UMASS/AMHERST 312066 0313 5242 9 1 'Hiliilli j a i :>:•■■ iM Hill if,-; ■ illlfi: ■ i' |l Hlliillll U I U t f mmmk mmmm m$m llul iliiiil!l!i!l!liliiiiillliiii!!ili!liii!lili!l liiiitllliiiiliiiiiiilliiiiiiiiilllliiiiiiiiii uiliii!liU(Mnii{iiiiHjiiliiiiiiiiHJ|iijit)i|jnlJiHililillUHlilimi|iHUHiiiiilm liiiniiiihiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiinniHiiJiiiiiliiiiJiiiiiiiiliiiiiHiiiH I [ill I ill III III! 1 ! nil hi I i illiliililliiiiiiiH^^^^^^ LIBRARY OF THE Per St> MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE No.__Q_Q^O^^ DATE. L2.- 2.5- i_^L2^ s o u R c E .Wbila ^£= . . . . i: uL-tias- . . er I -I i ' a JOURNAL llnpl girt aM ^u\nl §)mit, [iA'-f \ . '^' DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE, LANDSCAPE aARDENING, RURAL ARCHITECTURE, BOTANY, POMOLOGY, ENTOMOLOGY, RURAL ECONOMY, ETC. ILLUSTRATED WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINaS- VOL.UME XIX.— January to December, 1864. ^H.S£BALQ^k fm-fotfe: PUBLISHED BY GEO. E. & F. W. WOODWARD, No. 3 7 PAEK ROW. 18 64. ( 0 'p vl'J INDEX. For small paragraphs, not indexed, see Editor's Table and Correspondence. A. PAGE. Adirondac Grape 247, 289, 290, 346 American Evergreens, No. 4 29 Amateurs' Seed Bureau 112 American Pomological SocietjjlST, 225, 319 American Wines 278 Among tlie Trees, by C. N. Bement. . 375 Apple Teignmoutli 145 Fourth of July , 273 Park Spice 114 Water 172 Beauty of Kent 364 Archi'ture, Wayside Thoughts on, No. 2 27 « « " 3 55 « « « 4 94 « -« " 5 113 a « « (5 182 Arbor Vita3, new ......... — ... 160 Azalea as a room Plant ............. 24 Its Propagation in Rooms .-.,... 64 B, Bean Weevil , 141 Beauty of Kent, Apple 365 Beurre Giffard Pear - 243 Beautify and Adorn your Homesteads, 316 Birds and Insects 253 ♦ Bird Homes ., 353 Black BarbaK)ssa Grape .......... 112 Black knot in Grape Vine. .... 132 Broadleaved Evergreens, ,....,. 342 Bm-ial Places of Small Extent ... 82 Burlington County Fair, ,...., 357 * ■?' :0 &"&■ ^"^ c. PAGE. Catalogues, &c., Received 72, 101, 133 326, 358, 383 Catawba Vineyard, Troy Hill 294 Carnation 305, 372 Central Park 237, 301 Chrysanthemums, Descriptive List... 20 Cheap Vinery 154 City Markets 377 Classification of Fruits 169 Concord and Delaware Grape 16 Correspondence,. .38, 72, 102, 133, 164, 195 262, 296, 327, 359 Country Chapel. . .• 45 Country Homes 74 Coit's Beurre Pear 110 Country Seats, No. 1 152 '' No. 2 282 Cold Grapery, how to build. 158 " Graperies for City Lots.. 236 Comparative hardiness of Delaware and Concord 206 Colmar des Invalides Pear. 214 Crawford Early Peach, Twin 277 Currant, The 175 B. Death of A. G. Hanford 323 Col. Wilson 189 Howard Daniels. 71 Donald Beaton 35 Delaware Grape 16, 206, 308 and Adirondac Gi'apes 247 IV General Index. PAGE. Discussions on Fruit Growing 260 Double Zinnia 35 Doyenne du Cornice Pear 52 Doyen Dillen Pear 181 Drought on Evergreens 290 Duchesse de Berri d' ete Pear. . . . 80 Dutch Bulbs, by E. S. Band, Jr 366 E. Ecclesiastical Architecture 240 Editor's Table, January 35 February 69 March 100 April 130 May 160 June 187 July r 224 August 258 September 291 October 322 November 351 December 379 Effects in Landscape of various com- mon trees 220 Entrance Gate 77 Evergreens, American 29 Exotic Ferns 91 F. Farmers' Gardens 89 Fire on the Hearth 67, 276 Flower Garden, &c 249 Flavor of Grapes 37 Fondante du Cornice Pear 52 Foreign Grapes in Opaque Houses 184 Forcing Strawberries 213 Fourth of July Apple 273 French Dwarf Pear Trees 154 Fuller's Grape Culturist 163, 359 Fungi in Green House 109 G. Gardener's Lodge. 138 Gathering and Keeping Fi'uit 255 Garden, its Pleasures and Profits 310 Ginkgo Tree 284 Gleanings from our Note Book 50 Gleanings 61 Gladiolus 333 Grape, Adirondac 247, 289, 290, 346 Black Barbarossa 112 Grapes, Concord 16, 206 Delaware 16, 206, 308, 247 Taylor 156 Grape Culture, Hints on. No. 33 9 " » No. 34 41 Grapes at St. Louis 33 Grape Vine Mildew 77 Grape House Ventilation 87 Grape Eot and Mildew 143 Grape Report from Kentuckj- 222 Grape Growing at Nauvoo 244 Grape Grafting 269 Grape Culture on Islands of Lake Erie 325 Grafting Wax 71 Greenhouse and Grapery Combined . . . 363 Growing Upland Cranberies 259 Growing Plants in Rooms, No. 1 74 » " No. 2 105 " » No. 3 137 H. Hardy Ferns 43 Hericart de Thury Pear 22 Hedges 288 Heating by Hot Water 23 Health and Disease of Plants 202 Hints on Grape Culture, No. 33 9 " " No. 34 41 Hot Beds, No. 1 56 " No. 2 96 How to Build a Cheap Vinery 154 Hor. Association of Am. Institute, .160, 189 227, 258 Homes for our Citizens 329 How to Make a Paradise in the Country; 348, 370 I. Ice Houses 51 Improvement of Flowers 338 Influence of Central Park 237 Influence of Light on Vegetation .... 361 Indian Com Fibre 355 .J. Japanese Silk Worm 179 L. Letter from Thos. Hogg, No. 5 12 Lichens and Mosses 340 Low Priced Cold Grapery. 300 General Index. M. PAGE. Market Gardening ..150, 173 Magnolia in Bloom 293 Mammotli Building 356 Meadow Park at Geneseo 217 Miscellaneous Experiences 313 Mildew on Grape Vines 170 Monuments, No. 1 34 No. 2 148 No. 3 209 No. 4 250 Mount Lebanon and its Pear Orchard . 212 Monthly Calendar, February 67 March 99 April 129 May 159 N. New or Rare Plants, &c,. .65, 97, 128, 158 185, 223 New Mode of Training Vines 207 New Grape District 210 New White Nectarine 239 Newburgh Bay Hor. Society 351 Nothing New under the Sun 140 Notices 383 O. October 345 Open Fire Places 276 Ornamental Fruit and Vegetable Gar- den 47 Ornamental Fruit Garden 119 Tree Planting 230 Orchard House of Isaac Pullen 219 Orchard Culture 251 Our New Volume 35 Our Ivy Clad Churches 315 P. Park Spice Apple 114 Pear Tree, variableness in 32 Perkins and other Grapes 26 Pear— Beurre GiflFard , . . 243 Coit's Beurre 110 Colmar des Invalides 214 Doyenne du Comice 52 Doyen Dillen 181 Fondante du Comice 52 PAGE. Pear, Hericart de Thury 22 Sheldon 344 Tarquin 110 Wilmington 147 Plant Houses, No. 8 17 No. 9 49 No. 10 s 81 No. 11 107 No. 12 142 No. 13 174 Planting considered as a duty 272 Plant Trade of New York 118 Plum Knot 180 Plum Culture 321 Portrait of a Gardener 157 Polyprosopic Roof 267 Propagation of Bedding Geraniums.. 256 Propagating Vines 350 Pruning Dwarf Pear Trees 275 Trees and Plants 307 Primeval Forest 294 Prairie Seedling Potatoes 131 Pump for Cistern, &c 216 R. Rand's Flowers for Parlor and Garden 70 Raised Flower Beds 148 Raspberry 261 Raspberry Food 356 Residence of T. H. Stout 14 Rev. T. G. Wall 75 Tristram Allen 205 Report on Grapes 116 Remarks of Mr. Barrow 188 Regardless of Expense 265 Renewing the Tops of Large Trees by Grafting 309 Rural Retirement 295 Rural Church 337 Rural Art 356 S. Savoy Chapel 318 Sashes vs. Fixed Roofs 85 Schroeder Vineyard 292 Seed Bureau 112 SempeiTivum arachnoideum 117 Season and its Fruits 314 Seasons — September 347 VI General Index. PAGE. Sheldon Pear 344 Significance and Dignity of Country Life 233 Squash Raising 323 Stone Stable, &c - 179 Strawberry Show 225 Strawberry Show on Hudson 245 Stone Fences 248 Suburban Summer House 48 Summer Retreats 297 T. Tarquin Pear 110 Taylor Grape 156 Table Decorations 177 Taste vs. Fashion 201 Tenth Session Am. Pomological Society, 319 Ten Commandments of Pomology. . . . 215 Ten Acres Enough 187 Teignmouth Apple 145 The Carnation, its history and charac- ter - 305, 372 Thuubergia 37 PAGE. Tree Planter 88 Turban Squash 131 Twin, Crawford's Early Peach 277 U. Unsettled and Settled in Culture of Grape Vine 1^ Use of Ornaments in Landscape Garden- ing, No. 1 246 « » " No. 2 303 V. Variableness in Pear Tree 32 Vases, Gardens, &c 124 Ventilation of Grape Houses 87 Verbena 280 Verbena Montana 87 Vineyard, What it Costs to Plant. .. . 126 W. Water Apple 172 Watering with Tepid Water 260 Wilmington Pear j . . . 147 Woi'cester County Horti. Society. .. . 163 §n&a t0 ^mxt^pw&mU. A. PAGE. ^stavalis .-. 199 Amateur Florist -"^OS, 372 Artificer 27, 55, 94, 113 B. Bacon, Win 89, 175, 212, 314, 321. 345 Bailey, J. W 289 Bement, C. N 29,|249,|307, 310, 375 B. L 360 Bright, Wm 87 Brehm, F. C 247. 346 Buckeye 199 C. C. N. B 253, 347 Carpenter, W. S 114 Copley, F. S 138 Cone, J. W 232, 327 Chorlton, Wm 263 Craine, J 136 Culver, B. G 232 Davidson, W. J 43, 91 Decaisne, M 32 Deliot, J. F 350 Dodd, Luther 116, 206 Downing, A. J 217 Dov ning, C 145, 172 Dovilliers, L. V 179 Durant, Jas. T 165 E. E. H, C 152, 282 F. PAGE. ' Fleming, J 23 Fryer, E 112 Fritsch, L 216 F. F.R 225 Furnas, A 296 G. G. P. D 263 H. H 118, 198 Hanford, A. G 50, 273 Hale, C. P 222 Harrison, F 200 Henderson, P 85 Hogg, Thos 12 Horticola 61, 120, 140, 170, 215 Hussman, Geo 278 H.W. F 309 1. Inquirer, Jr 197 Indianapolis 200 J. J 40, 82 J. C. W 296 Jerseyman 150 Jersey Market Gardener 173 J. G. B ... 154 J.L. R 39 Jordan, J. M 33 J.W 167 Vlll Index to Correspondents. X. S. PAGK. PAGE. Lienliard, Jolm H , 136 Schroeder, Dr. H .10, 198 Losee, B Lothrop, G. V. N. 40 296 M. Manning, J. W 26 Manning, E 38 Marie, C 207 May, C. J 308 Mead & Woodward 14, 45, 51, 74, 179 Miller, S 156 N. Nicholson, Lewis , 200 Norris, Dr 154 O. Old Contributor 342 P. Parish Minister 34, 148, 209, 250 Parrish M. J 72 Parkman, F 338 Pratiquer 195, 269, 290 Proctor, W"m. Jr 168 R. R 103 Rand, E. S.. Jr 280, 333, 366 Reese, Chas 126 Richardson, And'w 20 Richmond 213 E. J. B 134 Eojce . . 199 Sheldon, H. S 327, 328 S.H 164 Smith, John Jay 313 Sportsman 328 Starr, J. E 39, 232 Stayman J 143, 202 Strategy 264 S. T. D 248, 288 T. T. T.S. 180 V. Veitch, A 77, 109 Vineyardist 104 Vinum Ribes 264 W. W 24,38, 220 W. A 245 Weed, Jas 184 Witherbee, J. G 232 Williams, R. H 167 W. H. W 133 W. L. F 200 Woodward, Geo. E 60 Woodward, Geo. E. & F. W 300, 363 Woodward, Wm. A 359 Woman's Rights 230 THE HORTICULTUEIST. VOL. XIX JANUARY, 1864 NO. CCXI. pints 0it §x^t (ffaltiirt-xxxm. We propose now to extend the renewal system, and carry it to what maybe called the full-armed renewal. To do this, it will be necessary to erect a trellis, for stakes will no longer answer the purpose, since the arms, when extended, will meet each other. This system, therefore, over- steps the point of economy originally made, and in other respects is not as good as the system first described. Its exten- sion, however, seems to follow naturally, and it is not without its merits. Taking the vine as we left it in our last article, or as seen in Fig. 1, p. 362, the two end canes are to be grown during one season, to be laid down the next for the exten- sion of the arms. From the additional arm thus laid down, upright shoots are to be taken in the mamier already described. There will be four shoots on each arm. The vine will then present tB.'fe appearance shown in Fig. 1. The illustration does not show the diflerent stages in the process of forming the arms and bearing shoots, but rather the appearance of a vine , the arms of which had been laid down by one opera- tion ; but after what has heretofore been said, the reader will doubtless understand the process very well. Let us suppose the illustration to represent the vine at the end of the first season after the arms have been completed : the pruning will consist in cutting the canes m, e, g, and p, at the point i, and shortening in the other canes to about two and a half feet long. These will be the bearing canes for next year. The length of these bearing canes, how- ever, must be regulated by the condition of the vine ; and this is especially important during the first and second bearing years. The young vineyardist must be careful not to let his vines overbear. Many a good vine has been ruined by being allowed to carry too heavy a crop ; hence the caution can not be too often repeated. If the bearing canes are allowed to re- main upright when the buds break, the fruit will set mostly at the top. It is necessary, therefore, to bend these canes down, as described in a former article, if it is wished to have the fruit set uniformly along the cane. Some special directions and illustrations are needed on this point, which we shall give hereafter. As soon as the fruit has set, the ends of the bearing shoots must be pinched out. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864, by Mead & Woodwakd, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. January, 1864. 10 The Horticulturist. Hints on Grape Culture, 11 •jii 12 The Horticulturist. The laterals, also, must be pinched m. The process of pinching is just the same as described in our last article. The strength of the vine must be reserved for the fruit and the canes that are to bear next year. Fig. 2 shows the vine as pruned. From the points marked i one shoot must be taken. If two push, as will some- times happen, the strongest is to be re- served, and the other rubbed oft". These shoots must be treated like single canes, pinching in the laterals, and tying up the shoots as they progress in growtli. Early in September the ends of these slioots may' be pinched out, to help the develop- ment of the buds and the ripening of the wood. It is these shoots that are to bear the fruit next year. The next pruning will consist in cutting- out the canes that have fruited, and short- ening in those that are to fruit. The canes n, d,f, and o are the ones that bore fruit this year ; they are consequently to be cut off at the points k, from which new shoots are to be grown for fruiting next year. The system consists in fruiting yearly each al- ternate cane, and getting anew shoot from the base of that which fruited the preced- ing year. The canes that have fruited are cut down, and the others shortened to the capacity of the vine. Tliis is substantially the system first described by Mr. Hoare. Where it is adopted, it would be better to estalilish it gradually, the best way of doing -which we may hereafter describe. We had no idea of illustrating it in this way, till we extended the arms of the sin- gle cane, and then the system seemed to work itself out naturally. LETTER FROM MR. THOMAS HOGG, FROM JAPAN.— NO. V. We take great pleasure in laying before our readers another letter from Mr. Hogg, full of the most interesting particulars re- lating to horticulture. It will be noticed that he speaks in warm terms of Lilium auratum, more bulbs of which are now on their way home. It is a fine thing, and we hope may soon become common. Mr. Hogg's friends will be glad to learn that he is well, and industriously employed in hunting up novelties. Kanagawa, Japan, Sept. 8, 1863. Mr. Editor : — The exclusion of foreign- ers from the great cities of this country, where, as in other countries, the art of horticulture, as well as other arts of civili- zation, are to be found carried on most suc- cessfully, and in the greatest perfection, renders the means of observation and com- parison very limited. Those who pursue the business here are not cultivators to any extent, having but small premises for the sale of plants, all of which are brought from Yedo. The demand is very consid- erable for ornamenting the grounds be- longing to foreign residents, and must be a source of much profit, (estimated at the value of things among themselves,) to the dealers. A large quantity are taken away in Wardian cases by officers of vessels and visitors returning home, few of which probably survive. In consequence of this demand, and its natural result, to bring into the market a greater variety, I have the impression that we are pretty well in- formed of what they chiefly cultivate. As I mentioned before, it is remarkable, considering their isolated condition and past exclusiveness, the number of intro- duced plants that are cultivated. Garde- nia florida, G. radicans, Manettia cordata, Vinca rosea, Lagerstroemias, Pomegranates, Hoyas, Oleanders, &c., are common. Among the chief novelties I have met with the past spring and summer are the Primroses, of which there are two species (?) or very distinct varieties ; one having flowers about the size of a well- grown Chinese Primrose, and in color o'^ Letter from Japan. 13 various shades of purple, plain, and mot- tled with lighter shades. The other spe- cies sends up a strong footstalk, with a crown of flowers on the top, after the manner of a Polyanthus. This footstalk still continues its growth, producing an- other crown of flowers before the first fades, and so continuing until a third and a fourth are produced in succession. The flowers are also of a purple color, but not so large in size as the first. The leaves of both species are more nearly alike to the Polyanthus than to the Chinese Prim- rose, and probably the plant requires the same treatment. They will doubtless prove decided acquisitions to the list of early spring flowers. Another novelty I have met with is a real Deutzia sanguinea. This plant, you know, although long enumerated in nurse- rymen's catalogues, has hitherto proved a horticultural myth ; at least, after fre- quent endeavors to procure it, I found it so. You may imagine my delight in find- ing it, and with double flowers at that. It is a double garden variety of D. scabra, the back of the outer petals being a deci- ded pink color. As an addition to the shrubbery, or for early forcing for bou- quets, it will prove invaluable. While these and others in their turn ex- cited my admiration, the greatest of all was Lilium auratum, which I notice has already been introduced into the States. Never having read any description of it, I was surprised, when I first saw it, that so conspicuous a plant, and so easy of intro- duction, had been passed over so long ; and expressing myself so to a friend who is much interested in horticultural matters, he showed me a figure of it in Curtis's Botanical Magazine. It is a superb lily, and deserves all that has been said in its praise. It is plentiful among the hills a short distance from here. L. lancifolium I have not seen growing wild ; and on in- quiry of an intelligent Japanese gardener, was informed that it is only cultivated. Whether it is only a variety of L. auratum, as is suggested, has an appearance of pro- bability, only that seedlings from it retain all its marked characters. The many diflerent varieties of Ardisia, unknown with you, are very attractive, not only foi" their peculiar variegations, but also for their various forms of foliage. They are considered rai'ities, and conse- quently are highly valued. I anticipated finding some new and distinct varieties of Azaleas in the season of their bloom. In this I Avas disappointed, seeing few or none equal to those cultivated in the green- houses at home. Those chiefly grown are of the Azalea lateritia and Az. punctata style. One of the neatest variegated leaved plants I have seen is a small, low growing Rose, the leaves of which, in the spring and early summer, are distinctly and beau- tifully margined with white, with occa- sional pink stripes. A low growing Eu- phorbia, with leaves mottled with red, white, and green, is also a very neat pla it; and if, as I am informed, it is a perennial, it will be an addition to the cold frame, if it is not hardy enough for the herbaceous border. The past spring and summer have alford- ed me an excellent opportunity of tasting the fruits in their season. The first that makes its appearance is the fruit of a species of Rubles, apparently more nearly allied to the Blackberry than to the Raspberi'y. It is of a light yellow color, small in size, with rather soft flesh. The flavor is peculiar, and somewhat insipid, but, eaten with sugar, becomes tolerable enough, and quite equal to some berries at home with high-sounding names that require plenty of the same material to render them pal- atable. In the month of Jmie, Apricots come in, and for two or three weeks are very abundant and cheap. There are several varieties, but all small, and about as defi- cient in flavor as early Apricots are apt to be elsewhere. Before Apricots are entirely gone the fruit of the Mesjnlus Japonica is brought into market. It is a favorite fruit with the 14 The Horticulturist. Japanese, and large quantities are brought in daily. When ripe, they are very juicy, and have a pleasant sub-acid flavor, that may be compared to a fine ripe Harvest Apple. Their size, when in perfection, is about that of a medium sized Goose- berry. Towards the latter end of their season they become smaller, owing, prob- ably, to the overbearing of the trees. Following these come Plums, which re- main in abundance several weeks. Of these, the variety is greater than of Apri- cots, and some of them equal in size and flavor to those brought into the markets of New York. None, perhaps, equal the Green Gages, or Golden Drops, and other first-rate sorts, but quite so to some classed as desirable second-rate Plums. Somewhat reverse to the order with you, Peaches succeed Plums. Although of fair size and appearance, they are in- ferior in flavor. This may be partly at- tributed to the practice of picking all their fruits in a veiy green state. No fruit suf- fers more from this treatment than the Peach ; yet it would hardly be possible, owing to the tenderness of their flesh, to bring them to market as they should be eaten, ripe from the tree. They are now nearly gone , and have become almost worth- less from the injury done them by an insect of the curculio (?) kind, that stings the fruit and deposits its larvae as does the cur- culio. Muskmelons and Watermelons have also been abundant. The former are very in- ferior, and would not be tolerated on your table ; the latter are fair, and would be better, only for premature picking. Grapes and Persimmons are now making their appearance. The latter, next to the Grapes, are, in my opinion, the best fruit we have ; they certainly are the peculiar fruit of the country, and take the place of Apples in our own. Whether they would answer to make pies I do not know ; but as the Japanese do not indulge in that home luxury, it does not enter into the estimate of their value. I had almost forgotten to include Apples in the list of fruits brought to market for sale. Not many are brought in, and their season is soon over. They are a very small, early variety, and when eaten just at the right time, are very passable. Pears, too, are now coming in ; those hard, granular, indigestible things you have seen, called the Chinese Sand Pear. As an ornamental tree it has its uses, but as a fruit it can not be recommended. Large qiiantities of them are consumed by the people. Different sorts are cultivated, one of which keeps all through the winter and spring following. Until the present season, nothing has been done by foreigners for the introduc- tion of finer fruits (except the Strawberry) into the country. Last spring, Frank Hall, Esq., and Col. George S. Fisher, U. S. Consul, both made importations of trees from California. Be- tween them quite an assortment of the best varieties of Cherries, Plums, and Pears has been introduced, and are now growing finely in their gardens. Their Peach trees, Grape vines, and a few minor fruits, unfortunately did not do as well. Others, no doubt, will be in- duced by their success to follow their example, and the best results, by means of private enterprises like these, may be fairly expected, and the introduction of choice fruits create new desires, and lend their aid in civilizing a barbarous people. RESIDENCE OF THOS. H. STOUT, ESQ., IRVINGTON ON THE HUDSON. ^ : BY MEAD &. WOODWARD, ARCHITECTS, ETC., 37 PARK ROW, NEW YORK. Irvington is a noted locality for the being many fine examples of substantial, higher grades of country homes, there roomy, and elegantly appointed mansions. Residence of TTios. H. Stoiit, Esq. 15 Fig. 56. — Residence of Thos. H. Stout, Esq., Irviiigton on the Hudson Mead & Woodward, Architects, 37 Park Row, N. Y. Fig. 67.