THE BURNET GRAPE.
As long ago as in the Autumn of 1873, Mr. P. C. Dempsey, Albury, Prince Edward County, exhibited at the Fruit Growers’ meeting a few bunches of a grape that on account of the beauty of its appearance, its earliness of ripening, and delicacy of flavor, attracted much attention and called forth universal praise. In due time a committee was appointed to visit Mr. Dempsey’s grounds and examine the vine and fruit; and such was the character of their report that the Directors requested Mr. Dempsey to propagate it largely, so as to be able to supply the Association with vines sufficient to give one to each member. Since this arrangement was made, the members have become familiar with its general appearance through the colored lithograph which was presented to them in the Report for 1876. Mr. Dempsey has given to this excellent grape the name of our honored President, and henceforth it will be known in the Pomological world as the “Burnet” grape.
This grape was raised by fertilizing the Hartford Prolific with pollen from the Black Hamburgh. The vine seems to possess much resemblance to the Hartford Prolific, is a vigorous grower, of robust and healthy constitution, very productive and hardy. The fruit is very like that of the Black Hamburgh, the bunch is large, slightly shouldered; berries large, sweet, and delicately flavored, having nothing of the foxiness of the Hartford Prolific. The flesh is tender, almost melting, with none of the tough pulpiness of the most of our hardy grapes. It also ripens early, somewhat earlier than the Hartford Prolific, and considerably before the Concord. Our members are to be congratulated on the reception of so valuable a grape—one that gives promise of being held in lasting estimation as a variety of unusual excellence, and adapted to general cultivation in nearly all parts of our Province. It will be sent to all who are members this year as early in the Spring as the season will permit.
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