GRAPES AND Melons. Judges.-Samuel Miller, Rochester; Jacob M. Schermerhorn, A. B. Atkyns. For the best and most extensive collection of good native grapes grown in open air, to J. C. Hastings, of Clinton, Oneida co., $5. For second best collection of good native grapes grown in open air, to Dr. Daniel Ayres, of Amsterdam, Montgomery co., $2. For the best three varieties of native or foreign grapes grown under glass, to W. R. Coppock, of Buffalo, $5. For second best three varieties of native or foreign grapes grown under glass to J. C. Hastings, of Clinton, Oneida co., $2. For the best dish of native grapes (Isabella,) to Rufus Cossett, of Onondaga, vol. Transactions. For the best grown and matured specimens exhibited, two varieties only, (Muscat and Black Hamburgh,) to Grove Lawrence, Syracuse, Downing and Fruit Cult. For three specimens of grapes, to Joseph E. Bloomfield, of Mexico, Oswego co., Fruit Cult. For two specimens of champagne wine, to B. Poppe, of Syracuse, Downing and Trans. For a specimen of port wine from a native grape, to Charles A. Peabody, Esq., of Columbus, Geo., diploma. For the best 6 specimens of watermelons, to L. B. Langworthy, Esq., of Rochester, $3. For the best 6 specimens of muskmelons, to Lyman B. Langworthy, Esq., Rochester, $3. Quinces. The best, Ellwanger & Barry, Rochester, $3. The second, $2, Lewis Eaton, Buffalo. The judges report, that progressive improvement has been noted by them in the culture of the grape at the several annual meetings of this Society last past. Fine specimens were exhibited this year, both of native and foreign grapes, grown in the open air and under glass in cold vineries, by Hon. Grove Lawrence of Syracuse; W. R. Coppock, of Buffalo; Dr. Ayres, of Amsterdam, Montgomery county; Rufus Cossett, Esq., of Onondaga, and J. C. Hastings, Esq., of Clinton, Oneida county. Mr. Hastings, of Clinton, exhibited three varieties of foreign grapes well matured by out-door culture: also, three varieties matured in a cold vinery; also a seedling matured under glass, grown from a seed of the White Madeira. The vine is five years old. The fruit much resembles the White Sweetwater. It is a sweet and juicy grape, though not high flavored. We could not learn from the grower whether this vine was likely to prove more hardy than the vine from which it was grown. The Chasselas grapes exhibited by this gentleman were as fine as we ever saw. W. R. Coppock, of Buffalo, exhibited five varieties of grapes grown under glass, in a cold vinery: all of them beautiful in the size of their clusters, and most of them well matured. They clearly exhibited the fruits of scientific cultivation. From Mr. Coppock's experiments and success in the most important fields of horticulture, still more valuable results are anticipated. Dr. Daniel Ayres, of Amsterdam, exhibited three varieties of grapes, (the Alexander, Catawba and Isabella,) well grown and quite well matured, considering that this season is universally declared throughout the State to be, in consequence of the drougth, among other causes, two or three weeks later than usual. These grapes were grown without artificial heat or protection. Dr. Ayres is truly successful in grape growing. Rufus Cossett, Esq., of Onondaga, exhibited two varieties, the Isabella and Sweet-water. One cluster of his Isabella was pronounced the most splendid specimen ever seen by the committee of this excellent grape, and showed the results that may be confidently expected from the careful culture of this prolific, hardy grape. W. R. Wheeler, of Camillus, exhibited four varieties of native grapes, but owing to the backwardness of the season, they were not well matured. Hon. Grove Lawrence, of Syracuse, exhibited the finest specimens we have seen grown in this State, of the White Muscat and Black Hamburgh grapes. The following is the mode of culture as given by Judge L. "The grapes were raised in the open air, since the month of April; during the winter the vines were under glass, though no artificial heat has been applied either during winter or summer. The ground where they grew, to all appearance, froze as hard in winter as in the open air. Both of these varieties have been fully ripe since the middle of July last, and they will continue fresh upon the vine till late in October." Joseph E. Bloomfield, of Mexico, Oswego co., exhibited specimens of the Sweet-water, Miller's Burgundy, and Isabella grapes, exhibiting the present state of their maturity in lat 43° 48′ and three and a half miles from lake Ontario. Native Wines. B. Poppe, of Syracuse, exhibited a specimen of new grape juice, or must, for wine, which he calls a champagne; the one made from a mature white grape and the other from a ripe grape of a dark color. The latter was thought to promise well. We understand the maker is a German, and is attempting to apply German vine-dressing and vintage to the soil and climate