Massachusetts White

This was sent me some eight years ago, by B. M. WATSON, as "the best
and hardiest white grape in cultivation," and he charged me the
moderate sum of $5 each, for small pot plants, with hardly two eyes of
ripened wood. After careful nursing of three years, I had the pleasure
of seeing my labors rewarded by a moderate crop of the vilest _red_ Fox
Grapes it has ever been my ill luck to try.

The foregoing have all been tried by me, and have been characterized
and classified as I have found them _here_. The following are varieties
I have not fruited yet, although I have them on trial.

Varieties highly recommended by good authorities: Telegraph, Black
Hawk, Rogers' Hybrids, Nos. 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 13, 19, 22, 33, Hettie,
Lydia, Charlotte, Mottled, Pauline, Wilmington, Cotaction and Miles.

There are innumerable other varieties, for which their originators all
claim peculiar merits, and some of whom may prove valuable. But all who
bring new varieties before the public, should consider that we have
already names enough, nay, more than are good for us, and that it is
useless to swell the list still more, unless we can do so with a
variety, superior in some respects to our best varieties. A new grape,
to claim favor at the hands of the public, should be healthy, hardy, a
good grower, and productive; and of superior quality, either for the
table or for wine.

There are some varieties circulated throughout the country as natives,
which are really nothing but foreign varieties, or, perhaps, raised
from foreign seed. They will not succeed in open air, although now and
then they will ripen a bunch. The Brinkle, Canadian Chief, Child's
Superb, and El Paso belong to this class.

A really good _table_ grape should have a large amount of sugar, but
tempered and made more agreeable by a due proportion of acid, as, if
the acid is wanting, it will taste insipid; a tender pulp, agreeable
flavor, a large amount of juice, a good sized bunch, large berry, small
seeds, thin skin, and hang well to the bunch.

A good _wine_ grape should have a large amount of sugar, with the acid
in due proportion, a distinctive flavor or aroma; though not so strong
as to become disagreeable, and for red wines a certain amount of
astringency. It is an old vintner's rule, that the varieties with small
berries will generally make the best wine, as they are generally richer
in sugar, and have more character than varieties with larger berries.

Next: Gathering The Grapes
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