho latter, less deeply
tinted than in moro southern latitudes, but pro-
duciug magnificent crop of splendid bunches
of beautifully perfect fruit.
The Concord was I'm full viror, covering the
trellis 10 the top with foliage and fIui;-a perfect
show. The bunchcs are not uniformly so large
"a we sometimes sec them, nor are the berries
equal in size 10 the stereotype illustrations on
nurserymen's catalogues bur the skin is thin. the
pulp melting, the juice sweet and abundant, and
though the flavor be somewha; musky, not TO saw
foxy or a. some statesmen express il. of certain
varieties, with characteristic native aramo, +"
still it is the tavorite with the people, and Is SELL
ing freely at double the price OF the lsahellas and
Catawbas offered in the markets Indeed, for
general planting 4 every mans door-Stone,
throughout the country. thi> hardy. vigorous,
and productive variety. apparently free from all
the ills OF grape vines. ha the highest claims 10
universal favor. Sill -oIne of u NAV be al
lowed to have preferences for a table grape.
For wine. the Concord has begun TO assert it
claims, and few samples has already been pre-
Sentcd TO the copnoi-~cur-, who have pronounced
! it promising red wine A good deal of it has
been made at Herman. Mo. this year, and Mr..
/ Musman writes me that the must weighs from So
/ TO 80.
/ Next is the Diaao which i 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-
! ableS this grape To hc kept long time 50 as to
be sale in the Christmas hodays-when il
commands high price. The wine from this
grape is very highly favored with the aforesaid
feline and though peculiar, and al first, perhaps
! TepulclNt II SlTdnEttN EfOWS on one dTcfllOls
il will be valuable for mnglng with the juice OF
some other grapes Of less decided Characteristic
DsidarGre itself has been suggested rs one ths;
might borrow piquancv from the Diana.
The DciGUorc has succeeded admirably in this
vineyard where it has been extensively grown
| and with such success as TO induce much further
planting. Mr.. Knox has several acres now in
course of preparation for vineyards, and extend.
ed nursery rows of the vines produced this year
stand ready 10 b. set in their future stations
/ Whatever complaints may he made of this variety
elsewhere, and some of US have had our trouble.
with the slender little things for which we have
paid our money, this vine appears TO find coli
genial soil upon the coal measures of the Mon
ongahela hills Three wear old plants have made
splendid growth of firm. close. .jointed wood
and in Inanv cases the vines haye completely co
vered the trellis and along on the top-seve
raj shoots were seen Of at least twelve feet ir
length, and in most eases there were more thar
the regular apportionmcnt OF eight canes 70 th'
vine, as well as an abundant crop OF fruit. Ihi
grape has attained so much attention Of lat
years, and is so familiar 10 the horticulturists o
country, that il is not worth while to descrb'
its beautiful clusters of transparent, rosy berries
thickly spread along the vines. The VINO is al
tracing great attention. and five dollars per gal
Ion has been refused for that made by Mr.. Mot
tier, near our city, who has had perfect succes
in growing this grape here. The weight of tn
=