I consider the variety now generally grown at the West as not the true Isabella, but a sub-variety, possibly a seedling, that has been introduced, and that while the oval berry of the true Isabella can be found oh it, the majority of its fruit is more round and blacker in color, maturing somewhat earlier, and with very little inclination to mildew; in truth, I have visited vineyards where it has fruited many years without ever showing any mildew to affect either the health of the vine or the quality of the fruit As a wine grape, it does not stand in the front rank, although its must shows better than the Concord, if we except •the fact that it has more acid. My lowest records of its must, when grown on clay soil, is 76°, and the highest 92°. The Ham-mondsport record gave it from 60° to 72 1/2°.

The Clinton as a wine grape this year, as well as in one or two years past that I have watched it, stands well in the scale, but its great quantity of acid is its drawback, except w^th those who use sugar, or sugar and water, in the changing of its juice into what they term wine. Its record this year at Hammondsport was 03° and 94°, being the same as my notes of it the past two years.

The Norton's Virginia, so justly celebrated as a grape, making a rich, heavy, medicinal red wine in Missouri, ranks equally well comparatively elsewhere. At Hammondsport its record was 88° and 90°. In Missouri it has ranged from 111° to 114°, and when grown on clay soil near Cleveland, it has ranged at 105°. As a vine to succeed in enduring the climate and ripening its fruit, it may be said to be hardy and successful wherever the Catawba is so.

There are other black grapes of promise; but as I am not aware that any quantity of them have ever been sent to market or made into wine, I will only remark that to me the Telegraph promises the most valuable of all as an early market sort, and Rogers' No. 4 as a variety that, unless a better be brought forward, will, ere long, take the place of the Concord and Isabella.

Among the light or copper red colored grapes, the Delaware is perhaps the one deserving a first notice, because of its good quality, hardy vine, time of ripening, and uniform success wherever grown in soil liberally supplied with animal manures. As a market fruit it always commands a good price and ready sale because of its delicacy; but if fully ripe when gathered, its skin is too tender for shipment long distances. Grown in sandy soil, and gathered, as too many are, just as soon as colored, and long before they are ripe, it carries well, and will sell until our people learn to distinguish ripe from unripe grapes. Under liberal treatment it is a variety that gives good crops; and while it does poorly in clay soil without liberal manuring, when that is given, its bunches are large, and berries although not quite as large as on sandy soil, yet the must weighs much heavier. As a wine grape for the production of what are termed white, or dry wines, it stands at the head of the list among our so-called native varieties. The objection made to it is, in all cases, its size, and, under ordinary cultivation, want of abundance, so that the wine, although very fine, is at the same time so much more expensive, that those who are planting vineyards hesitate to occupy ground with it.

The record of its must at Hammondsport was from 87° to 103 >. I have a record of it grown on sandy soil at Cleveland, October 16, marked 93°, and one gathered from George Leick's vineyard on clay soil, same date, at 116°; while from Dover Bay, two days later, also on clay soil, it gave 111°, and in Missouri, At Hermann, it gave 120°.

The Mottled Grape is a variety long introduced, but by one who had no disposition to push its claims, and it is but just coming into notice. The vine is, like the Delaware, most successful under high ma-nurial cultivation; its wood very hardy and short jointed, bunches very compact ripening as early as the Delaware, but its skin being thicker, it can remain longer on the vine without injury. I have watched it for some years, and would to-day prefer it for wine purposes to the Delaware. Its must, from grapes gathered the first week in October this year, ranked, 94°.

The Iona, upon which perhaps more money has been expended in distributing and pushing it than upon ail other varieties put together, notwithstanding the years it has had to exhibit itself from basket layers and wonderful twice transplanted vines, and although the Lake Shore Grape-Growers'society has occupied most of the time during three or four of its sessions to the use of its friends and advocates, is rarely to be seen except upon exhibition tables. In northern Ohio I do not think one tenth as many pounds of the fruit have yet been produced as dollars have been paid for vines set two years since, to say nothing of later days. It is unquestionably a capital good grape in itself; but so far there has been some fatality attending the vines in the hands of almost every one, so that the quantity of fruit which it will produce is yet apparent only in the speeches made for it, or the publications advocating it. I must certainly give its advocates a more than Christian character, and believe they are only actuated by a glowing desire to benefit us all and the world at large, for I can not think for a moment, especially after listening to some of their speeches, that they have any pecuniary motive.

I might suppose they would now await its production, and when its tons on tons of "that perfect grape" are found in our markets, to drive all others out, I shall, for one, be disposed to believe somewhat of what has been told us. The record of must of Iona at Hammondsport marked 02° as the highest; and where the Catawba will ripen, and the vines can be grown and fruit abundantly produced, it will most likely make a good wine, unless like the Clinton it is found to possess too large a proportion of acid. It certainly is a capital eating grape, and I confess I shall be most happy to see it come out of the cloud which, so far, its non-productive character has given it.

The Catawba for localities where it does succeed, is at this time without a rival. It has no equal. As a market grape it bears carriage well, and when received by the dealer, its boxes in good order, can be stacked away to await the rise of market; or if by accident the boxes arrive broken and the berries injured, they readily sell at a good price for wine-making. As a table grape, when perfectly ripened, as it has been this season, and many other years before, on the clay soils of the south shore of Lake Erie, I have never met the man who did not prefer it to any grape which I could set before him at the time. Animal manures do not suit this variety, but the clay shales in which lime, potash, etc., are found, suit it to a charm, and it is on them that the richest grapes are found. Unlike the Concord and Delaware, however, it is a grape only for certain localities, and no one should plant largely of it without a knowledge of its habits, or its success in his locality. The record of its must at Hammondsport ranges from 74° to 88°. A record of it at Hermann gives 105°, while fruit grown by the Dover Bay Company gives 93°, and fruit grown by George Leick on the clay shale ridge east of Cleveland, gives 99°.

The Diana, although now many years before the public, is yet comparatively unknown. As a rule, it has failed to meet expectation, and mainly because its habit has not been understood. It should have a poor, gravelly, dry soil, without any manure. A rich soil or manure gives to it a rank growth, and the fruit consequently is too late in maturing. When correctly grown, that is in suitable soil and long pruned, it is really a very capital grape, carries well to market, and is perhaps the very best keeping sort that is known. I have seen wine from it that compared favorably with any of the best foreign wines procurable in this country.

In the little I have here written of grapes and their must weights, I have each time left off the acid quotations because some of my records have omitted them, and a few would only serve to confuse.