Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1871-10-07
9ortitulture.
GRAPES IN THE cHAMPLAIN VALLEY.
TO The Editor ofMe Termom Farmer:

~ UtC IUUOI W Utt 'tIUtONC run WtCI
| have not ripened grape this year, if |
except that accrb Sherman. an unimprovcd
variation Of the species festivals, to grow
which | have not considered to the credit of
any man in this valley. The mean tcmper,-
ture of the past summer was some half doz-
en- degrees lower than was that of the sum-
mer of 1870; and upon no crops do tempera-
lures with difference so slight, us ut first
thought might appear, produce results more
widely diverse than upon grapes. Last year
the lsraella and the Creveling in II sunny
exposure which had given them, were well
ripened by the Goth of August. This year
when the frost came, Sept. %, the fruit on
those same vines still needed several days of
the warmest sunshine to bring it to pcrfec-
ton.
do not say that these varieties, us well us
the Delaware, &c, are not eatable with me
this year. Some of the clusters in the best
situations are pretty well colored, and just
beneath the skin of the berries lie sweet and
refreshing juices; yet in the center of the
pulp is IN unripe acdity, and the seeds give
evidence of more OF less immaturity.
Il
other early grapes ripe this year, | need
hardly tell you in what green and sour state
the frost arrested the development of our la
ter ones-our Concords, in most situations,
our Tomas and our Rogers IIybrids.
But the unhappy effect of the past cool seal
son does not end, | fear, with our present
crop of unripe grapes, since the canes for
ynnr'c hn, in, foo a..
survive the winter, or, ut least, if they dc
survive, will hardly put forth fine clusters.
Now, | pray, do not measure our success in
grape growing in this valley by this report OF
failure in 1871. Our climatic conditions dur
ing summer on the shores and islands OF
Lake Champlain do not fall very fur behint
those of the Lake region of Central New
( York in favoring this branch of horticulture
, and il is only the severity of our winters
| shutting up our Lake and rendering it neccs
s;ry to cover our vines, which makes success.
| here much less sure or abundant than there
\ Planted in vineyards to IL limited extent an,
: freely in the gardens of ALL grapes need no
A fail of giving complete satisfaction two year
: out of three. OF course we need to selcc
h the Isabella or Iona except IN the sunnies
n exposures. The Concord is as late II sort II
+ it will do for us to risk much on. That ol
i favorite, the Delaware properly grown vii
# never he found unfit to eat.
Y Rogers IIybrids must be planted with ca,
d ton, rs many of them are later than the Con
f. cord. The Salem, the best of them all, an
f. one of the earliest, has given me, with tn
rich sweetness and spirit of its juices, gre;
l. delight. grievc over its two faults whic
10 it inherited from its wild mother, the Iabru'
l. Gu, the coppery taste about its skin and til;
j. defect in its flowers, the contorion of its fiji
is mcnts, which nteriercs with its self-fertil
ne cation and renders its lunches loose ar
ID small. The very large size of the beirie
ne however, compens,ltes in IL measure for Il
nj latter fault. | love to eNtol the noble Salem
NJ but when have done that for this one of NJ
Rogers seedlings, | find myself half wishil
that the cut-worms, which made such have
<e in his secd-bed, rs they do in mine, had d
"a voured all the Others with their slight ditle
mr. ences and various peculiar eXcellencies.