A second character which commends Concord as a commercial variety is its high degree of fruitfulness, as it gives large crops year in and year out. Added to the above points of superiority are hardiness; ability to withstand the ravages of both diseases and insects; comparative earliness and therefore certainty of maturity in northern regions; fair size of bunch and berry, good color, and an abundance of bloom, making a most handsome grape. The Concord leaves out and blossoms somewhat late in the spring and does not therefore often suffer from spring frosts and the fruit is not easily injured by late frosts and hangs well on the vine. The Concord is not, however, without faults. Its quality is not high, the grapes lack richness, delicacy of flavor and aroma, and have a foxy taste disagreeable to many; on the other hand, the fruit is sprightly and refreshing and does not cloy the appetite as do richer grapes. The seeds and skin of Concord are objectionable, the seeds being large and abundant and difficult to separate from the flesh and the skin is tough and unpleasantly astringent. The Concord does not keep nor ship well as compared with grapes having Vinifera blood and it rapidly loses flavor after ripening; the skin is inclined to crack and the berries to shell from the stems after picking. Concord is but slightly resistant to phylloxera and in calcareous soils is subject to chlorosis. It requires a rich soil and thrives best on a virgin soil; thus, in the Chautauqua region of this State, much concern is now felt because of the failing vineyards, most of which should not as yet have reached their prime. While Concord is grown in the South, it is essentially a northern grape, becoming susceptible to fungi in southern climates and suffering from phylloxera in dry, warm soils. Concord is a table grape and, to use an oft quoted expression coined by Horace Greeley, it is "the grape for the millions." It can be produced so cheaply that no other grape can compete with it in the markets. The dominance of Concord is not wholly desirable for viticulture, as by keeping out better varieties, the consumer is prevented from obtaining grapes high in quality; and by giving the grower a feeling of sufficiency in having this sort, other varieties do not receive the consideration they deserve. The variety is used somewhat for making red wines and a white wine as a base for champagne but it is a poor wine grape, as much sugar must be added to attain the amount of alcohol necessary for a good wine and the foxy taste is not a pleasant flavor. Grape juice is made almost entirely from Concords and during the past few years many carloads of grapes have been used in the Chautauqua region for this purpose. [Illustration: CONCORD]