of the centre of our State. May he have abundant success. The manner of culture by Mr. Poppe, is annexed to this report. Charles A. Peabody, Esq., of Columbus, Georgia, exhibited to us a specimen of " port wine," as he terms it, manufactured from the fruit a vine (a native of Georgia) which attracted the curiosity and interest of your committee. We summoned to our aid some of the most experienced gentlemen congregated at the State Fair, and all, without exception, pronounced it a most valuable wine; promising, in the opinion of most of them, to rival the celebrated wines of Oporto, known as "Port," in some if not all of its most valued properties. The following minute of the wine and the mode of its manufacture, was handed to our chairman, by his request, from the manufacturer: This wine is made from a native grape, found in the vicinity of Columbus, Georgia. No spirits of any kind, or coloring matter is put to it. One pound of New Orleans sugar is put to a gallon of the juice, and in all other respects it is as pure as when it first flowed from the press. It is found to keep well, and improve with age. This bottle is of the vintage of 1847. I made last year some 200 gallons, and but for the great frost this year in April, which killed all the fruit and many of the vines, I should have made 1,000 gallons. The grape from which this wine is made, is unfit for the table, and has a puckery astringent taste, which induced me to try if it would make Port wine. MELONS. The variety of melons on exhibition was not large, and the only ones which proved of a good quality in the eating, were from the grounds of H. N. Langworthy, near Rochester. The enormously large water melons exhibited by E. P. Prentice, of Mt. Hope, near Albany, were of the old, long, marble-skinned variety. They were remarkable for their size; but the one tasted by the committee, though fully matured, was not fine flavored. The White Imperial, or Victoria, and the black Spanish water melons, are so much superior to the old varieties, that they have nearly superseded them among amateurs, and yet these varieties are so inclined to sport, that it is very difficult to keep the varities pure, or to get pure seed for cultivating them. B. Poppe's statement. B. P. JOHNSON, ESQ., Sec. N. v. State 1. 'Joo." Albany. } SIR-I beg to submit the following statement of my management of vinery, &c. The vinery is located at Syracuse near the Fair grounds; it is on a hill side, with a southern exposure. The soil loamy on the surface, with a subsoil of red clay, which loosens by exposure to the air. The ground was covered with stumps and brushwood when I entered upon it 6 years ago. I hoed it over thoroughly, so as to entirely reverse the soil to the depth of about two feet, using the roots and stones as a fence. I manured it over in the 2d and 3rd years. The grape roots were all imported from Baden-Baden, 20,000 in number; 15,000 of them I planted out, digging the holes about 4 feet apart, about 18 inches deep, and setting in the roots aslant about 6 inches towards the south, and so as that the top lays upon the ground towards the north, but not enough to expose any part of the plant. I arrange it so as to have the plant settle from sight, and mark the spot with a stick. The other 5,000 plants I reserved to supply failures of those planted out. Over 4,000 of them failed, in consequence of shipment from Europe too late in the season; but this difficulty I have obviated by successful operations with slips. I have cut slips 4 or 5 feet long and prepared a trench about 18 inches deep and lay in the slip bending it up even with the surface and marking the spot with a stick. Plants raised from slips so prepared have borne grapes the second year in some cases, and always in the 3d year by cutting back so as to leave the first year 2 buds, and the second year 4. Very short plants I allow 6 buds. In the fourth year 12 buds, and in the 5th year as many as thirty buds may be left. The ground should be worked every spring about 6 inches deep. For raising grapes the plants should be 8 feet apart, and this would allow a plow to pass and be cheaper than hoeing. Any vegetable may be raised between them that does not grow high enough to obstruct the sun. The refuse from vegetables well rotted with cow dung is the best manure. Horse or hog manure is injurious, as it creates a kind of excrescence to grow upon the stems, and otherwise hinders the growth, and indeed often destroys the plant. In the spring, after flowering time, some of the underneath foliage should be removed to allow a free passage of air to the berry, otherwise they do not develope themselves fully, and many shrivel up and are lost. Mildew is the only foe I have encountered, and this may be conquered by arranging the land so as to prevent dust settling on the grape, which is the cause of mildew, as it holds the moisture of dews or