— Cellar. Fig. 58.— 1st Floor. Far within the gradually extending circle which limits the daily intercourse of the business man to the city of New York, it has become, in virtue of its position, healthfulness, fine scenery, and ease of access, one of the most favored of the suburbs of this city ; a city whose rapid increase of population and corresponding decreasing comforts in conveyance from one portion to another, is turning the attention of those who like ease of transit, and the Fig. 59.— 2d Floor. quiet and health of the country, to a resi- suburbs. What the last two years have dence among its beautiful and attractive accomplished in introducing rapid and re- 16 The Horticulturist. liable communication, and building up and improving the country about New York, will probably be repeated several times over in the next decade. An impetus has been given to rural life, that will increase with every facility that is offered, and it will not be many years before the suburbs of New York will compare with any city in the world ; and we question, even now, if elsewhere can be found a suburban locality comparable with the east bank of the Hud- son, from New York to the Highlands. The accompanying engravings illustrate a country house that embraces many of the best features of exterior variety, and inte- rior compactness and convenience. It was erected during the past year from designs made by Mead & Woodward, of New York. The workmanship and materials throughout have been of the best descrip- tion, and no pains have been spared to make it first-class in every respect. Situated on the slope of the eastern bank of the Hudson, it overlooks the broad ex- panse of " Tappan Zee," and commands the views peculiar to this locality, that reach from the Highlands to the ocean. ■^» ♦ » »^ THE CONCORD AND THE DELAWARE GRAPE. BY DR. H. SOHEODEE, BLOOMIJTaTON, ILLINOIS. Me. Editor, — I am not acquainted with the English language much, so you must excuse my style and correct my orthog- raphy ; but I am acquainted with grape growing, wine making, and wine di-inking. Reference, the State Board of Agriculture and Horticulture. But that is personal, and I had better stop here. Well, I am acquainted, since five years, with the Delaware and the Concord here. The Delaware is a sweet and nice little grape for whoever can raise it ; but this is the point with us in the West. I planted, five years ago, the first, " two years old, for immediate bearing." I gave it the best planting, and a treatment such as a young man will give his first sweetheart, and the result was, a blessing of two little bunches of the "blessed Delaware grape," both weighing \ of an ounce, apothecary weight. Four years ago the fever struck me hard, and I bought a good quantity of " two years old, raised from single eyes, cut back to five eyes." But it struck me when I unpacked them. I studied with my gardener, for a long time, to find the five eyes. With the help of my microscope I detected them, and — glory was in Germany ! Three years ago I bought of another reliable firm in the East a good lot of Delawares ; they looked like good-'plants, and I planted them. Two years ago I bought some grafted on Cataw- ba and Clinton, and last year and this year I planted and planted, but the " day of ju- bilee " never comes. But I tell you I am an old revolutioner, and never give up, as long as it goes for the right principle. Next year I will give the good-leg otten Delaioare one more trial^ and then good-bye forever. Delaware man, now is your time. Show your good plants ; send in your price-list for layers of old wood, and help to prove that the Delaware can be grown profitably in our country. The Concord. — I have followed the articles written in the Hoetioulturist by Messrs. Deliot and Husmann, and I place myself to the right of Mr. Husmann. I have raised the Concord since five years here, and it has proved to be a good, fast grower, a hardy grape, a good bearer, an early grape, and a grape for the people here. It is not quite free from disease, but it gives people a satisfaction. It makes a good, pleasant wine ; but whether it will keep for a long time the future time must prove. It is not a wine for a wine-drinker ; gives not this good tone to bar Neroes, like the celebrated Catawba, and not a wine like the fiery, amusing Norton's Virginia, (by-the-way, the Plant Houses. 17 best wine in America.) Chorus will say Amen. To-day I pressed a few Concord berries between my fingers, and I pressed out of the first berry sixty drops ; out of the sec- ond, sixty-eight drops of pure juice. I did not expect such a high result, but I swear by John Brown that this is true. Now, Mr. Editor, I have given you some facts about Delaware and Concord grow- ing in my neighborhood. But this is not to say that the Concord is the iest grape. If Catawba was free from disease, I would only plant Catawba in mass, and Norton's Virginia for wine only. My Catawbas did do well this year; so my Hartfords, Con- cords, and Norton's Virginia. But my Herbemoftts were a failure. I have a col- lection of 160 different kinds of grape-vines, and next year, when they are all in bear- ing, I will give you a correct list, and what they have done. For to-day I must close. We have the Hortioiilturist for company, and Norton's Virginia wants my attention. |- [We have for some time known you. Dr., as an enthusiast in grape culture. We re- gret, therefore, that you have been unsuc- cessful in growing the Delaware, the best of all native grapes. We are pleased to know, however, that you do not mean to give it up; and we hope that this time your eiforts may be crowned with a great success. We hope so for the sake of the iJelaware and your own ; for right in Mc- Lean County the Delaware, grown accord- ing to our "Hints," succeeds as well as can be desired; and you should never "say fail " while any of your neighbors succeed. We shall therefore be greatly disappointed if we do not hear better news from you hereafter. We sometimes hear of such cases near at hand, and have examined them ; and the result is, that we can now show you several little Delaware vineyards in fine condition where the Delaware " would not grow." The fault has some- times been in the vines, but more frequent- ly not. We have a number of letters from the West, proving conclusively that the Delaware does grow there, and these we shall from time to time print. Mr. Phoenix failed at first, but he now succeeds with proper treatment. Your description of the Concord is a very fair one. It is a good grape, but by no means best; and the question for you to consider is, how long it will continue to be regarded as such ; in other words, whether it is not already in the way of being supplanted. The wine made from it is certainly not a wine for a wine -drinker; and as we are fast becoming a wine-drinking people, you ought to con- sider whether it is wise to plant it largely for wine-making purposes. Our decided conviction is, that you should not. You must bear in mind that it makes no possi- ble difference to us what kind of vines you plant, as we never sold one, and never ex- pect to. We aim to be disinterested in such matters, and to give .such advice as will be most useful. By all means send the list of vines and what they have done. — Ed.] PLANT HOUSES— NO. VIII BY THE EDITOR. We give an example of a plant house this month, which in several particulars presents a striking appearance. Fig. 1 is a prespective view. It was designed and built for Joseph Howland, Esq., of Matteawan, N. Y. Its broken outline is one of its most marked features, and affords all the play of light and shade that an artist could desire. It is a large and imposing range of building, befitting the character of Mr. Howland's ample grounds. It stands at the north end of the kitchen garden, and conceals it from the dwelling, from which the range is in 18 The Horticulturist . Plant Houses. 19 full view. A part of the structure on the right, marked "old green-house," &c., was built some foiu- or five years ago ; the remainder, including the "cold house," is new. It will be observed that the range is divided into two parts by a road-way. The desis!:n of this was to enable the fam- ily to visit the houses at any time in the carriage without exposure to the weather. From this road-way all the compartments of the range are accessible. Across the road- way, between tlie houses, is a handsome double gate, a sketch of which is given in Fis. 2. Fig. 2.— Double Gate. The range is covered with a continuous battened. End ventilation being imprac- curvilinear roof of low pitch, bedded in ticable here, top ventilation is increased so aquaria cement. The north side of the as to meet all requirements, middle houses is covered with boards and Fig. 3 is the ground plan. On the right Fig. 4 ■ -Interior view. is the old green-house, communicating side, and with a hot-house or with the boiler and potting-room on one the other. At the north end, stove on and com- 20 The Horticulturist. muni eating with these, we have on the north side a tool-house, under which is a capacious root cellar ; on the south side a hot grapery, the foundation of which rests on piers, to enable the roots of the vines to ruQ into the border on the outside. The arrangement of pipes for heating this house is very ample. Crossing the road-way, we enter the cold grapery. The foundation of this also rests on piers, the border being outside. There are hot-water pipes in this compartment, to be used only to keep out frost. It may, however, be used as a "second" hot grapery. Passing out of the cold grapery, we enter what may be called the conserva- tory, its principal use being for the show of ornamental plants ; and to this end it has several accessories which add much to its beauty. One of these which may be no- ticed is a neat fountain in the center ; al- ways a pretty feature wherever it can be introduced. Another is a rustic niche or alcove in the north wall, built of rough stones, over and through which the water constantly trickles into a basin. Its full beauty will not be seen till it has acquired age, and become covered with mosses and ferns. Fortunately for the plants and for good taste, there is no shelving in this house. Beds are formed of brick, with a neat coping, in which the pots are set. This arrangement is much more effective than any manner of staging could possibly be. We have never been able to see either the beauty or utility of a series of narrow wooden steps for showing plants on. In order to give the reader an idea of the interior of this apartment, we have prepared a perspective view of it. (See Fig. 4.) From this a good conception can be formed of the appearance and arrangement of the beds, fountain, &c. Returning through the cold grapery, we have on its north side a boiler and potting room. The boiler pit is sunk beneath the floor of this room, and has connected with it a coal bin and shoot. Communicating with the potting-room is a propagating room, in the north end of the conserva- tory, and divided from it by a solid par- tition. It is provided with a hot- water pipe for furnishing bottom heat. It wiU propagate all the bedding and other plants needed on the place. It will thus be seen that there are ample facilities for furnishing an abundant supply of grapes and flowers. The house, as a whole, forms a marked feature of the errounds. <« « » i> A DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS. BY A. RICHARDSON, FORDHAM, N. Y. This season hitherto has been the finest for the development of the Chrysanthemum that I have known, the slight frosts we have had doing them no injury. They are literally gorgeous in the extreme. A finer dying out of the floral year can not be imagined. I know nothing to compare with it, but a glorious sunset of a closing day. I am so charmed with some of Peter Henderson's importations of this now de- servedly popular flower, that I think you would like to know something of the varie- ties worth cultivating, taking it for granted that your numerous Grape and other fruit engagements have prevented you from see- ing and giving them your special inspec- tion. Of the Pompone varieties. Coquette is a picture, of peach blossom color, with rich golden or chrome center. Form so round, and petals so numerous, substantial, and compact, that children might play marbles with the blooms. A first-rate flower in ev- ery respect. Brazen Mirror. — An improvement on Jonas. Color the same, bright chrome yel- low with dark brown center, but superior in form, and comes earlier into bloom. A Descriptive List of Ch'ysanthemums. 21 very showy, distinct, and desirable va- riety. Madame Ida Sayionet. — Rosy peach, of surpassing beauty of color ; a free bloomer and of fine habit. Moorie Carie. — Creamy in color during development, but when fully expanded a pure and beautiful white of first rate form and petal. This is quite an acquisition to the few good whites we have. Ninette. — Of deep ruby color, good form, and an abundant bloomer. Mrs. Dodd. — Good old ''Nelly'' im- proved, both in color and form, but not in time, being, like its parent, late in showing its beauties. La Sibyl — ' ' Gold is dull' ' compared witli its i^eculiar shade of color, which is rich, beautiful, and pure. We have nothing exactly like it, which makes it of value to the yellow class. In all other points it is likewise perfect. Antigone. — Is another gem of peach blos- som color, each petal having a sharply de- fined white edge, producing an extremely chaste effect. It is built similarly to " Co- quette," and possesses all the same good qualities. Madame Larocqe. — Deep rosy lilac, of good size, form, and substance; a free bloomer, and of fine habit. King of Cliestnuis. — A misnomer as to color, having too much red and yellow, and too little brown, to be placed in the chestnut class ; and under present circum- stances I doubt if its other qualities enti- tle it to the honor of ' ' king ; ' ' but I will not decide till after another trial. My plant having prematurely cast its foliage , and looking sickly, the true character of the bloom may be affected. Orange Boven. — Its name tells its color ; very similar to " Miss Lane" of last season, in form and petal, but brighter in color. Of the Large Flowering varieties. Lady Russell must take the lead, being in every respect one of the most perfect of the tribe. It is unique in color, the inner side of the petal being of pale silvery purple ; the outer many shades deeper, tipped with pure gold, and gracefully incurving, pro- duces an enchanting effect. The harmony of color is perfect, and it retains its Dahlia- like form to the last. If the importer don't sell a thousand of it next season, 1 am no prophet. Dr. Brook is another very superior flower, also finely incurved ; of pale Indian red, shaded and tipped with gold, producing a subdued orange effect, very quiet and beautiful. Quite new in color, and unlike any thing we have. Model is of the same, but deeper colors ; incurves splendidly, but not enough to conceal large hollow centers ; therefore it is no model for me. Miss Slade, of pale amber color, the ex- act shade of Leda of last summer, but has the advantage of being beautifully incurv- ed. A gem. St. George, a deep shade of orange, with a dash of cinnamon. A new color. It has not yet fully developed itself with me, but bids fair to be good in other points. Orado. — Deep red, inc irved, a fine showy flower. I do not think you noticed last year's im- portation, some of which stand unrivaled ; for instance, Madame de Vatry, (pompone,) lifec, dark center ; splendid in form and color. Viscount de Camout, red shaded yellow ; superb in all points. Lady Harding, (large flowering,) lilac, gold tip, incurved ; 3i first class fiower. Little Harry, brilliant golden yellow ; also first rate. Rifleman, deep red, splendid in color and form. Cornet, bright red, with yellow tip. Well named. A very fine, distinct, and blazing variet}^. Enough for the present. [Yes, but not enough for Wie future. The public have a claim upon a man with your knowledge, taste, and descriptive powers. We regret very much that we did not see your Chrysanthemums, but it was not pos- sible. Can J on not "do up" the new 22 The Horticidturist. Dahlias also? Tell us something, too, We can promise you quite as intelligent an about y ur Sweet Wi liams Phloxes, and audience as you will find at the " National." other pets. For a change, drop the brush, — Ed.] and paint a few sketches with the pen. -♦•-•-•-•^^ HERICART DE THURY BY THE EDITOR. The portrait herewith presented was Ellwanger & Barry, of Rochester. The taken from a specimen sent us by Messrs. Hericart de Thury is a winter pear, and Heating by Hot Water. 23 must not be confounded with the Hericart, which ripens in the fall. It is a pear of fair quality, sometimes very good, but is not yet much disseminated. The follow- ing is a description : i^rw^Y, medium, pyramidal. S^m, yellow, covtred w.th cinnamon russet. LaJyx closed, in a small, uneven basin. Stcdk, long and curved, inserted in a small de- pression. Flesh, yellowish, somewhat but- tery, moderately juicy, with a pleasant flavor. Quality, very good for its season, which is from January to March. HEATING BY HOT WATER BY J. FLEMING, JERSEY CITY, N. J. In the construction of horticultural build- ings the heating apparatus is of great im- portance, and should, consequently, re- ceive its due mead of consideration; for up- on it depend, in a great measure, the success and pleasure derived from such struc- tures. What is more provoking on a cold night, with the thermometer falling, than to find your house full of smoke, and that the flue won't draw? But the days of smoke flues are fast drawing to a close, although, in a small house, erected merely to- keep over a few bedding plants, a pet Ca- mellia, Azalea, or so, the difference in cost or saving of fuel would scarcely justify the adoption of hot water ; and if your house and flue are built on the " Dingwallian" principle, that is, on a rise of about three feet in a hundred, it may be made to an- swer the purpose very well. But when large houses, or several built in close proximity, are to be heated, then is the economy of hot water apparent. You can then by one boiler heat 1,000 to 1,500 or 2,000 feet of pipe, (the most, I believe, any American firm will warrant their largest boiler to heat, although in Europe boilers are made to heat 20,000 feet,) heating dif- ferent structures to different temperatures, at a great saving of both labor and fuel ; a matter well worthy consideration when coal is selling, as at present, from $11 to $12 per ton. A gei eral' impression seems to prevail that hot water is a very complicated affair, requiring a great deal of care and skill to work it, and that you Uve in constant dread of waking up some morning to find your ap- paratus blown up and all your plants fro- zen. Such alarm is entirely groundless. If properly constructed, any common la- borer, with a little judgment, can in five minutes learn to work it as easily as a common flue. The boiler ought always to be able to heat at least one third more pipe than is attach- ed to it. It is very short-sighted economy to have the boiler too small, as it requires far more attention ; and if a very cold spell does come, the probability is you can't get the amount of heat desired. Have also plenty of pipes in the houses ; you then do not need to heat the water to such a high temperature. One thing I would strongly advise, al- though I very seldom see it done, is to flow the water direct from the boiler into an expansion tank, and from it distribute to the different houses, as in the figure. 24 Tlie Horticulturist. a. The expansion tank. b. Boiler, c. Connecting- pipe from boiler to tank, d, d. Flow pipes to the different honses. You can then heat the water to a higher temperature without the least fear of its overflowing, as is often the case when the expansion tank is at the farthest point from the boiler. When a tank for propa- gating or bottom heat is in constant use along with the pipes for top heat, this is not necessary. ,A better circulation will also be obtained by having one flow and two return pipes, than by two flows and one return. Also see that you have air pipes from both flow and return pipes at all dips, and at the highest point from the boiler. It is useless for me to encroach on your valuable space by entering any fur- ther into the minutise of construction, as there are several enterprising firms, both here and in Philadelphia, who devote their sole attention to the heating of horticultu- ral buildings, and who, I have no doubt, will gladly furnish all required information. [We are much obliged to Mr. Fleming for calling attention to a subject too much overlooked. The suggestion of placing the expansion tank immediately in connec- tion with the boiler is a good one to pre- vent overflow. The reader will observe the form given to this expansion tank. The common six-ihch circular tank will answer only indifferently well. Something of even more importance than the size of the boiler is the size of the fire-chamber ; but this, in most boilers, is not under our control. — Ed.] -<-*-^^-^ * >• THE AZALEA AS A ROOM PLANT BY THE EDITOR. There are few plants better adapted to room culture than the Azalea Indica. We do not mean by this that it will thrive under neglect, but that, with ordinarj- good treatment, no plants, not even Cactaj, will bloom better, or yield a larger amount of gratification. This was our experience, after having grown it many years in the parlor. This adaptation arises partly from the nature of the plant, and partly from the time of forming its buds. The Azalea is not only well adapted to rooms, but, when in bloom, is scarce!}^ surpassed for beauty. A well-grown plant is a complete mass of flowers, a leaf being . scarcely perceptible. It is emphatically a gay plant, fairly reveling in its profusion of bloom. There is no collection of room plants so small that it should be without it. We propose to give a few brief direc- tions for its culture. The Azalea is not easy to projoagate in rooms, though it may be done ; the proper course, therefore, is to purchase the plants of the florist. We will suppose the plant to be a small one. As the florist keeps his plants in small pots, your Azalea will prob- abl}- need potting as soon as purchased. A suitable compost may be prepared of muck, loam, and charcoal dust or sand, in about equal proportions. If muck is not at hand, take some light garden loam, and mix with it a third of charcoal dust. They should be thoroughly incorporated. The Azalea is now to be shifted into a pot one size larger than that in which it is grow- ing. Place a potsherd over the hole in the bottom of the pot, and throw in a few pieces of broken charcoal or small stones for drainage. On the top of this place some compost, and then put in the ball of earth containing the plant. The top of the ball must not be less than half an inch be- low the rim of the pot, and the quantity of earth placed in the bottom must be regu- lated accordingly. Having adjusted this point, fill in around the side, from time to time jarring the pot to settle the earth. Tlie Azalea as a Boom Plant. 