The Canadian Horticulturist, 1880, Vol. 3 (Classic Reprint)

Just now there is a rush of white grapes to the front, each claiming the attention of the planter, and each championed by those who are interested in its dissemination. This creates a stir among the growers of grape vines, and fills the air with the notes of preparation for a vigorous campaign, in which everything will be tried that ingenuity can devise to place the new vines profitably. It is just at such a time as this that the honest discharge of duty to our readers is especially valuable to them, and yet difficult of performance, for the most honest intentions may be thwarted by error in judgment or by lack of knowledge of all the facts upon which an intelligent judgment can be based. Yet such have been our opportunities during the past season of seeing and testing the leading competitors for popular favor, that we shall venture to give our readers the Opinion we have formed of the one whose name stands at the head of this paper, believing that we shall not lead them far astray by these remarks. The history of a new fruit is always interesting, and often helpful in forming an estimate of its probable character and worth. The:2 the canadian horticulturist. Niagara Grape was raised by C. L. Hoag, of Lockport, New York, from seed of the Concord sown in 1868. In 1872 it bore fruit of such marked excellence that he resolved to test it more fully. Having propagated a few vines, be distributed them at various points for trial, and such was the uniform quality of the fruit, and vigor and endurance of the vine, that he decided both to plant and prepagate it largely. At present he has a vineyard of several hundred vines, just beginning to come into bearing. N 0 plants of this variety have been as yet offered for sale, but Mr. Hoag is now propagating it extensively, and in due time it will be in the market. The Vine is an unusually strong, vigorous grower, as we had ample opportunity of observing when passing through Mr. Hoag's young vines, while the leaves are large and leathery, well calculated to endure our sudden alternations of temperature, and resist the attacks of mildew. We were not able to find a leaf that showed any symptoms of suffering from any cause whatever. What extremes of cold the vine is able to endure unharmed, and hence how far to the northward it can be safely planted, it is not possible to say without more extended trial, but the early ripening up of the wood, which was a marked feature, gives promise of hardiness, and leads to the expectation that it will endure without injury the severe frosts of our higher latitudes. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.