The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-11-15
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK
Among the Grapes.
THE CROP CT GRAPES.

general crop Of grapes this year, and, al
there are two million acres of vines in
the United States?"
"What think l? Why, that this year
Of 1870 is the best year for grape grow
ing and ripening that has been in the
United States since 1S45. And the crop
of all varieties will average seven-eighths
Of full and perfect crop, the grapes will
all ripen, and the people will learn more
and more that grape eating is healthy,
and the growers will learn that he can
grow grapes at three cents pound and
then pay him better than any other crop
with which his poor or billy land could
possibly be cropped.
AS to the statement of Elliott, it's like
all statistics, good guess work Of a man
who has diligently watched and thought
of the subject, and is just as near the
although believe he is below the
amount-as any statement of statistics
ever published
All this matter of statistics is guess
work, made up from the reports Of poll
ticians and well-to-do farmers, who often
have not Travelled or known aught of the
matter five miles from there homes and
read only their home paper. But the
question comes to them from the Agri-
cultural Department at Washington -
"How many acres Of corn are there grown
in your county ?"
WELL" says the answerer, " neighbor
Brown has ten acres Smith has twenty:
Poole has five :" and so figuring along,re-
Numbering his own acquaintance, but
void of knowledge of his whole county he
puts down figures, and the Department at
Washington assumes authority thereon.
It's all bosh But let us again to the
grapes. Here's
DELAWARE,
which we all know, and none doubt its
goodness but some do doubt its profta-
bleness as market sort, on account of
its lessened weight per acre not compen-
sating in extra price over the crops Of
Concord at its price and here's
WALTER.
Good, is it not and yet the vine was on
ly planted last year It's bunch is full,
and its berry not larger than Delaware, a
little richer, with more of hard center
but here taste that
NOTIFIED;
it is richer and sweeter than either Wal
ter or Delaware but its hard benter kills
it and so, | am afraid, will the Walter
die. Both came from Diana, without
doubt; both are rich in quality both are
hardy in vine both make good, compact
punches, and an abundance of them but
neither one will ever be the peoples
grape. Here's
DETROIT AND nINE,
both good, both evidently from Catawba,
little smaller in the berry and coloring,
and perhaps ripening little earlier but
as we have only bunch or two, and this
the first year Of the vines bearing, don't
let us say word, but pass them for an.
other year. As We are getting tired, let
US just to the white grapes and then rest.
There, that is
Sweet and rich is it not? A good.sized
berry, but unfortunately it does not pro-
duce good punches nor many of them.
That next is
MAXATAwNEY
And the more | see and know of it,
year after year, the more | feel to CON-
mend it. 1t has been said to be late
maturing sort, but here it is-and here is
REBEcCA,
twenty feet from it, and which is best Z?
You say Maxatawney; and | think you
are correct. My vines came from the Ag-
ricultural Department Grounds, and are
the only good thing | ever got from them
and for which choose to give them this
blind credit, albeit not any one now in
charge had then, think, anything to do
with it. But now step over little way
here is
CRoTON,
new grape. not yet sent out for sale, the
vine only planted last year. See those
three beautiful punches 1t had set sew.
en-, but l cut the others away; taste that
and compare it. Aye, you say, "best !;
best Of all | have tasted among the
whole" Just so /; believe in keeping
the best to the last, and then you, being
nearly full, will leave me my share Of
that which is best; but had l given you
the best first, you would not have eaten
or read to the last FRANK ANON.