25 When the vacancy is nearly filled, the earth must be pressed down somewhat firmly with the thumbs or with a blunt stick, technically called a potting stick. The potting being finished, the plant should receive a good watering. If the potting has been properly done, the top of the pot will hold just about water enough to go through the ball of earth. It is a common mistake with novices to fill the pot too full of earth, and plants often suffer great damage in consequence, the water going only half through the ball. The lower roots become so dry as to die off, which greatly enfeebles the plant, so that it sometimes drops not only its flower buds, but manj^ of its leaves. The Azalea may be left out of doors till there is danger of severe frost ; the longer the better. A little frost is not likely to injure it ; in fact, we have grown Azalea Indica alba in the border as a hardy plant, with no other protection than that aft'orded by the shrubbery in the border. When the plants are taken in they should be placed in a room having a southern expo- sure, and set on a table near the window. It is not necessary that the Azalea should be placed very near the window until it has passed out of bloom and begun to make its new growth, when it should have all the light that can be given it. The later itia class form an exception, since they make their new growth either while in bloom or just before it ; they must there- fore, at this time, be placed in a good light, especially if the temperature of the room be pretty warm and dry. No plant in a room is likely to receive an undue share of the blessed simlight. Watering must be carefully attended to. The Azalea should at no time be allowed to get too dry, or its fine, delicate fibers will die off. When in bloom, and while making its new growth, the supply of wa- ter should be regular and abundant, with- out, however, running into the extreme of making the earth a mud puddle. The wa- ter should be tepid rather than cold. The Azalea, as well as some other plants, is January, 1864. often injured by having a stream of cold water poured against its body and main branches. As soon as the weather will permit, the plants should be removed out of doors, and placed in some sheltered spot, but where they will not receive the drip of trees or shrubs. The plant itself is rather benefited than otherwise by receiving the direct rays of the morning sun, and it may be fully exposed, provided the pot is pro- tected. A good p^n is to place the plants in rows, and stand a board against the pots to break off the sun's rays. Moss or straw may also be thrown around the pots, or they may be protected in any way most convenient, so long as it is well done. It is well, also, to cover the ground with a couple of inches of ashes, to pre- vent earth-worms from entering the hole in the bottom of the pot. A few words may be added in regard to repotting. The best time for the amateur of room plants to do this is in the fall of the year, just before the Azaleas are taken in doors. The compost already described is to be used. While the Azalea is young it should be potted generously, to increase its size ; but large room plants are un- manageable and in the way, and it is there- fore not desirable to encourage them to grow too rapidly. Our advice is, to re- pot a young Azalea amiually for the first three years, and after that biennially, al- ways using a pot only one size larger than that in which it is growing. The winter treatment will be the same as that described above, always taking in the plants as late as possible, and putting them out in the spring as soon as the weather will permit. The Azalea blooms in rooms from January till April, depend- ing much upon the temperature of the room. In a hot room we have seen them in bloom in December, and we have often had a fine show of them on New Year's day. Insects do not trouble the Azalea much. The red spider will sometimes attack it, but its chief enemies are the scale and 2 26 The Horticulturist. mealy bug. The red spider may be washed oft' with soap suds. The scale and mealy bug should be picked off. The scale attaches itself principally to the trunk and branches, while the mealy bug seeks con- cealment in the axils of the leaves. A pin or a sharp-pointed stick will readily dislodge them. The plant must be kept clean and free from insects to insure its health. In a single article the treatment of the Azalea can only be given in somewhat gen- eral terms ; yet enough has been said to enable the young amateur (for whom alone this article is intended) to commence a successful course of practice. We have said nothing about growing the Azalea as a specimen plant, because few or none are Avilling, in a room, to give it the time and space necessary to success. Amateiirs who have green-houses can thus grow them very cleverly. A descriptive list of some of the best kinds would make the subject more complete ; but this must be reserved for another article. THE PERKINS AND OTHER GRAPES, BY J. W. MANNING, READING, MASS. I THINK this grape was sent out from Bridgewater, Mass., nearly ten years ago. I have fruited it two years. It is hardy, but not remarkable for earliness, bears and clusters well ; looks well a little before it is ripe; has a sweet good taste if swalloAV- ed at once ; but it drops from the cluster, which condemns any grape, and is foxy. How it can be said to be "'nearly as good as Diana," I can not comprehend. I have one hundred varieties of native grapes on trial ; forty varieties bore the past season. I rank the Perkins about the twelfth place among my bearing kinds. It is not desira- ble while better grapes will grow as well. Diana has done very well the past season ; better than in any season since 1856. Pre- vious to that, it ripened every year, and was frequently in good eating September 1st. It speaks well for any grape to be good two weeks before it is ripe. It is one of the best grapes for winter keeping. Delaware has not done well with me, but noble specimens have been shown, grown in this vicinity. Creveling promises to sweep Hartford Prolific from the field. Rogers's Hybrids all propagate readily, grow vigorously, and are healthy. No. 19 ripens before the Concord, and is much preferable as a table grape. Allen's Hybrid has won a proud rank, and will, doubtless, hold it, if a little win- ter protection is given it, which it is well worthy of. Concord is the grape for the million yet ; it will long retain a prominent place. I was told by retailers of fruits in Broadway, New York, at the time of the grape show, October 1st, 2d, and 3d, " that at the same price, ten pounds of the Concord could be sold to one Delaware." That is the great point growers of fruit want to come at, ' ' what will sell the best. ' ' The taste of the great mass does not yet reject all grapes that look and taste good. The DelaAvare is a better grape. Something else may be best. Time will prove them all. A great change is slowly conquering the common test of "first rate grape." I know men who could extol a grape of the Charter Oak character with a clear con- science ten years ago, who now as freely pronounce all grapes as not fit to eat or cultivate, unless equal to Diana or Dela- ware. It is expedient to cultivate what will gratify the buyer. Let us test all, allow all to taste, and time will cause a change, that wiU surprise all who recollect what a poor grape was called " good.'" [Neither can we compreliend how the Wayside Thoughts upon ArcJdtedure. 27 Perkins should be called " nearly as good as the Diana." We think there is a wide gap between the "nearly" and the "good ;" though it is natural enough that persons who have been confined mainly to our wild grapes should esteem the Perkins good ; and there are others who esteem grapes good if they are simply siceet, with- out regard to spirit or flavor ; but in time, and by degrees, they learn that there is a higher excellence than mere sweetness. The Diana is one of our best grapes. Its only drawback is, that on young vines, and in some seasons and localities, it does not rijDen uniformly. If noble specimens of the Delaware have been grown in your vicinity, you should strive to equal them. Perhaps some part of your treatment has been faulty. We predicted several years ago that the Hartford Prolific would be su- perseded, and it is safe to say that its course is nearly run. We now have others as early, and a great deal better, and there is no reason, therefore, why it should con- tinue to be planted, except in collections. It should not be forgotten, however, that it has performed a good work in its day. We think the Allen will hold its present position, and grow in public favor. It is an excellent grape, and is no doubt hardy enough for a widely extended cultivation. The Concord will be largely gro-wn for a while yet, but not as long as many sup- pose. The fruit dealer who told you, " that at the same price, ten pounds of the Concord could be sold for one of the Dela- ware," perpetrated a very broad joke. Now let us try it for a moment. In the first place, the fruit dealers have had no facts to warrant any such conclusion ; in the second place, the facts are all against them ! The truth is, there were very few Dela wares in Broadway for sale, and they sold rapidly at from forty to sixty cents a pound, and in a brief time they were all gone. Concords, at the same time, were selling at twenty cents a pound, and a lit- tle later at twenty-five cents. As you say, a great change is going on, and that change is teaching the masses the diilerence be- tween a grape that is first-rate, and one that is not. To that end we have worked. —Ed.] ^ » ^^- ^ » ^ ■ WAYSIDE THOUGHTS UPON ARCHITECTURE.— No. II. BY ARTIFICER. Painting. — In performing the necessary manipulations for house-painting, the prim- ing coats for exterior work should be mixed with clear old white lead and pure linseed oil, in about the proportion of ten poxmds of white lead for every two quarts of oil. For interior j)ainting, it is best to use with the lead boiled linseed oil exclusively, instead of raw, or a proportion of boiled and raw, as is sometimes done, with a small quantity of patent dryer ground in turpentine, which will cause the priming to set quick and form a body without drip- ping. For exterior second coat work use the priming process, and add thereto sufficient white lead to make the paint quite stiff. If neutral tints are used, then estimate about two-thirds of the above proportion of lead to be added to one half its bulk of color, and all the oil they will take. This , as a general rule , and for com- mon use, is sufficient. But as there are several degrees of strength, of fineness, and of quality in colors, so there must be many rules, or rather no definite rules at all; only, artist-like, a conception of what is demanded, and a constant working with muller, paint, and brush, until itis answered in the very tone and impression sought. For second coating interior work, grind the white lead in raw linseed oil to the con- sistency of thick paste ; then reduce it with turpentine until in a proper condition to spread with the brush, using, as a general 28 The Horticulturist. rule, an equal quantity of oil and turpen- tine, to complete the mixing process. The second may sometimes be made a finishing coat by the addition of a larger proportion of turpentine, and by straining the color carefulty, and adding a portion of the finest French zinc, equal in proportion to half the quantity of lead used, supposing the fiiiish to be a clear dead white. For neu- tral tints, the addition of the required color in the proper proportions to the white, mixed as above, for a base, is sufficient. I would not, unless in some exceptional cases, advise the use of two coat work for completely finishing the wood work, but wish to be understood as urging the neces- ■ sity of not stopping short of good three coat work, and in some cases four and five coat work. In preparing the third coat, if designed for a dead white, the ingredients should be first, equal parts of the best old Amer- ican white lead, and the best qirality of French zinc, ground in equal parts of raw linseed oil and turpentine, as stiff as pos- sible, and afterwards reduced with all tur- pentine to the proper consistency for use. If it should be required to finish with a superior gloss, (technically termed China gloss,) then the work must receive a coat of white shellac upon the priming, and the last or third coat should be composed of three parts zinc to one of lead, ground in oil and turpentine, and reduced with the latter, and after becoming dry should have, in addition, one coat of the best white varnish, and to perfect the gloss, add still another coat. An exceedingly beautiful white paint for interior wood work may be obtained by the following process : To one half gallon of tur- pentine add twenty ounces of frankincense ; place it over a fire to dissolve, after which strain and put in cans for use. To one quart of this mixture add three quarts of bleached linseed oil. To these two mix- tures combined add equal parts of clear old white lead and the best French zinc, ground in turpentine. Strain them ; and if too stiff, reduce with turpentine, as for other interior work. Paint prepared in this manner gives out scarcely any odor, and if well done, will preserve its fine finish many years ; but its great cost, com- pared with the commoner kinds of white paint, prevents it coming into general use. Gkaining.— If we were disposed, and could always accept the conditions of procur- ing and preparing the better class of woods for house finishing, it would be better to do so, on account of their real and undis- guised worth, and the consideration in which they are hold in all true architecture ; but in the absence of an abimdance of the rarer and finer woods, as walnut, oak, cherry, rosewood, maple, and mahogany, graining in imitation of these has seemed to become, in these days of rapid building, highly proper, and an almost universal ve- hicle of covering for soft wood finish, and for ornament ; and since it is thus thought to be rarely possible, and seldom expedi- ent, to employ woods richly veined, and susceptible of oil and polish, there exists suitable reasons for grained imitations, when we know and accept them as such ; the same as we would use gilding in the absence or scarcity of gold, or stucco or- naments instead of and to represent carv- ings in marble. Graining may be properly employed in nearly all branches of domestic architec- ture, but should never intrude in the higher fields of civil and ecclesiastical architec- ture. It may be employed upon the wood-work of dining-rooms of a cheerful oak imitation, on walls, saloons, and lobbies, either in oak or walnut. In libraries, in imitation of English walnut, roseAvood, or old oak. Bed-chambers and closets should never be painted white, but be grained in imitation of chestnut or pollard oak, whose tones are quiet and subdued, without glare or reflect- ed lights. Kitchen and kitchen offices may be grained in imitation of either oak, ma- IDle, or chestnut, provided it be finished in oil, and not varnished ; otherwise a flat- ting of good warm drab or French gray, on two coats of priming, with lead and oil, American Evergreens. 29 will be found both serviceable and easily kept clean. A good piece of grained work, like any other work, derives its chief excellence from good and proper materials and skill- ful handling ; and to answer fully this last demand, it is required that the artist or grainer study closely the character and grains of the woods to be imitated, and also enter into an analysis of them all. But I desire to afford the reader facilities for judging of, and selecting good materials for graining, (if he does not already know,) and hence shall repeat the process as briefly as possible for some of the best grains in modern use. Oak. — To prepare a rich ground for oak graining, take old white lead, three parts, burnt terra sienna three parts, stone ochre, two parts, chrome yellow, one ; put on two coats, and when dry ap- ply the graining color, composed of raw ter- ra sienna, Vandyke brown, and whiting in about equal portions groimd in oil or beer; add about four ounces of gum Arabic, dis- solved in a pint of hot water. Mix it well with the other ingredients, and when per- fect!}^ dry, varnish with tAVO coats of copal varnish. Old Oak. — To imitate old oak, make a ground of about equal parts of stone ochre and burnt terra sienna, with one part lead ground in oil. Put on in two cOats, and prepare the graining color of either burnt umber or Vandyke brown mixed in oil. Another method, which I think superior to the last for old oak grain color, is to grind Vandyke brown and whiting in turpentine, and add a small quantity of common soap to make it stand the comb. Pollard Oak. — A species of graining used considerably in England, and more mottled than common oak, may be imitated by pre paring a ground of chrome yellow three parts, Vermillion, one, Avliitc lead, three ; when mixed the result will be a rich buff. The graining colors are prepared from equal parts of Turkey umber, raw terra sienna, and burnt white vitriol, ground separately in oil to the consistency of paste, and re- duced with turpentine, taking care, how- ever, to keep a sufficient quantity of oil in the colors to bind and finish well. Mahogany Grounds may be prepared in the following manner : To twelve or four- teen ounces of English Venetian red, add three ounces of chrome yellow and one ounce of vermillion, ground in equal fjor- tions of oil and turpentine. This ground must be applied to the wood in two coats, upon a priming of lead and oil, quite stiff, stained with a little red lead. The grain- ing color may be prepared with raw and burnt terra sienna, in equal parts, ground in ale. To imitate mahogany more perfectly, there may be a top grain prepared of burnt sienna, and applied after the first grain color has been worked with mottler and softener, and become perfectly Ary. Rosewood may be imitated by preparing for a ground with one part white lead, one part crimson lake, and two parts vermillion, ground in oil and put on in two coats. The graining color is prepared of Vandyke brown, groinid in oil. quite thin, with a dark- er after-tint of the same kind of color, to be used with the graining brush, to soften and draw the more delicate veins over the work. When dry, apply two coats of var- nish, reduced, if need be, with alcohol, to preserve its gloss. [To te continucJ.] [We have divided "Artificer's" article on painting, in the hope of being able to illustrate that part relating to neutral tints. —Ed.] -»-•+- AMERICAN EVERGREENS.— NO. IV BY C. N. BEMENT. We cultivate plants with a view to their rarity as well as their beauty. Evergreens , to the eye of taste, are particularly pleas- ing in winter ; more pleasing when distrib- 30 The Horticulturist. uted by the hand of man round his dwell- ing, than when seen in the forest ; not that the cultivated plants are more beautiful, but beautiful and rarer. Evergreens, in the color of their leaves, vary exceedingly. The unsheltered leaves of the Red Cedar are greatly discolored ; and the Hemlock, in open rutuations, is a pale green. In unchanging verdure and brightness, we have seen no tree that ex- cels the Balsam Fir. These trees, when taken from the mountains, seldom succeed, unless first placed in the nursery. This is true, when set in grass-plats, and left to themselves. In droughts grass lands be- come comparatively drj, while cultivated soils remain moist. We planted several evergreens from a swamp rather shallow, as most evergreens ought to be planted, and laid round plenty of old hay to keep the roots moist and cool, and to destroy the grass. With this treatment they will most generally succeed. Turn we now our attention to another family, the broad-leaved evergreens, and commence Avith The Kalmia, or Laurel, as it is commonlj^ called in the Northern and Eastern States. It is a North American genus of hardy shrubs, remarkable for the beauty of their flowers. Botanists say there are ten species, all handsome. Nuttall describes five species of Kalmia found in the United States. It is found from Canada to Florida. It is found on shady borders of woods, rocky hills, in the deep shady ravines of mountains, and blooms its beautiful flowers in the months of June and July ; and being an evergreen, adds materially to the land- scape in winter by its dark green leaves, which always give a cheering expression at that dreary season. In most other places, and especially on open grounds, it rarely exceeds three or four feet in height. On open, rocky pastures, it forms a large, close clump on islets, intersected by plots and alleys and grass. In June and July, when every one of these innumerable green islets is crowned with white or rose-col- ored flowers, and cattle are feeding on the grass, or laying under the few oaks which are scattered through the pasture, the whole is worth going to see. Whoever has passed up or down the Hudson River in the months of June or July, that possesses the least taste for the vegetable treasures of creation, could not fail to have noticed and admired this splendid flowering evergreen shrub, grow- ing among the rocks in the Highlands. The Kalmia is rather difficult to cultivate when taken from the woods, but may be increased by layers or seeds. They grow best in peat soil, though they will grow in a sandy loam. They are too beautiful to be overlooked, and should find a place in every lawn and pleasure ground. The Holly. — A handsome evergreen tree, of slow growth, with a smooth, gray bark, which abounds in mucilage. The flowers are copious, tinged externally with purple, the earlier ones least perfect. The berries are scarlet, casually yellow. The Holly grows in hedges and bushy places upon dry hills. Numerous variegated varieties are kept in gardens, and one whose leaves are prickly on the disk. The American Holly of the United States is a handsome evergreen, which, though in the Middle States a mere shrub, in others assumes the dignity of a tree. Seven or eight additional species are found in the United States, chiefly in the South. The Evergreen Honeysuckle. — The Ameri- can evergreen Honeysuckle is the most beautiful and valuable, for it flowers from June till the frost nips its blossoms. It has strong branches, bearing evergreen leaves and fragrant flowers, which are bright red outside and yellow within. All the sorts are produced or propagated by layers or by cuttings. The Honeysuckle loves almost any soil, provided it be not too dry. The Holly-Leaved Berberry. — This is a fine evergreen shrub. Its habit is sjiread- ing, and it attains the height of three or four feet. The foliage is a dark green, glossy, and prickly, like the Holly. The American Evergreens. 