rain about the grape, which would not be the case if the grapes were clean. Hoeing should therefore be avoided during the summer, as it loosens the earth and raises dust. The grapes should not lay on the ground, neither should they be raised more than 4 feet above it. Trimming should be done every season in March; late trimming causes bleeding and consequent loss of thrift. MAKING WINE. The grapes must be gathered when fully ripe at the end of October or beginning of November-the frost will never hurt the ripe grapethrow the grapes into a large tub, and pound them so as to break the grape; let it stand 3 days for red wine-(for white wine from black or blue grapes must not stand)-then press the liquor from the seed and skins in a common press, keeping out the skins and seeds; put it into a hogshead filled within 3 inches, and make around the bung-hole at about an inch and a half from it a rim of clay 4 inches high, into which fermentation will throw the impurities; let it stand a week, and then remove the clay and place over the bung-hole a sand-bag valve for a few days until the fermentation subsides, after which bung it up, leaving a small vent by means of a goose quill near the bung; after 2 or 3 days close it tight and let it stand till February, and on a clear day rack off in small barrels; these barrels will require to be kept in a cool cellar and filled up once a month, the volume being constantly diminishing, and the vacant space would cause the whole to sour. All the vessels used should be very clean, and no metal should be brought into contact with the wine in any part of its manufacture. The following are the grapes cultivated by me: Black-Burgundy, Silvaner, Black Cluster, Champagne. Blue.-Faktor, Hungarian. White.-Netherlander, White Cluster, Elsesser, and many others. Syracuse, September 12, 1849. FOREIGN FRUITS. Judges.-Dr. Herman Wendell, David Thomas, B. Hodge. The committee on Fruits, the production of growers of sister States and the Canadas, beg leave to report, that the excessive drought which has prevailed throughout nearly all of the Middle, Western, and Eastern States, has prevented as extensive an exhibition as we should have had under other circumstances, but, notwithstanding, the collections which have been exhibited, are unusually rich in varieties recently introduced to the attention of the pomological community; and are, therefore, at the present time, when Pomology is exciting so much public attention, of great interest. The committee cannot but thank the several gentlemen exhibitors, in the name of the Society, for the rich display, which has proved of so much interest to visiters at the Fair. There were exhibited by J. A. Kennicott, M. D., of Grove, Lake county, Illinois, twenty-six varieties of apples. By F. R. Elliott, of Cleveland, Ohio, twenty-nine varieties of apples, and thirty-seven varieties of pears. By James Dougall, of Amherstburgh, Canada West, thirty-five varieties of apples, fifteen varieties of pears, and eight varieties of grapes. By E. Harkness, of Peoria, Illinois, sixty-one varieties of apples. By J. Gallup, of Cleveland, Ohio, nine varieties of apples. By Mr. Overman, of Canton, Illinois, thirty varieties of apples, and three varieties of pears. PREMIUMS. The premiums have been awarded as follows: On Apples. For the best exhibition of apples, to E. Harkness, of Peoria, Illinois, a diploma and a volume of Transactions. For the second best exhibition of apples, to James Dougall, of Amherstburgh, Canada West, Thomas' new edition of Fruits. On Pears For the best exhibition, to F. R. Elliott, of Cleveland, Ohio, a diploma and volume of Transactions. For the second best exhibition, to James Dougall, of Amherstburgh, Canada West, Thomas' new edition of Fruits. On Grapes. For the best exhibition, to James Dougall, of Amherstburgh, Canada West, a diploma and a volume of Transactions; and to J. A. Kennicott, for a fine exhibition of western apples, a volume of Downing's Fruits. To Mr. Overman, of Canton, Illinois, for a fine display of apples, a volume of Downing; and for an exhibition of pears, a volume of Thomas' Fruits. To F. R. Elliott, of Cleveland, for a rich display of new western apples, a volume of Thomas' new edition of Fruits. To J. Gallup, of Cleveland, a volume of Downings' Fruits. J. C. Holmes, Detroit, for apples, American Culturist. A full list for all the varieties exhibited is here with submitted. FOREIGN FRUITS. There was exhibited by Jas. Dougall of Amherstburgh, Canada West, thirty-five varieties of apples, viz: Green Newtown Pippin, Alexander, Fameuse, Bourassa, Goygean, Rosseau, Yellow Bellefleur, Drap D'Or, Rhode Island Greening, Pomme Gris, Braddocks Nonpariel, Golden Pippin, Bullocks Pippin, White Bellefleur, Dominie, Wendover Montreal Winter Calville, Summer Queen, Hawthornden, American Summer Pearmain, Keswick Codlin, King of Pippins, Jersey Sweeting, |