The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-10-02
Chance Origin OF
The Concord Grape
From the New York sun.

From the New York sun.
1UllERE ARE perhaps more Concord grapes
4 grown in this country than all other va
i rietics OF native grapes combined There
are many localities where other varieties are
scarcely known but there is not nook or cor.
ner OF the land where the Concord is not found,
and it appears abundanly even in the vineyards
of France. Years and years ago Horace Greeley
gave the Concord the name ot ''the peoples
grape and in spite OF the fact that since its
discovery nearly sixty years ago many other ex.
ccllent varieties have been put upon the market
the reliable old Concord has ever maintained its
lead. remarkable thing in the history OF this
grape is that the original vine-the parent of all
the thousands and thousands OF acres OF Con-
cord vineyards, and OF the untold numbers OF
Concord vines that cover the arbors and trellises
OF home gardens throughout the country--is alive
and vigorous yet, and bearing generously every
year of tho grape that has done more for the
general advancement OF yiticullurc as a great
commercial industry than any other crane.
That patriarch vine is on the old Ephraim Bull
place. mile from Concord, close by the historic
home of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
II is doubtful ii even among vinyardists who
have made fortunes out OF the Concord grape
there are many who know how the popular and
profitable grape originated. IL was the product
Of a chance wild grape vine. More than sixty
years ago Ephraim W. Bull, an invalid, removed
from Boston to Concord for the benefit OF Ills
health. His brother then lived in the IIaw-
thorne house, and Ephraim bought the cottage
and grounds near by. lie had some knowledge
OF grapes and grape growing and planted mum
ber of Chasseas and Black Hamburg vines
both foreign varieties-and the native Isabella.
but tho season was so short that il was only
with the greatest care and attention that he sue
ceeded in getting ripe grapes from them. lie
tried other varieties in his experiments in raising
a table grape successfully, but none could with
stand the late spring and early autumn frosts
of that locality He then conceived the idea Of
producing grape from seed
A neighbor OF Bulls had two sons who were
constantly in the woods or fields hunting aud
fishing, In the fall OF 1910 they came home
with quantity OF wild grapes, which they raid
grew on wire in piece OF woods near the Con-
cord river. They showed Bull where the vine
was, but the grapes then upon it were not just
in the condition he desired for his experiment.
Not until the fall OF lsi3 did they bear and
ripcn in that condition, and that fall, early in
October, Bull planted a number OF the grapes
whole. They were large, sweet grapes, tawpy
in color and with a "foxy' after taste. They
were unlike any wild grapes he had ever seen.
and there were no others like them anywhere
in the vicinity The Seeding vines that came
up from the grapes We're transplanted and cared
for until 1910 without result but in that year,
on Sept. 10, Mfr. Bull picked large bunch OF
black grapes from one Of them-the first bunch
Of Coneords that ever grew. Delicious as the
grapes were, he continued the cultivation OF
the vines until 1859 before he considered that
the fruit had come to state Of perfection. and