31 flowers arc f)roduced in large heads or chistcrs, and are a beautiful clean yel- low color. They begin to open early in April, and continue throughout all May. A single plant, or a mass of them, in a laAvn, produces a fine effect. The color contrasts well with the brilliant scarlet of the Japan Quince — Pyrus Japonica — in bloom at the same time. This variety succeeds well in any soil and situation, but, if possible, it should be in a somewhat shaded place, where the sun will not reach it in winter with force. It is so low, how- ever, that it keeps pretty well in the shade. It is easily propagated from seeds and by division of the plant, as it throws up radical shoots freety. The Privet. — The common Privet, or Prim, as some call it, is a hardy shrub, growing from five to six feet in height in its wild state, tenanting rather moist thickets and hedges, on a gravelly or rocky soil, but it grows well in any situa- tion and in all soils. It may be propa- gated by seeds, layers, or cuttings. The plants are well suited for making cut- hedges in gardens, especially the ever- green varieties of the common Privet. The branches are straight, and filled with pitch, and the wood is hard. A variety of the Privet may be found growing in a wild state, on the high, rocky, moist lands south of the Sailor's Snug Harbor, Staten Island. The Yew Tree is a genus of ornamental evergreen trees, well adapted for under- wood, as they thrive under the shade and drip of other trees. They are also very ornamental when planted to form hedges. They will grow in any moist soil, but suc- ceed best in loams and clays. They are chiefly propagated from seeds, which eliould be sown as soon as ripe ; but can also be increased by cuttings formed of either one or two years' wood, and planted in a shady border, in the beginning of April or the end of August. In England the common Yew tree is the only indigen- ous species. " The trunk is straight, with a smooth, deciduous bark. Leaves, two-rowed, crowded, linear, flat, and about an inch long, and dark green. Fruit drooping, consisting of a sweet, internally glutinous, scarlet berry. The leaves are foetid and very poisonous, and prove speedily fatal to cattle accidentally tasting them when young and tender. The berries have a sweet, murkish taste, and may be eaten without danger." We have noticed several fine specimens of the Yew tree growing at Haddonfield, N. J., said to have been imported from England more than one hundred and fifty years ago. They were trimmed or trained into different forms, such as globes, pyra- mids, &c., one or two looking more like a green hay-stack than any thing we could liken them to. We have also found a dwarf or prostrate variety of the Yew in the vicinity of the Catskill Momitain House. The foliage is a dense mass of dark green. In England it is more gen- erally found in grave-yards than any other tree. The Water Andromeda is a low evergreen shrub, found on the borders of swamps. LinuEens has thrown a charm around this delicate shrub in his description of it, pub- .lished in his Tour in Lapland, where he compared its flesh-colored corolla to the beauty of a fine female complexion. It requires protection in winter. Dwarf Cassa7idria is another low ever- green shrub, distinguished for its copper- colored leaves and showy vernal flowers. Found more common than the Andromeda, and requires the same protection. The Ink Berry is still another evergreen shrub, of a handsome appearance, with the flowers in the axil of the leaves, suc- ceeded by black berries. It is usually found in wet swamps, but it may be seen on the margin of the ]\Iagnolia Swamp, in Gloucester, Mass., in a comparatively dry and rocky soil. Under ciUtivation it is well to give it j)rotection in winter. The Cow Berry, a very rare woody plant, is found in North Danvers, Mass., and is distinguished for its fine evergreen leaves, its pretty pink flowers, and small red, acid 32 The Hortiailturist. fruit. It is found in a dry soil, of easy- culture, and may prove worthy of cultiva- tion for its fruit, as it can be used like the cranberry, which it much resembles. [Mr. Bement's copy being imperfect, we close his article here, with the hope that he will complete it in our next. — Ed.] ^ » 0-^-»t>" OF VARIABLENESS IN" THE PEAR TREE. (EXPERIMENTS MADE IN THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, FROM 1853 TO 1862, BY M. DEGAISNE.) TRANSLATED BY L. V. DOVILLIERS. In 1853 I sowed a large number of pear seeds, chosen the preceding year from well known and distinct varieties, viz. : our old English pear, known to every body, the Bosc pear, shaped like a long gourd, and of a cinnamon color ; the Belle Alliance pear, rounded in form, of a red and yellowish color ; and the Sanger pear, a wild variety, or nearly so, and thus named because its leaves recall, by their whitish, velvet-like appear- ance, that of the common sage. For this last sowing, I have used all the crop of a tree which grows isolated from all others. Only a small number of these trees have begun to bear, otherwise the results might have been still more satisfactory. Thus, in the variety of the Sanger pear, the only trees that have borne fruit have given four distinct varieties : one ovoid in form, quite green in color ; the second less elongated, and almost maliform, partly red, partly green ; a third still more rounded ; finally, a fourth, regularly pyriform, more than twice as large as the preceding, and en- tirely yeUow. From La Belle Alliance pear have come nine new varieties, none of which resemble the parent fruit, either in size, color, or time of maturity. There are two especially that I will notice, one for its size, more than double that of La Belle Alliance pear ; the other, by its rounded form, resembles mali- form pears. The Bosc pear gave equally three new fruits different from the type, one of the three being so similar to one of the fruits obtained from the Sanger pear, that it is hardly to be distinguished from it. The va- rieties are quite as numerous as in those of the English pear, the six trees that have so far given fruit having produced six new forms, as different from each other as from the parent stock. One of them gave winter fruit not unlike the St. Germain pear. A great many horticulturists believed, and Van Mons among them, that the seed of good fruit produced wild trees with sour fruit, thus going back, as it is supposed, to origi- nal types. I do not hesitate to affirm to the contrary ; and I defy them to cite a single example of a fruit of good quality, fecundated by the pollen of its own flower, whose seed has given birth to a wild tree. Should a good variety, artificially or by insect, be fecundated by a wild one with sour fruit, there will certainly come from these seeds new varieties which will mostly, if not all, be inferior to it. It is equally certain that any good variety of the pear tree, or even of all our fruit trees, self fecundated, will pro- duce good fruit. They will probably differ in some feature or other from the parent va- riety, but none will take the type of the wild specie. [This is a most interesting subject, and we thank our correspondent for the translation. The Van Mons theory has now few followers. In raising seedlings from cultivated varieties of fruit, the variations will often be remarka- ble. The variations are more striking in some kinds of fruit than others. But this is a subject that can not be followed in a note. We shall have some interesting facts to pre- sent when speaking of seedling grapes. — Ed.] Grapes at St. Louis. 33 GRAPES AT ST. LOUIS. BY J. M. JORDAN. MiJ. Editou — I always read with much interest your articles on the cultivation of the grape; for that is a subject that inter- ests many here in the West, and as we are yet experimenting with many kinds, I be- lieve we have arrived at the conclusion of a few facts in regard to some varieties of grapes. I read with much interest the ar- ticle in the July number, by "D.," on the Concord. Also, the reply in the next num- ber, by our friend from Hermann. There is no use to try to make the water in the Mississippi run the other way, or to convince the thousands that the Concord grape is not a good one to grow, to sell, to make money, to feed the millions on, in this great valley. Our Eastern friends must know that Western men love the big things — lakes, rivers, valleys, prairies, and Con- cord (jrcifes. I have some twelve hundred vines, four years old, in full bearing, (as you could expect,) after propagating some sixty thousand layers. I don't pretend to be so perfect in my taste as to decide on the mer- its or demerits of a grape, but I think the best way is to let the masses decide. They have called for grapes, and we have given them Concord; and they have said they were good, very good. I must say, I believe friend " D." under- rated the Concord, as did our friend at Her- mann the Delaware. I have a number of hundreds of Delaware doing very finely, and shall plant more this fall. Men's tastes dif- fer ; some men say lager 'bier is sweet ; but I think it would be hard to convince our children of it, or that the Delaware grape w^as not sweet. Of all the different kinds I have, I prefer the Delaware. It is a good grower on rich, well-drained loam, or sandy soil. In poor clay I would advise grafting it on a native vine, or Clinton. Here the Delaware grows enough ; just right for vine- yard culture, where we grow to stakes, and I think in a few years will be largely grown. I would gladly speak of many other kinds, but have not grown them long enough to prove them, such as Rogers' Hybrids ; but I shall never try to sell any grape that is not worthy of a specific name. This num- bering of grapes is very troublesome to the propagator, and should be discountenanced by men in the trade. The Taylor is a very rampant grower, and must be planted on poor soil. It will not bear high cultivation ; it is apt to blast. On poor soil it does well by leaving on plenty of wood. Hartford Prolific is doing finely. The Creveling promises well. If desirable, I will keep you posted on some sixty varieties. Mr. Editor, as you have promised to visit Hermann this fall, I would be pleased to have you call here on your way, and we will be able to show you some grapes, as well as fine pears, and tell you what we are going to do. [We are glad to hear from you. As you say, there is no use in trying to make the Mississippi run the other way. In regard to the merits of grapes, the masses will no doubt decide this matter in the right vray in good time. Their tastes are now being educated for the purpose, and we daily see illustrations of it. In regard to D. and Mr. Husman, they both admitted the Delaware to be the best grape. They disagreed, how- ever, as to which each could grow most profitably. The disagreement, we believe, has been amicably settled over a bottle of Delaware wine. We shall be glad to hear from you about the other grapes referred to. We were prevented by illness from making but few visits this fall ; but we have arranged to travel west with Mr. Downing next fall, and take all our parish- ioners by the hand. — Ed.] The Horticulturist. MONUMENTS. BY A PARISH MINISTER. The subject of monuments to our de- parted kindred and friends, is one which I do not remember to have seen in the Hor- ticulturist ; and yet, it seems to me, it might properly come within the scope of your journal, as a subject which touches our profoundest feelings and most sacred associations. Within the last twenty-five or thirty years, much interest has been manifested m rural cemeteries, and very large expenditures have been made in the neighborhood of many of our cities in es- tablishing and beautifying those sleeping places of the dead. Take, for example, Oreenwood, Mount Auburn, and Laurel Hill, the cemeteries of three of our prin- cipal cities. They are thickly sown with the sacred dust of the dear departed, who have gone before, and who are silently awaiting the great resurrection. It is meet, certainly, that their resting places should be marked by some monumental stone, some fitting memorial of the affec- tion of the living, and the virtues of the dead. And so they are designated, in many instances, by the costly cenotaph and the richly sculptured marble. In the neighboring cemetery of your own metrop- olis, almost as much cost has been lavished upon the embellishment of the city of the dead as the city of the living. But in neither of them can much be said in favor of the taste displayed in the bestowment of so much cost. We are a Christian people, professedly. We commit our kindred's dust to the earth, "looking for the general resurrection in the last day, and the life of the world to come. ' ' Our Christian creed comprehends an uprising through Him who is the Res- urrection and the Life. But in most in- stances there is no recognition of this faith in our cemeteries beyond the solemn words used in the burial of the dead. Our head- stones, and monuments, and tombs are not Christian in their form and symbolism. Heathen or classic devices, urns or inverted torches, Egyptian cenotaphs or unmeaning sculpture — under such as these sleeps the dust of those who died " in the comfort of a reasonable, religious, and holy hope," and were buried by Christian hands ! It may be said, indeed, that these forms and symbols are varied and graceful, and do not offend a cultivated taste, while the ruder monuments, in which these old es- tablished forms are not found, would be distasteful. But for myself and my dear departed kindred, I would sooner have the roughest cross, cut out of the commonest stone by the rudest handicraft, than the costliest marble designed by classic genius, and sculptured with the purest and most expressive symbols of heathen taste. These things are offensive to a truly cultivated taste, to say nothing of a right religious sentiment. We have confessed the Christian faith living, shall we deny it when we have passed away to the fruition of its blessed- ness ? Is this the way that the Christian believer, "being dead, yet speaketh?" We should have Christian monuments in our Christian burial places, and then our graves would preach to us the same doc- trines of resurrection and life in which we find our only hope and consolation. Editor's Table. 35 EDITOE'S TABLE. To Contributors and Others. — Commiuiications, Letters, Catalogues, Periodicals, Remittances, Packages by Express, Advertisements, &c., should be directed to Mead & Woodward, Editors and Proprietors, 37 Park Row, New York. Exchanges should be addressed to "The Horticulturist." Our New Volume. — Like others, we look around, at the beginning of the year, for new fields of usefulness, and to see how the old ones may be improved. We can very plainly see that some interests have been neglected. We have given a large share of attention to the grape, not alone that we seemed to be fitted for it, but because it is a great and absorbing interest, and needed special direction, if not encouragement. But the apples, and pears, and other fruits have now and then uttered an unmistakable grumble of neglect, and the flowers have given forth such plaintive cries of reproach, that at last we are fairly won back to the whole family, and have resolved that hereafter we will not, if possible, neglect a single one of them. We shall keep them all close around us, a happier family than any of the "humans." We shall make no promises, but let the improvements speak for themselves. We hope to retain all our old subscribers, and add a long list of new ones to them. If om- old subscribers, in renewing their subscriptions, would send in one or two new names, it would greatly increase our facilities for improv- ing the magazine. There are many who can do this, and we trust that they will. The Double Zinnia. — The past season has served to give this novelty a promin- ent and permanent place in the garden. The rule has been fine large double flowers ; the exceptions a few semi-double or single ones. The colors are nearly as numerous as in the single kinds, and quite as bright and as good. The flowers are finely imbricated, with the center well up, and as nearly perfect in form as well can be. We saw at Messrs. Fleming & David- son's some splendid specimens during the past season. When it was first intro- duced some disappointment was occa- sioned in consequence of the flowers not opening double ; and we know of instances wiiere hundreds were pulled up and thrown aw^ay ; but fully 90 per cent, of these would have developed their double character if they had been allowed to grow. It should be understood that the flowers become double as they expand. We can heartily commend the Double Zinnia to all who have a garden. Death of Donald Beaton. — We have been pained to see, in a recent number of the Cottage Gardener, the announcement of the death of Donald Beaton, at the age of 62. He was one of those rare men who belong to their profession at large, and we willingly pay our tribute to his memory. We had learned much of his private worth through Mr. Townsend and others ; but w'e knew him chiefly through his writings in the Cottage Gardener ; and these, aside from their marked ability, touched a sympa- thetic cord in our bosom, from the simple fact that many of his articles contained the results of experiments very similar to those which in former years engaged our own attention. Mr. Beaton was a remarkable man, and a writer of great power. Both in the science and practice of his profes- sion he occupied a very distinguished po- 36 The HorticuUurist. sition. As a wi-iter he was earnest, can- did, and manly. His style was spirited, humorous, and vivacious in the extreme. An original thinker, he has left his mark on the age in which he lived. We can well imagine hoAV much he will be missed. But we leave his associates, who knew him so well, to speak of him in the follow- ing extract from the Cottage Gardener : "For a considerable time past, since his last illness, Mr. Beaton had been in a uni- versally good state of health, and had be- come as active and vivacious as he ever was in his best days. He was constantly engaged in attending to his plants and in reading up the latest horticultural informa- tion ; but on Thursday evening last he was suddenly seized with an attack of jDaratysis, which entirely deprived him of the use of his left side, and from six o'clock on the morning of Friday till the time of his death he was perfectly insensible. " There are none who knew Mr. Beaton personally, and few Avho kneAv him only by his writings, who will not regret to hear of this event. For upwards of thirty years he was in the van of English horticulture, and for many years the leader of that branch of it which more immediately con- cerns the flower garden. To Mr. Beaton we are mainly indebted for the direction that has been given to the modern style f'f English flower gardening, saving that ] ;irt of it which is distinguished as ' the poly- chrome style,' and it is generally allowed that through his articles, as published peri- odically in the pages of this Journal, his fine taste and skill in the harmonizing of colors have exercised an influence which has operated in all the best garden estab- lishments in the country. ' ' It was not in the practice of gardening alone that Mr. Beaton excelled. Although he has not taken a position among botanists, he was no mean proficient in that science, and there is, perhaps, not another exam- ple on record in the history of our British gardening of one who applied that science more skilfully and beneficially to the prac- tice of horticulture. His knowledge of botany was not of that common order which consists in the running over the names of plants ; but whether on questions affecting the alliances, the structure, or the physiology of plants, he was equally acquainted with them all, and he possessed an originality of thought, a keen percep- tion, and a strength of intellect that ena- bled him to step aside from many of the received opinions, and to promulgate views which some of the most eminent physi- ologists of the day were not slow to ac- cept. Even as a botanist, however, his name will always be on record, the late Hon. and Rev. Dean Herbert, himself an accomplished botanist, and one who could well appreciate the talents and worth of such a man as Mr. Beaton, having founded the genus Beatonia in honor of him. "^As a friend Mr. Beaton was sincere, cordial, and constant; as a neighbor, gen- erous, benevolent, and kind ; and as a man, he exemplified, in all his relations in life, the strictest integrity, a scrupulous sense of honor, a forgiving disposition, and a charitable feeling to all with whom he was brought into contact. His playful humor, with which our readers are so familiar, was perhaps the most prominent feature of his character, because it was that which he had the most frequent opportunity of exercising ; but no other of the character- istics we have mentioned were less devel- oped, although there were not the same opportunities for exhibiting them. " The editors of this Journal feel acutely the final loss of their esteemed friend and fellow-laborer. Fourteen years of daily intercourse knitted them and him closely together, and enabled them thoroughly to appreciate his sterling worth, and to know full well the benefits they derived from his aid. In him they had an able coadjutor. And what though at times he was hasty in his assertions ? he was always hearty. If he chafed occasionally at opposition, in good time he made amends by proofs of his correctness or acknowledgment of his error ; and he never depreciated the mer- its or undervalued the attainments of those Editor's Table. 37 who were laborers or students with him in the same field. " To the last he devoted himself to his favorite pursuits ; he literally died in the midst of them, for it was when in the act of providing protection for his favorite flowers for the winter that he was seized by the disease which so soon proved fatal." We learn that a fund is already being raised in England to erect a suitable mon- ument to Mr. Beaton's memory. It has been proposed by Messrs Buchanan, David- son, and other friends of Mr. Beaton in this country, to contribute something to the fund as a mark of respect to his mem- ory. We think the movement a verj^ proper one, and have consented to receive and forward any sums that may be sent to us for this purpose. We honor talent and downright manly worth wherever found. Thunbergia. — During a visit at Mr. Downing's, we were much pleased with his manner of growing the Thunbergia. The common method is to train it on a frame or strings ; but Mr. Downing lets it run in a mass on the ground, Avhich it completely covers. The flowers shoot up above the surface, and look charming, with their pretty buff coats and dark eyes. In this way the Thunbergia might be made an effective bedding plant. We hope some of our readers will try it. Verbena Montana. — We have received through Mr. Downing a plant of this new Verbena. It came, we think, from Ne- braska, and is said to be hardy. It was received as dry as a chip. Not wishing to run any risk in losing it, we potted it, and it is now showing signs of life. Not having seen the flower, we can not describe it. It seems to have a robust habit, and may prove to be an acquisition. We can judge better nest season. Flavor op Grapes. — We have just seen (Dec. 18) in the Magazine of Horticulture some comments on our criticism of the New York Grape Show. It is too late for more than a few brief remarks. Friend liovcy says the criticism is in " very bad taste," and is " poor advice to offer." As wc offered no advice in the premises, we need say nothing on this point. In regard to the bad taste, we take issue. Commit- tees are not infallible, and their acts are open to criticism in common with others. We have at least on two former occasions criticised the action of committees, but its bad taste seems to have been quite over- looked. But, to be brief, we do not know of a single editor of a horticultural magazine, either American or foreign, who has not indulged in this bad taste ; and we place you, friend Hovey, pretty nearly at the head of the list. On this subject we are in good company. The truth is, however, there is no bad taste about it ; it is simply the discharge of a duty. Mr. Hovey says that he does not consider that flavor is quality. The man who undertakes to separate them, either philologically or pomologically, will have a herculean task before him. Flavor is quality, and the precise quality that was to rule on the occasion in question, as seems to us very j)lain ; hence our criticism, and for no other reason whatever. We had not the least idea of saying any thing to detract from the real merits of the Adirondac, which we have commended over and over again. Friend Hovey says he never could see much flavor in the Delaware. All we can say is, that we are sorry, for his own sake, that he can. not perceive what is really there, for he deprives himself of a source of large enjoyment. Mr. Hovey further says, " The complaint is, that it [the Adirondac] wants character, and the same may be said of the Hamburgh." That, it seems to us, is putting it quite as strong as we did. The Hamburgh, certainly, is not a high-flavored grape, and would not, on this point, take a prize over the Muscat of Alexandria, Chasselas Musque, and others. This is precisely the point embraced in our criticism. Report of the Commissioner op Agricul- ture.— We have received the Report for 1862, but have not finished its examination. 38 Tlie HorticuUurist. Coi'*resx30iideiiLce. Editor Hortioultukist, — I have been very much annoyed the past three years with caterpillars in my cold vinery. They are from a white moth that lays its eggs on the underside of the leaf. I have tried hand- picking ; but enough will always escape to start a new crop. I do not see them on vines in the open air, although I often see what I suppose to be the same kind crawling about. Oan you give me a remedy ? Three years ago I wrote to you, asking what it was that was eating my grapes, both in the early and cold house. You could not inform me, but said it was not an insect, as I suggested. It proved to be mice, and is easily remedied by the common trap. I men- tion it for the reason that I have seen no mention of their depredations in the HoETt- OULTUEIST, nor iu any of the works on the grape. They eat only a few from the top of each bunch, but soil the rest, rendering them unfit for use. One word more : I notice that in the works on the grape the Cannon Hall Muscat is mentioned as a late gi'ape, and ^ some works speak of it as difficult to ripen without tire heat. It has fruited with me the past two years, and ripens with the White Frontignan, (I think a day or two earlier,) and, of course, some days before the Black Hamburgh. Truly yours, W. Newarl\ Wayne Co., N. Y. [In regard to the caterpillars, you should at the proper season look over the vines, and destroy the eggs. This is better than all the mixtures we could recommend. This, and picking off by hand the few that will escape, will soon free you from this pest. We knew, from your description, that it could not be an insect that destroyed your grapes. Mice are sometimes a great pest in the grapery, not only eating the grapes, but destroying the vines themselves. Costar's rat remedy will soon clear them out ; and if a new colony comes in, as sometimes happens, they must be treated in like manner. The Muscat is a difHcult grape to grow without fire heat. Under favorable circumstances it will ripen nearly at the same time as the Hamburgh. It will hang for a long time. The books are about right. — Ed.] Editor Horticulturist, — In answer to your inquiries in the September number of the Horticulturist, in regard to the com- position of my soil, aspect, and the variety of Rhododendron planted, I will state that my exposure is north-northeast. The most of my grounds is limestone clay, the sub- soil abounding in limestone pebble ; in many places the pebble is intermixed in the soil. Both of the plants were the Oatawbiense variety. One of these I planted on high ground; dug a large hole, and used for compost a mixture of black alluvial soil, where hogs had been fatted one year pre- vious, with a little sand from the river, with some compost. The other plant was set on lower ground, where it was naturally rich ; on ground that had never been cultivated but once, of a tolerably deep, black, loamy nature, where limestone pebbles abound pretty plentifully. I added some light sandy loam from the river. The place was moist, not v/et. Both plants were well mulched, and occasionally watered, as needed. If you can now correct my errors, if I have made any, so that I can grow this superb plant, and explain the reason why, in both cases, the plants made a good growth the first season, and afterwards became sickly the second season, and made but feeble growth, and died outright the third year, you will lay me under lasting obli- gations. Very respectfully, E. Manning. Harrisburgh, Franklin Co., 0. [Planting Ehododendrons on ground where hogs had been fattened, would cause the death of probably 90 per cent, of them. Editor's Table. 39 Wo can sec notliing in yonr exposure, or in yonr soil naturally, to ])revent tlie Ehodo- (leiulron from growing well. Select an east- ern exposure, protected, if possible, by trees or u fence. Break the soil np very fine, and add leaf mould, if the soil is not naturally rich in vegetable matter, but avoid all kinds of manure. Manure will cut off the fine fibers the moment they reach it. Procure varieties of the Oatawbiense that have been grown in pots, if possible ; plant them care- fully, breaking up the soil around the roots very fine, and we have no doubt you will produce beautiful specimens of the Rhodo- dendron.— Ed.] I am desirous of cultivating a few plums. I already have several trees, but the cro^j is uniformly destroyed by the curculio. My impression is, that if the plum can be attached to a trellis, I could have it (or the curculio) better under my control. Please answer the question in your next issue, and name some good varieties of the plum that Avill do well in that form of cidture, (if any,) and oblige Yours, &c., J. L. R. Haddonfield, N. J. [You would have had better success if you had practiced jarring ; but you may grow 3'our phmis on a trellis, and cover them with netting during the season of the cur- culio. Besides, if you train your trees " en cordon," planting them three feet apart, you will have a source of almost endless amusement. The following are a half dozen of the best for this purpose : Green Gage, Washington, Jefferson, Blue Imperatrice, Imperial Gage, Bleeker's Gage.— Ed.] Editor Horticulturist, — I inclose a leaf from a Delaware grape. It is the first of the kind I have observed, and only to be found on one vine. Of that vine a large number were thus afiected. Can you say what it is ? I have been for many years a reader of the HoETictii.TrRisT, and never have been so well pleased as since under yonr control. The custom of allowing contributors full sway without comment, permits many an error to obtain, which by a few judicious remarks are shorn of their evil tendencies. Your posi- tion, as filled by you, reminds me of the careful cultivator using the pruning knife to push a growth or lop one away, as may be needed for the health of the plant under treatment. You will hear, ere long, from this part of your horticultural domain, in the way of grapes. Could you visit us on your way out, we think we could show you Catawbas that would almost set aside your favorite Dela- wares. We claim to have one of the best grape regions to be found in the West, not excepting that of our Missouri friends. You must not think of a hurried visit when you come, as we all claim an inferest in you, though we do not know you person- ally. I set out this season a few hundred Dela- wares, and would like to show you that they will grow. I can not say what has caused it, for I have used no manure nor subsoiled, and yet I have Delawares that have grown six feet, besides numerous laterals. I was surprised, but none the less pleased v,-ith the growth. I have several other varie- ties, but my vineyard is yet ' too young to report upon. This has been emphatically a fruit season, all kinds having produced abundantly. The very dry weather has caused peaches to ripen before reaching their full size. The serrated peaches all mildew in the leaf, especially in such dry seasons. The white fruits, such as La Grange, Morris White, &c., mildew upon the fruit, causing them as they swell to crack open and become worthless. Excuse me, I did not intend this. I wanted you to see the leaf, and forgot myself. Yours, J. E. Starr. Eminence, III. [We should have answered your letter be- fore ; but as your leaf is the same as Dr. Garbcr s, in answering him we answered you (partially) and several others. The leaf Ls 40 The Horticulturist. literally covered with excrescences, and in each you will find a small yellow worm. We have seen here and there an excrescence for many years, but never such a multitude as during the past season. They appear chiefly on the ends of the shoots, and must be inju- rious when they are so numerous. You should cut off the ends of the shoots, and burn them up. We thank you for your ap- preciation of our manner of editing the maga- zine. It involves a great deal of labor, but we could not do it otherwise, and be ourself. Our chief aim is to do good, and it is pleas- ant to be understood and appreciated. When we come to see you, it shall not be in a hur- ried manner, but we shall take time to see you all, and talk about grapes and all manner of fruits. We are particularly pleased to hear of every instance of success in growing the Delaware at the West. Success is the rule; failure the exception. We shall be pleased to hear from you again. — Ed.] Editor Horticultiteist,— As I have a little place near the city, and have under- taken the cultivation of grapes, having two years ago set out over two hundred vines, and not being experienced in grape matters, I rely very much upon your Hints oil Grape Culture, to judge whether my man is manag- ing right or not ; and, therefore, a loss of a single link in the chain of instructions you are giving in each number, is a loss not to be overlooked. Next spring will be the commencement of the third year for the vines. The exposure is an east by south- east ; the soil is a gravelly, clayey loam ; by going dov^n three feet the gravel increases in size, and, I think, more mixed with sand. I trenched thirty inches, with bones and manure mixed in, and turned under with the top soil when trenching. The plants are eight feet apart in rows six feet apart. Dela- ware and Concord are the principal grapes. I have also five or six other varieties, but only for variety, I intend to plant Dela- ware altogether hereafter, should I find the location, soil, etc., well adapted for it. I have adopted the general system. Should you see any thing that you think would be advisable for me to do under the circumstances, to assist in developing this little vineyard, please do so. Yours truly, J. Pittsburgh, Oct. 5, 1863. [We judge, from your letter, that you are doing every thing properly. Y^our exposure is good, your soil suitable, and its prepara- tion judicious, only you should add some fine muck if you can get it. The distance of eight feet is too much for the Delaware ; it is using your ground unprofitably. We there- fore advise you to put in another Delaware between them, so as to have them four feet apart, and adopt the double-arm system first described in our " Hints." We shall be glad to advise you at all times. — Ed.] Editor Horticultfeist, — I have several lilies on my grounds that I would like to get the true names of while you are among the lilies. The first is a short grower, a foot and a half high, foliage drooping, dark color, flowers upright, orange spotted, from six to twelve on the stalk. Done flowering. 12th of July. The next begins to flower about the same time,(tbe 12th,) grows taller, leaves longer, flowers stand up, and about the same color as the above, I have another lily, flowers white in the fall, just before the frosts in October ; pale green foliage, flowers and leaves stand up, over a foot high. By giving the names of the above lilies in the Horticulturist, you will very much oblige a subscriber, B. Losee. Golurg, G. W. • [We can hardly undertake to give the proper names of your lilies from such an imperfect description. Nothing is said of the form of the leaf, flower, etc. You see as the matter now stands, a dozen or more of this tribe start up and say, " I'm his lily ! " and we are unable to decide between them. The first mentioned may be Mac- ulatum, and the last a Hermerocallis. Give us a sketch on paper, if you can, of the leaf and flower. — Ed.] THE HORTICULTURIST. VOL. XIX FEBRUARY, 1864 .NO. CCXH. lints 011 §rap €ulix\xt-xxxiY. In response to a number of inquiries, we devote the present article to Roads. These are a necessary adjunct to a vine- yard, and must not be overlooked. They take up room that might otherwise be de- voted to vines ; but they save so much manual labor that they can not well be dis- pensed with, unless the vineyard be of very moderate dimensions. Their useful- ness and necessity should be apparent when it is taken into consideration that the vineyard must at times be manured, and the crop gathered and removed. The intervals between the roads should be so regulated as to lessen as much as possible all labor necessarily performed by hand. As a general rule, the principal roads should be from forty to fifty feet apart, and nyj at right angles with the rows, un- less a steep hillside should render this im- practicable. There should also, except in small vineyards, be one or more roads run- ning parallel with the rows, as an addition- al convenience for cartage. In vineyards where vines are in rows eight or ten feet apart, the cart is usually driven between the rows ; but we consider the practice open to objection. The reader will get a better idea of the subject from an illustration, for which pur- pc e we have prepared Fig. 1, repre- senting a portion of a vineyard. The vines are planted four feet apart in rows six feet from each other. Here every thirteenth vine is omitted, which makes roads a, a, eight feet wide, at intervals of forty-eight feet, which is a convenient distance. One row of vines is omitted for the paral- lel road, b, twelva feet wide. A conven- ient distance for these parallel roads is about one hundred feet. At the time the vineyard is planted, it would be but a little additional trouble to lay out all these roads of a uniform width of eight or ten feet. Now let us see how these roads are to be used. We will say, for example, that the vineyard is to be manured. The cart is to be driven to the entrance of road o, and as much manure thrown off on each side, between the two first rows, as will suffice for half a row. The cart is then moved forward, and a heap of manure placed at the enti'ance of the next two rows ; and so on till all the rows have been supplied. If the thing is rightly done, there wiU be a heap of manure on both sides of the road Entbbed according to Act of Congress, In the year 1864, by Mead i Woodwabd, in ttie Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. February, 1864. 42 The Horticulturist. at the head of each row. The manure should be thrown in as far as possible, to save labor in the spreading. The cart will pass through all the roads in this manner ; after which the manure is to be spread. In doing this, begin at the heap, and scat- ter the manure as far as possible with the fork. There will be a small space in the Fig. 1. middle not reached in this way, and to this the remaining manure must be carried in a barrow. There will not probably be more than one good barrow load left at each heap, and the labor will consequently be light. If the roads were a little closer together, say about thirty feet, the manure could all be spread from the heaps ; but the economy of giving up so much of the vine- yard to roads may well be doubted. Let us now turn our attention to the use of these roads at the time of vintage. The cart enters the road as before, and stops at the head of the first row. The labor- ers gather the fruit from half the rows on each side of the road, and put it in bas- kets ; when these are full, they are carried to the cart, which is moved along as the fruit is gathered. In passing through the next road, the fruit on the other half of the rows is gathered. In taking the fruit from half the rows at a time, much labor is sav- ed in running back and forth ; and every step saved in the vineyard is a penny gained. We have learned, that in laying out vine- yards, much trouble is experienced in get- ting the lines at right angles to each other. The same difficulty is met with in laying out orchards, giardens, &c. There are seve- ral ways of meeting it, two of which are here given. It will be borne in mind, however, that vineyards are sometimes located where right-angled lines are not desirable. Fig. 2 is an illustration of the most usual mode of laying oif aright-angled line or corner. Determine where the first row c Fig. 2. is to run, and spring your line accordingly. Let this line be represented by the line a, b. Next spring the line in the direction b, c. Measure off 8 feet on a, b, and put a pin in the line at that point. In the same way measure oif 6 feet on the line b, c. The pins will be at a and c. Now take a string or a pole 10 feet long ; place one end at a, and move the line b, c till the other end of the string or pole meets the pin at c. The lines will then be at right angles with each other. If three narrow pieces of board, re- Hardy Ferns. 4^5 spectively 6, 8, and 10 feet long, be nailed together, a right-angled triangle will be formed, which will often be found useful on the farm in laying off orchards, vine- yards, fences, foundations, &c. When these pieces are put together, the above measurements should be on the outside edge. Another method, and one which we have generally used for many years, we first saw in Davies's Practical Matliemati.es, a very able and useful work. It is illus- trated in Fig. 3, and is of easy and rapid application. Determine the direction of the first row or line, and in springing your line extend it six or eight feet beyond the Fig. 3. 5' 5' point at which the angle or corner is to be formed. Let B, C, be this line, and A the corner. At A drive in a small peg or make a little hole. From A measure off 5 feet to C, and put in a peg or pin. Next measure ofi"5 feet in the opposite direction to B, and put in another peg or pin. Then take a string 10 feet long ; place one end at C, and describe an arc. Change the end of the string toB, and describe another arc. The two arcs will intersect each other at D. Now stretch your line so that it passes directly over A and the point where the arcs in- tersect each other, which will form the line A, D, at right angles with the line B, C. The points where the arcs are described should be made firm and smooth with the foot. In both the examples the lines shoud be stretched tight. We have directed 5 feet to be measured off, and a radius of 10 feet to be used ; but any equal distances may be measured off on B, C, even two feet, and the arcs formed with any radius greater, than this. The measurements given above , however, are found to be very convenient in practice. By one or other of the above methods the reader will experience little difficulty in laying off his rows. And here, somewhat abruptly and un- expectedly, we terminate these " Hints " as a connected series. We had designed, when we began them, to describe several other methods of train- ; ing, particularly some adapted to the garden, as well as other interesting details, including wine making, packing, &c.; but circumstances have occurred which have determined us to concluded where we are. The promised book, how- ever, will be given to the public in good time ; and this will include every thing the grape grower should know. HARDY FERNS BY WILLIAM J. DAVIDSON, NEW YORK. In every garden there is some nook where, shaded from the sun's genial rays, few if any favorite flowers can be grown, and which, from that very cause, is often an eyesore the season round. In such a spot Ferns delight to grow, and will there develop their elegant and graceful fronds, and with their varied colors and feathery forms will impart to the hitherto barren spot a charm and a freshness peculiar to themselves. In the green-house and conservatory also they form a beautiful ground-work and re- lief to the more brilliantly colored and rich foliage plants, while in the stove house the finer exotic species revel in the heat and moisture necessary for the proper cultivation of tropical plants, adding a richness and variety to the effect which no other class of plants can give. With your permission, Mr. Editor, I would offer a few remarks on the manage- 44 The Horticulturist. ment of Hardy Ferns, in the hope of call- ing attention to a much neglected class of plants, confident that any one who once commences their cultivation will not think his time or space misemployed. The first necessity for their proper cultivation is sh.ade ; for though some varieties are found in open meadows or on exposed rocks, yet they never approach to that health and luxuriance which they attain in a shady situation. The structure for their growth must be a matter of taste, though proba- bly the best mode of culture is on banks or rock-work composed of rough stones, the larger the better; "burrs" from a brick-kiln, or what, perhaps, looks as well as any, large, rough pieces of coke dipped twice or thrice in thin cement. These form beautiful "rocks," and being so light, might often be used to advantage in the glass Fern case. Old bricks form an excellent basis for a rock-work, serving at the same time for drainage, and from their porosity holding a larg-e quantity of mois- ture, are the best possible material to which the roots of ferns may attach themselves. It will be obvious to every one who has seen ferns grow, that a light sandy soil is the most natural, and, therefore, the most suitable. A liberal admixture of wood earth or leaf mould is desirable for some of the finer varieties, while for those that require it, as Cystopteris, some varieties of Asplenium, &c., a small quantity of lime rubbish should be used. The taller and stronger growing varieties may be grown in any good loamy soil, and should be planted principally to the back of the Fernerj^ so as to allow the finer va- rieties more light and a little more chance of being seen. ^Many of the small grow- ing, and some of the drooping kinds, may be planted in crevices of the rocks and stones, and will there soon flourish and make themselves at home. It is necessary, however, in planting, to imitate, as much as possible, their natural habits. Those found in low, damp situations will not flourish on a rock or dry bank, nor wiU na- tives of the mountain side grow well in a marshy situation. Take, for instance, our •' Woodsia ilvensis," so common in some localities, growing in crevices of the rocks, almost burnt up in summer, and faring still worse in winter. Common sense at once says, a low, damp situation will soon kill it ; but choose for it a high and com- paratively dry situation, as nearly ap- proaching its native habitat as possible, and you have every chance of success. In arranging the fernery, the deciduous and evergreen varieties should be so planted, that even in the winter months, when the foliage of the former has died off, the latter may still keep up the inter- est, and relieve the barrenness andrugged- ness of the rocks till the return of spring bids them all unfold new beauties. A liberal supply of water is also a requisite to the well being of ferns ; for in our hot summer days, if once allowed to flag, the beauty of the plants is gone for the season. A slight sprinkling overhead, with a fine syringe, in hot weather, will soon tell to their advantage, while the strong growing varieties should have as much at the roots as they can use, especially in the growing season. As regards the most suitable kinds, I would name the following as most easily procured, though many others, es- pecially the cultivated varieties of the British species, are equally desirable, and add fresh beauty and interest to any col- lection : Ostnunda cmnamomea, 0. spectabilis, 0. Claytoniana. — These are all common and very showy varieties, with contracted flower spikes, growing from 2 to 5 feet high, and delight in a moist situation. Onoclea smsihilis. — Also a common and beautiful fern, about 2 feet high. The fertile spike much contracted. Aspidiwn Novoboracense. — A beautiful pale green, delicate swamp fern, about 2 to 5 feet high. Aspidiwn spinulosum and its varieties are not uncommon, and are all beautiful. 1 to 2 feet high. A. cristatum. — ^A noble looking swamp A Country Chapel. 45 fern, with conspicuous fruit dots, two feet high. A. Goldianum, a more rare but stately and showy fern 2 to 4 feet high. A, marginale, and A. acrostichoides. — The fronds of these two species keep green through the winter. Very useful ferns, 1 to 3 feet high. Cystopteris fragilis, C. bvdbifera, Woodsia obtusa, an'd W. ilvetisis, have all beautifully divided fronds about a foot long, and are indispensable. Dicksonia punctilobula, a very graceful, sweet-scented fern about 3 feet high, found in moist, shady woods. Athyriumfilix-f(£niina, — The graceful "La- dy Fern" must have a conspicuous place ; a truly beautiful fern, 1 to 3 feet high. Several varieties of Asplenium can also be grown to advantage, and being ever- green, are especially valuable : Asplenium trichomanes, A. ebeneum, A. ruta- mnraria. — All dwarf varieties, from 2 to 12 inches high. The Camptosorus rhizophyllus and Scolo- pendrium officinarum, with its varieties , are also evergreen, and add greatly to the win- ter beauty of the former. Our beautiful " Maiden-hair Fern," Adi- antum pedatum, must also have a prominent situation, as mUst also Woodwardia radi- cans and W. Virginica, both beautiful and graceful ferns. Polypodium vulgare is also essential, and will thrive in almost any situation. Nor would I omit the rare Lygodium pal- matum, or '' Climbing fern," the different varieties of Botrychium, Ophioglossum, and Lycopodium, all to be had for the looking for, each new plant procured giving a fresh interest to and delight in the hardy fernery. These are all native Ferns, and the greater part of them can be gathered in an hour's ramble in the country. Of rarer cultivated hardy ferns, I would mention Aspidimn filix-mas cristata, a most beautiful fern. Polystickum (Aspidium) aiv- gulare, P. depauperatum , P. proliferum Wool- asioni, Blechnum spicant, and a few of the many varieties of Scolopendrium officinarvm, Polypodium vulgare, and Athyrium Jilix-fae- mina. [We are obliged to you, Mr. Davidson, for having introduced such an interesting subject. Very few know how much pleas- ure can be derived from a collection of native Ferns. For the ladies, especially, they have peculiar charms. Among the many interesting objects to be seen at Mr. Downing's, there is scarcely any thing more so than his wife's collection of native Ferns ; each one, in her case, is an endear- ing memento. To the ladies we would iu an especial manner commend the Ferns, both native and exotic. A large house, devoted entirely to these plants, would be a grand sight, with their diversified forms and graceful habits. Since you have your hand in, Mr. Davidson, we must call upon you to write an article on exotic Ferns for the ladies. You are altogether a ladies' man, and, of course, will be delighted with the task. We should. — Ed.] A COUNTRY CHAPEL. BY MEAD & WOODWARD, ARCHITECTS, &C., 37 PARK ROW, NEW YORK. Places of Christian worship, since the days of Constantine the Great, may almost be claimed as types of progress in them- selves. By him the early Christians were permitted to build some of their churches on the plan of the ancient BasilicEe, a kind of pubUc hall or court of judicature, construc- ted with porticoes, a large hall, aisles, and tribunals. This style was followed by the Romanesque and Gothic, stretching over a vast range of discordant detail and frag- mentary style ; but finally emerging from the gloom of centuries with all the signifi- cance of a purified and revolutionized art. 46 The Horticulturist. Figures 60 and 61 are designed to illus- ti'ate the simpler, purer tjpe of chapel edifice, suited to country worship, such as ought to be in every hamlet or village throughout the land. Churches are among the best evidences we can possibly have of the growth of a community in religious and moral culture ; and ever since the days when Jesus of Nazareth taught among men on the plains Fig. 60. — Perspective. of Palestine and the shores of Galilee, the wayworn and weary soul deepest, and way and the life, and wherever the sweet, lingered longest, there have stood places sad tones of His promise have thrilled the of Christian worship, like so many Bethle- Ground Plan. hem stars over against the incoming gen- eration, pointing out the way to liberty, light, and truth. It is a mournful thing to witness a thriv- ing village without a church ; filled, per- haps, with beautiful homes, upon whose bosoms have been poured the evidences of lengthened prosperity, and of love for those who dwell there ; yet amid all the luxury of tesselated floors and gilded ceil- An Ornamental Fruit and Vegetable Garden. 47 ings, not one thought of God who gave, bered roof and style of finish suited to its " not one tithe," not an offering to witness character, would be from $7,000 to $9,000, the gratitude of grateful hearts toward according to the locality and working facil- Him who is our strength and our reward, ities at hand. The cost of this chapel, with an open tim- AN ORNAMENTAL FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GARDEN. BY THE EDITOR. It is some time since we have given any give a sketch occasionally which may be thing in the way of a garden sketch. We devoted to some useful purpose. We can propose now to make amends for it, and conceive of no good reason why the fruit »//, • <3fez • • (Sf/./,. ' ^M • «//„ • ^llli. ' %/, land kitchen garden should not be made an cially where the garden must necessarily ornamental as well as useful feature, espe- be in sight ; and in grounds of limited ex- 4« The Horticulturist. tent concealment is not often possible. This was +he case in the present instance, the garden being in sight, not only from the dwelling, but also from the road. It was attempted, therefore, to make it an ori^amental feature, and we think not with- out success. In forming the beds of a kitchen garden, the sides, for obvious reasons, should be straight lines. If this rule is departed from, the beds should be made to assume such figures as will admit of straight lines within them, as far as possible. In plan- ning the accompanying design, this rule was kept in view. The corners are round- ed off, but the rule of straight lines as ad- hered to just as closely as though the cor- ners had been square ; but the effect to the eye has been greatly enhanced. In softening down the corners of the beds, an opportunity was also presented of break- ing up the stiffness and formality of the border, which still further increased the effect as a whole. Then, too, room was made in the center for a cistern or a rustic tool house, or both combined. Thus a slight departure from ordinary forms, care- fully worked up, converts a spot, usually any thing but attractive, into one that is neat, if not beautiful. We made the design for Byron Murray, Esq., at whose country seat at Englewood, N. J., it has been laid out. The effect is pleasing and satisfactory, and the plan is much admired. It is located on a piece of ground sloping gently to the south. On the north it is protected by a fence, and on the west by the stable. The exposure to the south and east is open. The sur- rounding border, ten feet wide, is planted with dwarf Pears, with a Currant bush be- tween. The four beds are fifty feet square, and along the margin, five feet from the walk, are planted dwarf Pears, with Goose- berry bushes between each. The beds may be variously appropriated. At A there are several rows of grape vines. B, C, and D are used for Asparagus, Rhubarb, Seakale, and Strawberries. E, F, G, and H will be used for vegetables, provision having been made elsewhere for Blackber- ries and Raspberries. The margins of the beds and the border will be used for Let- tuce, Radish, Spinach, and other low grow- ing plants. At I will be erected a rustic tool house. The stable yard is near by on the west, convenient for draAving manure, as well as for removing weeds, haulm, and other unsightly objects. We regard it as a neat, compact, and convenient garden. ^.^ » «^ A SUBURBAN SUMMER HOUSE, BY THE EDITOR. In the adornment of ornamental grounds, some considerable attention has been given to summer houses and similar structures ; but these have been mainly nistic in their design and finish, and in this respect well adapted to their purpose and surroundings. The good taste of these structures will not be called in question. There are locations, however, in the more immediate vicinity of our large cities, where a style less rustic would seem to be more in harmony with the architecture which is found to prevail. We refer to residences on the outskirts of our large cities, with inclosures containing a few city lots. Here the architecture, so far from being rural, is, on the contrary, stiff, sharp, iand sometimes very ornate. A rustic summer house in such a place would be an incongruity. A rustic house is in itself a beautiful object ; but there is a certain charm in association which can not be widely departed from without doing violence to our conseptions of the fitness of things ; and hence a purely rustic house without rural surroundings is destitute of the chief elements which give rise to the beautiful. Most persons would say it was out of place. Plant Houses. 49 The design herewith presented was pre- pared to meet the requirements of such a case ; it is consequently somewhat elabor- ate. It is located on a small plot of ground within the city limits, and in full view from three streets. The grounds are laid out with a few rectangular walks, and such shrubs as the small size of the place would admit of. The house, we think, corre- sponds with its surroundings. Its faults, if any, are a little too much ornament, but something of this kind seemed to be re- quired in the absence of that more beauti- ful ornamentation produced by the drapery of Nature. The house is so located that it receives the morning sun for a few hours, but during the rest of the day is in the shade ; it therefore coftstitutes a pleasant place of retreat for the family at all hours, and is used by the children freely as a play house. The floor is laid in narrow stuff, and is elevated a foot above the ground for the sake of dryness. Easy seats, a handsome center table, and a hanging lamp complete the interior. Venetian blinds afford ample protection on a misty day or a chilly night, or admit the soft sum- mer breeze on a hot and sultry eve. PLANT HOUSES.— IX. BY THE EDITOR. Our next illustration is a hot grapery that we designed several years since for J. Lanyer, Esq. It is forty-one feet long and twenty feet wide. Fig. 1 is a perspective view. It is covered with a low, continu- ous, curvilinear roof, and is without side lights. The omission of side lights mate- rially lessens the cost of the house, and secures additional warmth. In some cases, side lights serve no other purpose than architectural effect. Graperies, propaga- ting houses, and plant houses generally may very well be constructed without them ; some of these houses, indeed, are very much better without them. In the present instance, to prevent what is called a " squatty" appearance, and also to give additional headway, the side walls were carried up some twenty inches above the ground line. The house is thus made to assume a handsome appearance. Air is introduced into the house at the sides, through under-ground wooden air cham- bers opening on the inside near the walk. Instead of these wooden air chambers, we now use six inch glazed pipes, as being more convenient and durable. It is an effective and excellent mode of introducing I i 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 D - , B A C 1 I i 1 1 1 ll Fig. 62.— Ground Plan. fresh air, without letting it directly on the 50 The Horticulturist. Fig. 1.— Perspective. plants. Ventilation is effected by the sash over the end doors, and also by ventilators placed along the ridge board. Fig. 2 is the ground plan. At the north end a small room is partitioned off for a boiler pit. On one side is a chest of drawers for seeds, &c., and on the other some shelving. In connection with the boiler pit is a coal bin, not, however, of very large capacity. The house is heated by two four-inch pipes, the design being not to work the house very early. The border is entirely inside the house, and is composed principally of sod, muck, and gravel, with the addition of some old ma- nure and bone shavings. The vines have done well, annually ripening a fine crop of fruit, and the house has in all respects proved to be satisfactory. GLEANINGS FROM OUR NOTE BOOK. BY A. G. HANFORD. In our intercourse with farmers and fruit growers in different parts of the country we pick up many stray bits of information, experience, and observation. For our own and others' benefit and encouragement, we ofttimes record them. A profitable Grape Vine. — A. Thompson, of Madison Township, has an Isabella grape vine trained over two sides of his dwelling house, from which, in three con- secutive seasons, he gathered 1,200 pounds of ripe and merchantable fruit, one season alone yielding 500 pounds. Who owning a square rod of ground would be without a grape vine ? Lawton Blackberry. — Mr. Thompson does not succeed with the Lawton. We sug- gested that he grew too many suckers and too much grass among them. His neigh- bor, C. Limpert, whose land is similar, and only a few rods distant, has had re- markable success with the Lawton. From three rows of ten stools each, thirty hills or stools in all, he gathered, in 1861, ten bushels of fruit, and in three year& past twenty-two or twenty-three bushels. His bearing canes are pruned and trained to a wire trellis, sloping about twenty-five de- grees, and the ground very thoroughly cultivated. Delaware Grape. — Mr. Limpert succeeds finely with the Delaware grape. With him Ice Houses. 51 it is a strong grower, exceedingly produc- tive. The berry and bunch increase in size as the vines grow older. Pears every Fear.— Within a few feet of the kitchen door is a tree of the old Eng- lish Jargonelle Pear, its branches spread- ing over and around the kitchen chimney. Here was discovered the secret of Mr. Limpert's successful competition at the horticultural exhibitions of our county and township fairs. This tree has been grafted with a num- ber of varieties, a single limb or branch to a sort. When others, with trees less fortunately situated, have their fruit cut off by untimely frosts, the proximity to the house, with the smoke and warmth from the chimney, has saved his, and year after year he is enabled to exhibit a dozen or more plates of fine fruit, the product of this one tree. Pear on Apple — Near by is growing an apple tree, one limb of which was grafted some fifteen years ago with a scion from the Jargonelle Pear, and has borne many fine crops. This year it was bending under the weight of a bushel or more of large, fine fruit. When nearly ripe the branch was broken off by a storm. How early may trees be moved in Autumn ? — We are frequently asked this question. The instance we are about to relate is an extreme one, and will serve to show that, when proper care is used, it may be done much earlier than is generally supposed safe. J. A, Carpenter, nurseryman, of Cobden 111., dug some apple trees the latter part of August, 1859, first carefully remov- ing all the foliage. These he had on ex- hibition at the Illinois State Fair at Free- port in September ; also, the week follow- ing, at the United States Fair at Chicago. After being out of the ground three weeks they were heeled in, and the following spring planted in the orchard. All lived, and grew as thriftily as others freshly taken up and planted at the same time. Crab Cider. — Nelson Hoyt, of Worthing- ton, made nine barrels of cider from the produce of seven small Virginia crab trees, for which he received $72 : double the price of cider from common apples. Plums — The Curculio : What to do with them. — S. Creighton, of Lithopolis, broughtplums into the Columbus market the past summer by the wagon load. Says he has tried va- rious methods for preventing the depreda- tions of the Curculio, and has at last settled upon " the spread sheet and jarring process" as the most effectual. One year he ap- plied with a syringe, a preparation of lime, soap, &c., with very good success, saving the plums ; but the Curculio, driven from its first choice, resorted to his peaches and apples, nearly destroying the crop. By the jarring he is enabled to destroy the curculio, and thus not only save his plums, but his peaches and other fruit. [Your " gleanings" are so interesting, that we venture to hope your " note book" is of no ordinary size . It is not often that the Pear worked on the Apple does as well as the case you mention. Our correspond- ent, " Horticola," last spring worked some Pear scions on the Paradise stock, and they made a fine growth. The union, however, in such cases is not generally very perfect, and the tree requires to be closely watched and protected. It may be presumed that Mr. Carpenter's apple trees lived because they fair-ed so well. The fact, however, is interesting. If all would unite upon the " spread sheet and jarring process," Plums would become almost as plentiful as Peaches in our markets. It is not as troublesome as most people imagine. —Ed.] ^♦* »♦»■ ICE HOUSES. BY MEAD & WOODWARD, ARCHITECTS, AC, 37 PARK ROW, N. Y. From the hot-house to the ice-house we experience the change of temperature 52 Tlie Sorticultm'ist. Fig. 62.---Perspective. necessary to administer to the comforts and luxuries of rural life. It is only within a few years that ice, in all seasons, has been classed among the necessaries of life. In large cities it is indispensable, but the cool spring-house or cellar in the countiy impresses many with the idea that ice, in summer months, can only be re- garded as a luxury. Along with other conveniences in keeping with this progres- sive age, the ice-house has its place, and a countr3'--seat of any pretensions is not complete without it. It is simple in construction, and can be built very cheaply of rough materials, or made as elaborate as is desirable. It forms a pretty feature about the grounds, if treated with some architectural taste. The design herewith given, is just in time to get ready for the present season ; and Fig. 63.— Ground Plan. those who can gather a hint from this, and construct at once, will be glad of it next July. <«< ♦♦>- DOYENNE AND FONDANTE DU COMICE PEARS. BY THE EDITOR. It is much to be regretted that such similar names should be given to fruits, more es- pecially where one is good and the other is not. This practice has already produced much confusion in nomenclature, and is in itself an evil which every pomologist should set his face against. Besides, in the pres- ent instance, the Pears are not so dissimi- lar, at a casual glance, that one might not, by some, be mistaken for the other, ripen- ing, as they do, at the same time. The short and stout stalk, and very small calyx, of the Doyenne, however, will sufficiently distinguish it from the Fondante without Doyenne and Fondantc du Comire. Pears. 53 further examination. To help the reader pared portraits ill begin to ferment. At the end of a week it should be turned ; and in doing this the leaves should be thoroughly mixed with the manure. Fermentation will now begin almost immediately. This should be allowed to go on for two or three days, when the heap should be turned again. By turning the heap tAvo or three times, the heat is rendered more uniform and lasting. We have made tolerably good beds by laying the manure in a heap for a week, and then putting it directly in the beds, mixing it well at the time of doing 60 ; but the heat has been unequal. The first plan is much the best. The manure heap being ready, mark off the bed as before, and then spread the manure in layers about a foot thick, beating each layer moderately firm with the back of the fork. The bed should be about three feet thick. A bed made later may be thinner. As soon as the bed is formed the frame and sashes should be put on. We Hot Beds. 59 may as well say that a lazy man should not be set to make an early hot-bed. Put some coarse litter around the frame on the outside, so that it comes well up to the top. In this condition let the bed remain for a few days. The heat will not be so strong in such a bed as in one made entirely of manure ; but it will be stronger than in that made of leaves, and will consequently need a little more ventilation until the heat be- comes moderate and regular. If steam accumulates, it must be let off by raising the sash a little higher at the top ; but care must be taken to let the sash down before the temperature has been too much re- duced. At night the bed must be covered up snugly. At the end of two or three days the mould may be put in, as directed for the first bed. If the bed has settled unequally, it must be made even. When the bed is made entirely of ma- nure, the heap is prepared in the manner last described. The whole process of making the bed, indeed, is just the same. The heat, however, is usualty more violent at first, and ventilation needs to be looked after carefully for a few days to prevent fire-fanging. Attention must be given chiefly to letting oft' the hot steam. If the heat is too great, it may be lessened b}^ making holes in the bed with a hoe handle or a stick. When the violence of the heat has subsided, the mould may be put in as before directed. Persons who are used to making hot-beds often put in the mould as soon as the bed is formed ; but, on the whole, it is better for the novice not to do so. We shall nest describe the method of making hot-beds in pits. We have already expressed a preference for these. The bed is easier to make, requires less material, retains its heat longer, and, on the whole, is less troublesome to attend to. The loca- tion should be a dry one. The pit may be a simple excavation ; but it will be better, in many places, to make it a permanent fixture, and build the walls of brick. This may be done in two ways. First, build a wall three feet deep, the top being flush with the ground Une, or an inch or two above it. On this set a frame fifteen inches high at the back and tAvelve inches in front, as shown in Fi":. 2, The other and better way is to continue the wall a foot above ground, and let the sashes rest on the top of it. To prevent the sashes from sagging, it wiU be necessary to put cross bars in the pit. The walls will be all the better for being built hollow. These pits may be heated with manure, or leaves, or both combined, and their preparation will be that already described. When filling in, make the manure some- what firm with the back of the fork, but do not pack it hard by tra^mpling on it. If leaves alone are used, a little more pains must be taken to make them firm. The directions already given for the mould apply here, and it is therefore unnecessary to repeat them. From sis inches to a foot should be left between the surface of the mould and the glass. A permanent pit will be found a very useful adjunct to any place. Besides affording convenient means for forcing, it will often be found useful for storage, and half-hardy plants might very well be kept in a part of it during the win- ter. Fig. 3 shows a very convenient prop for holding up the sashes, by the use of Fig. 3. which, either at the sides or top, the sash may be raised one or more inches, as re- quired. It is one of the best contrivances that we have used. 60 The Horticulturist. "FIRE ON THE HEARTH." BY GEO. E. WOODWARD, ARCHITECT, AC, 37 PARK ROW, N. Y. An open fire is one of those cheerful, de- lightful accessories of a home that has not been improved on in these days of hot wa- ter, steam, and hot air furnaces ; nor is it likely that it will be soon superseded by any contrivance affording a more genial heat or better and more effectual means of ventilating. No advance has yet been made in any mode of heating that has equal advantages, in point of health, as the open fire. We have economized in fuel, in labor, in dirt, and dust, &c., but in pure heated air, and well ventilated, heated apartments, there is still a wide field for im- provement. While some extensive means of heating seem necessary in large houses, that shall be at all times safe and reliable, it is desirable in that room which is used the most, there should be the life-giving, genial, and exhilarating air and influence of an open fire — bright blazing wood, if possible, or flaming cannel coal. " If wood costs high," says one writer, " I insist still that it ought to be burned. Chiefest of luxuries is an open fire-place, and a wood fire." . . . "An open wood fire is eminently healthy, and good health is cheap at any price." . . . " The good sense of mankind appears to very great disadvantage when it leads to profligate expenditure in almost everj' other depart- ment, and a suicidal parsimony here." " The days of wood fire are not utterly gone," says Ike Marvel, in that charming book, "My Farm of Edgewood ;" " as long as I live, they never will be gone. Coal, indeed, maj^ have its uses in the furnace, which takes off the sharp edge of winter from the whole interior of the house, and keeps up a night and day struggle with Boreas for the mastery. Coal may belong in the kitchens of winter ; I do not say nay to this ; but I do say that a country home without some one open chimney, around which in time of winter twilight, when ^nows are beating against the panes, the family may gather, and watch the fire flashing, and crackling, and flaming, and waving, until the girls clap their hands, and the boys shout, in a kind of exultant thankfulness, is not worthy the name." Says a late writer in the Atlantic, ' ' I quite agree with one celebrated American author, who holds that an open fire-place is an altar of patriotism. Would our Revolutionary fathers have gone bare- footed and bleeding over snows to defend air-tight stoves and furnace registers ? I trow not." There is among the female portion of almost every household a decided objec- tion to an open fire ; and dirt, dust, and trouble form its basis, and perhaps the fact that it is old-fashioned has something to do with it ; but in these progressive days we find the remedy for this, and can still enjoy the luxury. We allude to the Patent Parlor Fire-place, or low down grate of Messrs. Andrew & Dixon, of No. 1324 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, an in- vention which perfects the open fire-place, and adapts it for use in the most elegantly furnished apartment. The principles of this are a fire flat on the hearth, " warm- ing the feet delightfully," and radiating the heat from a concave cast iron backing or lining. The ashes, sweepings, and dust de- scend through a flue to the cellar, and are removed but once a year. Oxygen is sup- plied from below through a cold air box, and the heat is " simply pure air warmed" by passing through a hot bed of coals, and without a draft from doors and windows to promote combustion. Thus a coal fire gives out the " soft, delicious heat of an old-fashioned wood fire." We, however, prefer the blazing, crackhng wood, as, living in the country, we reckon its cost at a low figure ; and our practical experience with this grate or fire-place shows its com- plete adaptation to either wood or coal, Gleanings. 61 and as a coal grate, more economical and effectual, more cleanly and beautiful than any that we have used or examined. Dr. Hall, of Hall's Journal of Health, one of the most readable journals of the day, says : * ' No one who has a wise regard for the comfort, cheerfuhiess, and health of a family of children, should be without one for a single day." It is certainly a very gi-eat advance upon the usual modes of burning wood or coal, and one worthy of the attention of all who have any desire to enjoy the luxury of an open fire. Mortimer Place, N. J., Jan. 8, 1863. GLEANINGS FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE AND THAT OF OTHERS. BY HORTICOLA. I, Cuttings of Grape Vines. It is impossible for me, situated as I am, to procure either spent tan or saw-dust, or even sand, to cover the manm-e in my hot- beds. I resorted, therefore, to coal dust, (anthracite, hard coal,) which serves a good purpose. It is not only clean, but it absorbs the rays of the sun, and remains warm for a long time, as it does not lose its heat by radiation, on account of its color. Last spring, I noticed a young grape vine growing in the coal dust, by the side of a pot, containing single eyes of a grape wiiich I intended to propagate, and found, on examination, that one of the eyes, planted in sand, had been washed out, and had struck roots in greater profu- sion and in much less time than those in the pot. Just at that time I received a number of grape vines from Germany, which had commenced growing in the box, and looked very bad. I cut them back very severely, planted them in pots, and succeeded in saving every one of them. All the wood I had cut off, I planted in the coal dust. My hope, however, was very faint ; for the young shoots which had grown were from three to four inches long, and perfectly white. I did not rub them off, but planted the old wood with those shoots on. The coal dust I had mixed with a little sand , such as is found by the road sides. To my great surprise, and contrary to my expectation, every one of those cuttings grew, so that I did not lose a single one of them. n. — Treatment of Grape Vine Cuttings, According to Dubreuil. Mr. Dubreuil is so skillful a cultivator, and a man of so much scientific knowledge, that he is deservedly considered an author- ity of the fii-st class by all pomologists and grape vine growers in Europe, as well as in this country. He is, besides, an ele- gant, pleasing writer. He has published this year a book on the culture of the grape vine in vineyards, or rather on the improvement of vineyards, {Culture perfec- tionte et mollis conteuse du vignoble. Paris, 1863,) in which he gives some good ad- vice, especially valuable for France and Germany, in recommending to substitute the plow for the spade ; but in that re- spect there is nothing new for America. It was natural for him, under the circumstan- ces, to ruminate his former teachings ; nor do we find fault with him that his book does not contain much that is new. Perusing the book leisurely, we met, on pages 30 and 31 , with the following method of preparing cuttings, which strikes us as very practical and useful. We make ex- tracts from the original, but translate them. After having said that the cuttings must be taken from the old vines from the fall of the leaf to February, our author con- tinues : " All cuttings must be made of the same length, say about 16 inches. They must be tied together in small bundles, which must be buried in the following manner : One or more little trenches are opened, about 14 inches wide, and of a depth equal 62 Tlie Horticulturist. to the length of the cuttings. The bundles of the cuttings are placed in the trenches in a vertical position, but the tops down- ward. They are then covered with the soil, and a little mound is made on them. When the cuttings are about to be planted, (in March or April,) the lower end of each will have formed a callu.; of the cellular tissue clearly visible, by which is gained a year over cuttings made in the common way. " To accomplish the same in another way, the cuttings must, at the moment of planting, be deprived of their epidermis (the brown outer bark) for the space of about four inches from their lower ends upwards, so as to lay bare the green inner bai'k, (liber.) This is easily and rapidly done, the epidermis having been softened by wa- ter or the moisture of the soil in which they were buried. If two thirds of such cuttings grow as have not been deprived of their epidermis, at least ninety-four or ninety-five grow out of every hundred planted with the epidermis removed." III. — Insects. 1. The Curculio or Plum Weevil. — This is, no doubt, one of the most for- midable enemies that infests our gardens, and prevents the cultivation of plums, .nectarines, and apricots, almost entirely. ■Notwithstanding the general experience, I planted eighteen kinds of apricots, all the kinds of prunes known, and some nec- tarines ; but I was determined to be watch- ful, and to try whether I might be lucky enough to discover some means to keep the curculio in check. When some of my prunes were in blossom, Dr. Grant happened to pay me a visit. He cautioned me against the curculio ; but, as my cour- age was equal to the danger, I did not heed it much. This was on a Friday. The next Sunday morning I looked over my trees, and found, to my utter astonish- ment, that every one of the little prunes already formed had been stung by a single curculio, whom I discovered and killed. The following year, some of my apricot ti'ees showed fruit, one of which had been stung. I cut the egg out with a penknife, and saved the others by painting them over with lime dissolved in water of the consistency of common whitewash. This operation I repeated several times, until the apricots had reached a little more than half their size. Every one of them ripened ; they were of a most delicious flavor. Last year I used a common syr- inge instead of a brush, which had the same effect. Prunes, however, and nectarines are too smooth ; the lime water does not adhere to them. To accomplish my object, I added some dissolved glue to the lime water, and had the pleasure of protecting my prunes and nectarines successfully. Several years ago I syringed my Brown Kale first with a thin solution of soap in water, and then with tobacco water. This operation had the effect of making the tobacco water ad- here to the leaves of the Kale, on which the tobacco water collects in drops, just as if they had been greased over. The soap water removed that difficulty. Lime water does not seem to injure either the fruit or the leaves of the trees. A gentleman from Pennsylvania told me, a few days ago, that large sheets of paper, coated with tar, and placed under the plum or prune trees, kept the curculio off. He assured me that such was the fact ; it was corroborated by the experience of many years. He ascribed the results of the tarred paper to the instinct of the curculio to avoid trees so protected, as they must prove a certain destruction to the larvae ; a view held by many also in regard to water under the trees. Still I differ from it. At all events, I will try the tar. 2. The Striped Bug, [Gcderuca vittata.) — This beetle had so much increased in my garden, although I killed hundreds and thousands of them, that I concluded to give up planting melons and cucumbers. Before I did so, I laid last spring a coat of coal tar on pieces of shingles and pickets, which I stuck around the hills in which I had planted melons and cucumbers. No GUanings. 63 striped bugs troubled me any longer. Un- fortunately, there is the borer, which stings the vines just above ground, so that vines six or eight feet long commence at once to flag and die, and in a short time often all plants perish which had promised a large yield. Should the remedy communicated to me by the distinguished editor of the Horticulturist be eflicacious, it will be of the greatest benefit to the horticultural world. 3. The Asparagus Beetle, [Crioceris (Lema) asparagi and duodecim punctata.) — Both are equally destructive to asparagus plants ; but only the first of the two has been introduced from Europe, so far as I am aware. The beetle made its appear- ance for the first time on Long Island. A fortnight after I had seen this mentioned in the horticultural journals, I found that pest on my asparagus, although I live on the west bank of the Hudson, and at a considerable distance from Long Island. The full-grown beetle is not less injuri- ous than the larva. Both devour the leaves of the asparagus plant, and weaken it so that it often perishes. It is absolutely necessary to go over the asparagus beds once a day, and to destroy the beetles and larv^ persistently. I im- merse the shoots in a basin full of a solu- tion of brown soap and tobacco water, and brush the beetles and their larvEe off. Mr. H. Jgeger, in the second volume of his *' Practical Vegetable Gardener," (Leipzic, Spamer,) recommends tobacco dust; and as the beetles dislike rain and shade, the use of water sprinkled on them, and to shade the plants with the branches of ever- greens. It is of vital importance to commence the war immediately, when they make their appearance, before they lay their eggs. They are found in May and June , and again in autumn. 4. Ants. — How troublesome several spe- cies of them are, is so well known that I need not say a single word about it. Much less known is a sovereign remedy, which has never failed to expel them from the house, the garden, or the hot-bed. I read it a number of years ago somewhere, and being fond of trying experiments, I made use of it, and found it infallible in every instance. This remedy consists in Ground Coffee. It is only necessary to sprinkle some of it on the ant hills or on those places where the insects are fre- quently seen, and within fifteen minutes not one of them will be found there. Last summer they had made a large hill very near one of my fences. Before I expelled them I called together a number of boys and girls coming from a school, to show them the effect of coffee on the ants. The children were not a little amazed to wit- ness the precipitate flight of the ants from their hill, which I had sprinkled with cof- fee. A few minutes after the sprinkling not a single one could be found, to the great astonishment of the children. The remedy is so simple and so easy of application, under all circumstances, that I wish to call the attention of the reader to it. I have it, therefore, printed so large. During a series of years I have had so many occasions to avail myself of it, that I can speak with the greatest confi- dence. I repeat, it t^eyeu fails. [Our readers will all welcome again your practiced pen. You were unconsciously making good plants in your coal dust, from which the reader can gather a hint ; and he will remember that it was coal dust, and not coal ashes. In regard to the method from Dubreuil, much is gained in point of time where the cuttings are already cal- lused when planted. Eyes may be treated in a similar manner, with considerable gain. We do not think your friend's tar remedy will stick. When you try it, try also jarring on other trees. The so-called water remedy has proved to be a fallacy. We leave you to report the efficacy of that remedy ; but we can anticipate what it will be. We believe we were the first to call public attention to the Asparagus bee- tle. We think we first saw it in 1854. Last fall we heard for the first time that it was 64 The Horticulturist. in New Jersey. We have seen so much of the ravages of this pest, that we make an earnest appeal for its destruction before it spreads over the country. The surest way is to brush the beetles into a pan of water. In half an hour we have killed thousands in that way. Killing is the only remedy that should be thought of. Thousands will bless you, Horticola, for the ant rem- edy. But we were almost afraid to pub- lish it, lest the price of coffee, now almost fabulously high, should go up still higher. It must be real Java, and not roasted wheat, rye, or beans. Bipeds may be de- ceived with such things, but we doubt whether the ants will. — Ed.] ■<♦♦»»» THE AZALEA— ITS PROPAGATION IN ROOMS. BY THE EDITOR. We stated in the last article that the Azalea was not easy to propagate in rooms, and that it was better to purchase young plants from the florist. This we can only repeat. Still, some of our readers want to " try it," as they say. We admire that kind of courage which is equal to an emer- gency, and accordingly give the informa- tion asked for. The directions will be somewhat different from those we should give to a person who possessed a green- house, or even a hot-bed. It is desirable to have a shallow pot or box. Such a pot may be bought at some of our principal seed stores. We used to have them made with a rim on the outside for holding a little water. A shallow box, a foot square, may be made of stuff three inches wide, making two or three holes in the bottom for drainage. A suitable compost for striking the cuttings in may be made of sharp sand of any kind and charcoal dust, mixed in equal proportions. In rooms we used to have the best success with Azalea cuttings, taken just as they were be- ginning to turn brown ; it will be proper to take them as soon as the leaves on the new shoots are well developed. It must be understood, however, that, with proper appliances, cuttings maybe taken at almost any time, though young wood is found to strike better than old. First fill the pot or box with compost. Then take cuttings of the new shoots, as above described, from an inch and a half to two inches long. Cut them square off immediately under a leaf, and remove the leaves from the lower part for the space of about half an inch. Now with a sharpened stick make little holes in the compost about two inches apart, and half an inch deep, into which insert the cuttings, and press the soil firmly around them. When they are all in, water them with warm wa- ter, and set the pot or box where it will have a pretty good light, but no sun. It should not be set under the shade of other plants. A good place is a north or west window. The cuttings, however, should be covered with a bell or hand-glass. A good substitute may be made of white pa- per oiled. If the pot must be placed at a south or east window, a piece of paper should be thrown over the glass when the sun shines. The glass should be lifted occasionally, especially if much moisture accumulates on the inside ; for unless fresh air is thus admitted, mould is apt to ap- pear, and the plants will damp off. The soil should not be allowed to get dry ; and when watered, the water should be quite warm. Cuttings strike best when kept warm at the bottom and cool at the top ; and the nearer this condition is attained in a room, the greater will be the success. It will not help the rooting process in the least to take the cuttings out every day, or even two or three times a day, to see whether they have rooted ; on the con- trary, it will be very apt to defeat this in- teresting process altogether. We mention this, because we have often seen cuttings thus treated, under the impression that no harm was being done. Neiv or Rare Plants, dc. 65 At the end of a month some of the cut- tings will probably have taken root. To ascertain this, take hold of them gently, and see if they will come out. If you find the least resistance, j^ou may conclude that they have rooted. This may also be known by their making a new growth. When it is ascertained that they are well rooted, they should be put in small pots. They must be removed from the cutting-pot very catefuUy. Take in the right hand a stick in shape like a book-folder ; run it down the side of the pot and under the cuttings, and gently lift them up, when the soil will break and fall away. While this is being done, the cuttings, one by one, should be taken hold of by the left hand, and care- full}^ taken out, with as much of the soil as will adhere to the roots. Have prepared the compost mentioned in our last. Put a potsherd over the hole in the bottom, and fill the pot a little more than half full of soil. Take the cutting between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, and hold it in the middle of the pot, with the roots rest- ing on the soil, and being well spread out ; then with the right hand fill up the pot gradually. When it is full, knock the bot- tom of the pot on the table to settle the soil in and around the roots ; then with the thumbs press the soil somewhat firmly around the edge of the pot, and, if neces- sary, add more soil. When finished, there should, in a small pot, be nearly half an inch of space between the surface of the soil and the top of the pot, in order that it may hold water enough to go entirely through the ball of earth. In putting earth in the pot in the first instance, more- over, the quantity should be so regulated that the plant, when potted, will be but little or no deeper in the soil than it was in the cutting-pot. The plants should be watered as soon as they are potted ; after which the treatment wiU be that given in our last article. We have been somewhat minute in our directions, with the hope that they may be useful to beginners. In another article will be given a descriptive list of some of the best varieties of the Azalea. NEW OR RARE PLANTS, &c. We propose hereafter to keep our read- Heliconia bbevispatha, (Short-spathed ers somewhat posted in regard to the Heliconia.) — Nat. ord., Musacese. Linn., appearance of new plants, &c., as well Pentandria Monogynia. Probably a native abroad as at home. The following list of South America. Flowers yellow and we copy from the London Journal of scarlet, opening in a warm stove during Horticulture, and other sources. the summer. — [Ibid., t. 5416.) DiPTEEACANTHUS AFFiNis, (Splendid Dip- LiGDLARiA HoDGSONi, (Mr. Hodgson's teracanthus.) — Nat. ord., Acanthaceee. Ligularia.) — Nat. ord., Q,ompos\t^. Linn., Linn., Didynamia Angiospermia. One of Syngenesia superflua. Native of North the most beautiful of Acanthaceous plants. Japan. Believed to be hardy. Flowers Native of Brazil. Introduced by Messrs. Henderson, Wellington Road Nursery. Flowers scarlet, blooming in July. — [Botanical Magazine, t. 5414.) bright yellow, blooming during July in a cool frame. — (Ibid., t. 5417.) Adenium obesum, (Thick-stemmed Ade- nium.) — Nat. ord., Apocynege. Linn., Eria MYRisTiciEFORMis, (Nutmeg Eria.) — Pentandria Monogynia. Native of Aden. Nat. orrf., Orchidace^. iinn., Uynandria Flowers light pink, with dark pink margin. Monandria. Pretty and fragrant. Native of Moulmein. Introduced by Messrs. Low & Co., Clapton Nursery. Flowers white, blooming in September. — [Ibid., t. 5415.) Requires a hot, dry climate. — [Ibid., t. 5418.) BuRLiNGTONiA DECORA var. piCTA, (Painted Neat Burlingtonia.) — Nat. ord., Orchida- ceffi. Linn., Gynandria Monandria. Native 66 The Horticulturist. of Brazil. Flowers white, mottled with pink and purple. Blooms in October. — {Ibid., t. 5419.) Gastronema sanguineum. — Cape of Good Hope bulb. Flowers scarlet. — [Floral Magazine., pi. 174.) ClExMatis reginjE. — Cross between C. azurea and 0. lanuginosa. Flowers purplish-blue. — [Ibid., pi. 175.) PicoTEE, Colmiel Clark, rosy scarlet, edged Avhite, very clear, no bar. Carna- tion, Lord Clifton, a pink and purple bizarre. — [Ibid., pi. 176.) Clematis Fortunei. — Introduced from Japan by Mr. Fortune, and flowered by Mr. Standish, Royal Nursery, Ascot. Flowers white, very large, double, and fragrant. — [Florist and Pomologisi, ii., 169.) Of foUaged -plants, we notice Coleus atropurpureus nigricans, described as en- tirely different from C. Verschajfeltii, the foliage being flat, smooth, and of thick substance, and of nearly black metallic luster. It will probably prove to be an ac- quisition among ornamental leaved plants. Among Verbenas, the White Lady seems to stand pre-eminent, and is said to be the best white ever raised. It is said to be a clear, pwe white, and to carry "nearly double the quantity of bloom" of Mrs. Holford. It is said, moreover, to have a " delightful jessamine fragrance." 3Iimulus maculosus, a cross between M. cupreus and ' ' Gaiety. ' ' It has the dwarf habit of cupreus, while the flowers are some two inches in diameter, and " very richly marked." It is said to be a " charming acquisition." Mimulus tigrideoides, ' ' another hybrid of M. cupreus with varieties of M. quin- quevulnerus maximus, partaking of the good qualities of both. The magnificence, diversity, and large profusion of the flowers, as beautifully marked as a Cal- ceolaria, with its fine dwarf habit, wiU make it a general favorite." The Mimulus should be grown in a shady border. Lobelia Paxtoniana, a seedling from speciosa. The flowers are described as larger than speciosa, with a pure white center, shading off" to a blue margin. The habit is even more compact than speciosa. Ligularia Kxmpferii argentea marginata. If this does not prove to be a good plant, it will not be because it has not names enough. It is described in E. G. Hender- son's Catalogue as "a highly ornamental evergreen herbaceous plant, from nine to twelve inches in height, with sub-erect, rounded, kidney-shaped, firm, leathery leaves," "richly margined and barred with pure creamy white." It will, no doubt, prove to be a fine plant for green- house and border decoration. It is called hardy, but that remains to be proved with us. Lonicera Schmitziana, introduced by Mr. Roezl from Mexico, and said to be " the finest of all the scarlet-flowering climbing species yet introduced." This will, no doubt, be an acquisition to our list of Honeysuckles. Lonicera brachypoda aurea reticulata. — This is the most beautiful of our climbing Honeysuckles, notwithstanding the length of its name. It Avas introduced by Mr. Fortune, and sent out here last spring. The leaves are beautifully netted with- golden yellow veins, and look like an Anoectochilus. We are greatly pleased with it. It will be a general favorite. Fuchsia " Pumila," described as a beau- tiful little variety, well adapted for beds and margins, and said to be " an exquisite lit- tle bush even without its bloom," which, however, is very profuse, of a rich, glossy crimson. Gazanias. — Of these we have G. auran- tiaca, bright yellow, with black ring in center ; spotted white. G. grandijiora, larger flowers than splendens, with brighter color and more distinct center. G. Soucii, light yellow, with jet black cen- tral ring, blotched white. Of Pears we notice two, the British Queen and Prince of Wales, both spoken highly of, and the first said to be one of the best ever raised. They are both English seed- lings. We also notice a new Grape, the Child Monthly Calendar. m of Hale, described in the Jow-nal of Horti- culture as having an enormons bunch, stout, woody stalk, with a profusion of large, round, amber-colored berries on very short and stout berry stalks. Skin thin, flesh firm and ci'ackling, of consist- ency of Muscat of Alexandria, but with- out the flavor. Juicy and sweet, consider- able amount of richness, but, unfortunately, the skin astringent. Of home productions, we notice that Messrs. Wilder & Co. send out Clapp's Favorite Pear. We have not had an op- portunity of testing the fruit, and can say nothing on this point of our personal knowledge. We have seen a specimen, however. It closely resembles the Bart- lett, and is said to be even finer. Messrs. Dreer and others send out the Fhiladelphia Raspberry and Frencli' s Seedling Strawberry. We have not seen either. Messrs. Dailledouze, Zeller, & Co. send out their seedling monthly Carnation Beauty of Brooklyn. The form is good, and the colors pure and distinct, the ground color being white. It is a profuse bloomer. Some time since we made a portrait of this fine Carnation, but lost it. Mr. Peter Henderson sends out a monthly Carnation, named Astoria, raised by M. Donadi. This belongs to the Pi- cotee class. It is described as a flower of large size, (nearly three inches in diame- ter,) clear canary yellow, the edges regu- larly marked with pencilings of scarlet, crimson, and white. Lychnis grandiflora, a hardy herbaceous plant, raised by Mr. Robert Veitch, of New Haven, from seed sent from Japan. Mr. Henderson, who sends it out, says, ' ' It has been a most attractive plant with me during the past summer, having flowered without intermission from June till October. Flowers produced on stalks about nine inches high, of a peculiar shade of orange scarlet, two inches in diameter." Most, if not all, of these plants, we suppose, may be bought this spring of our enterprising florists and seedsmen. We shall give an additional list next month. MONTHLY CALENDAR. We propose to add hereafter a briefly monthly calendar, which we hope may prove useful to some of our readers, though we confess that we do not attach as much value to such things as some others do. We add it as an experiment. If it should prove acceptable to our readers, we will take pains to elaborate it to some extent, and make it as useful as may be. Orchard and Fruit Garden. — At this sea- son there will be but little to do, unless some things have been neglected which might have been done before. The or- chard and fruit garden should be looked over for the destruction of insects, espe- cially nests of the canker worm. Trees should be scraped, and freed from moss and loose bark, which harbor insects. Grape vines may be pruned, and towards the middle or end of the month general pruning of fruits may be practiced. Scions for grafting may still be cut. Hardy vines may be propagated from eyes towards the end of the month, using bottom heat. The Grapery. — The Cold Grapery will need looking after occasionally, to see that every thing is in order. If there are ap- pearances of mice, use some of the phos- phoric remedies to destroy them. The Hot Grapery wiU require constant atten- tion. Keep the temperature as uniform as may be, and increase the heat as may be desired. In houses just started, the vines should not be tied up till the buds have broken. Be careful not to let cur- rents of cold air blow on the vines. Syringe in the morning, and not at night. Keep the floor of the house damp in bright weather. There will be little need of ven- tilationnow, except at the top or ends. Out- 6S Tlie Horticulturist. side borders should be well protected. In very early houses thinnmg out should be attended to, the bunches as well as the berries. Beginners are apt to leave too many of both. Green-HotLse. — At this season of the year ventilation is an important matter. It should he so regulated as to avoid a sudden change of temperature ; and care should be taken not to allow a current of cold air to blow directly on an}^ plant while grow- ing. See that no plant flags for want of water. The novice, in watering, will be careful not to wet his Camellia blooms. Verbenas, Petunias, and other bedding plants may now be propagated for spring use. The house generally should be look- ed over, dead leaves removed, the sui'face of the earth stirred up, and every thing made clean and tidy. Such plants as need it should be repotted, more especially those in small pots that it is desired to push forward. To grow stocky and shapely, plants should have plenty of room. Hy- acinths, Tulips, and Narcissus that have passed out of bloom may be put in a pit out of doors. Look over Caladiums, Bego- nias, and other dormant plants. If some are wanted early, they may now be re- potted. Plants in Rooms. — The wants of these should be attended to daily. Never water till the soil becomes a little dry on the top. and then give enough to go entirely through the pot. The plants will be greatly bene- fited by being watered "overhead" daily. This may be done by a small broom wisp. Give air on all pleasant days, and change the position of the plants from time to time, in order that all may get a due share of sunshine and light. Remove dead leaves, stir up the soil occasionally, and keep the foliage as free from dust as possible. Pleasure Grounds. — It is to be supposed that every thing has been put in order here for the well-being of the plants. It is well, however, to go through the garden occasionally, and repair any damage that may have been done by heavy winds and snow. Where the branches of evergreens, particularly Arbor Vitee and Junipers, are bent down by the snow, it should be re- moved. If lawns were not top dressed in the faU, it may be done now. Towards the end of the month hardy shrubs that need it may be pruned. Roses should be left later. This is a good time to replace labels that have become obscure. Repair inclosures, roads, &c., and anticipate as much as possible the work of spring. Vegetable Garden. — Not much can be done here either. Bean poles and Pea brush may be cut and stacked. Collect manure and leaves for late hot-beds. Beds that are already at work should be well watched at this season, and ventilated as required. Be careful to retain an equal temperature in cucumber frames, neither too higli nor too low. Pinch out the lead- ers when a foot or so long. Sow in frames early Cucumbers, Melons, Egg Plants, Pep- pers, Radishes, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cauli- ilowers. Cabbage, &c. For general crop the end of the month or first week in March will be time enough ; the plants will be better than if sowed earlier. Col- lect all kinds of rubbish, and get things in order generally for spring work. Make out lists of seeds, and purchase them in good season. Fditor's Table. 69 EDITOE'S TABLE. To Contributors and Others. — Communications, Letters, Catalogues, Periodicals, Remittances, Packages by Express, Advertisements, &c., should be directed to Mead & Woodward, Editors and Proprietors, 37 Park Row, New York. Exchanges should be addressed to "The Horticulturist." ' ' Thou Shalt not Steal. ' ' — As this com- mandment seems in some quarters to have become obsolete, or, perhaps, was never known, we print it for the benefit of those interested. All right-thinking men have come to regard literary theft as among the most despicable of mean things. To appropriate another's labors without ac- knowledgment at once places a man with- out the pale of good society. We have a case in point, having lately received a pamphlet entitled, "Our Hardy Grapes: What to Plant," &c., "made up" without one word of acknowledgment. Our opinion of it is told in a few pointed words. It is the most impudent and shameless piece of j^lagiarism that has ever come to our knowledge. With good material before him, the person who did the " clipping" was not sufficiently master of the subject to produce a work worth the paper on which it is printed. It is a humiliating reflection, that persons can be found to sacrifice all sense of shame and decency for the sake of a few pennies. Revised Prices. — We desire to call the attention of out readers to the revised prices of our back volumes, which now answer many inquiries that have been made since the price list published in the December and January numbers. We can furnish but few odd volumes back of 1860. From 1860 to the present time our sets are not numerous. They commence with the editorial management of Mr. Mead, and comprise all the connected articles on Grape Culture, Landscape Gardening, Rural Architecture, &c., and form an encyclopasdia of Horticulture, and the use- ful and ornamental pursuits of rural life, not obtainable in any other form. The ten dollar set from 1860, comprising four bound volumes and a subscription for 1864 and 1865, will form a valuable and attractive addition to any private library in the country. It is fully illustrated with many hundred engravings, and contains upwards of 3,000 pages of reading matter. Parties making up clubs can include the unbound volumes for any former or future year ; thus, two persons may pay each two years in advance, making four copies for six dollars, or eight copies or volumes may be taken in a similar manner for ten dollars. If the volumes are bound in cloth, 75 cents each, and in half morocco, $1 each additional. Those having incomplete sets can proba- bly perfect them by immediate applica- tion. Those subscribers who have aheady paid for 1864 can avail themselves of the above proposition, by remitting the amount necessary above that which they have paid. The Illustrated Annual Register fob 1864. — This welcome annual comes to hand filled with its accustomed interesting matter, relating to a great variety of sub- jects useful to the farmer and the horticul- turist. Mr. Thomas has performed his task in a very acceptable manner. We commend the Register to all interested in rural affairs. It is published by Messrs. Tucker & Son, Albany. Price, 25 cents. 70 Tlie Horticulturist. Rand's Flowers for the Parlor and Garden. — Having previously announced tliis work, we propose now to look at it a little in detail. The first chapter is de- voted to the Green-house and Conserva- tory, beginning Avith some good advice in regard to building a green-house ; and the reader is particularly advised to ' ' avoid ' cheap buildings. ' ' ' After describing the mode of building a house with brick foun- dation, three feet side hghts, &c., the author says, " Now a house of this descrip- tion can be built for about ten dollars per running foot. ' ' In this estimate is included " the glazing, of good serviceable glass, as well as hinges, ropes, and pulleys," and the heating apparatus too, we suppose, as this is a necessary part of a green-house. Now we wish to say, that whatever may be the cost in Boston, this house can not be built for any such sum in New York. If our Boston friends can do it, they can get themselves into a thriving business by coming to this city. We should not find it easy to do it with unplaned boards. We notice this point at some length, be- cause we think such statements are only calculated to retard the building of green- houses by the disappointment that follows. We sincerely wish that the best of green- houses could be built for such a sum. The same remarks will apply to other of the author's estimates. The remainder of the chapter is mostly devoted to stocking green-houses, in which we find much sen- sible advice. We must thank Mr. Rand for his appeal in behalf of that old, but still fine plant, the ' ' Bridal Rose. ' ' Years ago it was one of our favorites, and has not ceased to be so yet. It is a fine room plant. The next five chapters are devoted to Window Gardening. The general remarks on heating, ventilation, watering, &c., are in the main unexceptionable. They may be studied with profit. The remarks on potting are too meager to be of much use to the novice. This is a practical point that should not have been passed over so slightly. In regard to manures, we must take exception to the recommenda- tion of guano : the novice will do well to let it alone. Mr. Rand is mistaken in sup- posing that the red spider is seldom found on room plants. It is worse in rooms than in the green-house. The list of plants re- commended for room culture is open to criticism. While many of them are cer- tainly adapted to the purpose, many others just as certainly are not, if we take our own experience as a guide. We were never able to grow them in a satisfactory manner, and we have never seen others who could. Next follow three chapters on bulbous roots, with lists of each. Their treatment is made plain enough to insure success. Bulbs are not only of easy culture , but among the least troublesome of plants to grow. The chapter on forcing in winter such plants as the Violet, Daisy, &c., the nov- ice will find not less interesting. Women, however, will hardly find it pleasant to at- tend to out-door frames in the winter. Balcony Gardening, which follows, is in- vested with a good many charms, but we doubt whether it will ever become popular in this country. Several chapters follow on the Wardian Case, Hanging Bas- kets, Waltonian Case, and Aquaria. These are the most valuable part of the work. The chapter on specimen plants may be studied with profit. The remaining chap- ters are devoted mainly to out-door garden- ing, and, on the whole, are the least satis- factory part of the work. We must ex- cept, however, the descriptive lists, which are very useful. We must except, also, the chapter on wild flowers ; for the sub- ject is treated in an interesting and in- structive manner. We have thus given the reader a gen- eral idea of the work, which, notwithstand- ing some shortcomings, is entertaining and instructive. Mr. Rand's style is pleasant, free, and even polished. The vignettes are gems of art. The publishers, Messrs. Tilton & Co., of Boston, have done their part of the work most admirably. The printing is done on tinted paper by the Editor^s Table. 71 Riverside press, and is a splendid speci- men of the typographical art. Death of Howard Daniels. — We have been pained to learn that Mr. Daniels died recently at the Eutaw House, Baltimore, of hemorrhage of the stomach. Mr. Daniels was well known in New York as an architect and landscape gardener. His first public work as a landscape gardener, we think, was the Cemetery at Cincinnati. At this time he went to Europe to study the best works of art there, and returned with his mind well stored with profes- sional knowledge. Shortly after he settled in New York, and became well established in business. He became a comiJetitor for the plan of laying out the Central Park ; and though not successful, his was among the plans to which prizes were awarded for their merit- About three years since he secured the laying out of the grounds of Druid Hill Park at Baltimore, upon which work he was engaged up to the time of his death. Mr. Daniels died in the prime of life, being only forty-nine years of age. He was a man of great energy, and possessed a mind of considerable originality, which he had improved by hard study. He was fond of his profession, and strove to excel in it. His works, public and private, show that he possessed both taste and skill. He was a spirited wi'iter, as his articles in former numbers of the Hoeti- cuLTURisT will show. He had many and warm friends, who will lament his untimely death. He leaves a wife, but we think no children. We have been promised a sketch of his life by one who knew him longer and more intimatety than we did. paration for covering large wounds made by pruning and otherwise. Something of this kind is of such frequent use, that it should be kept always on hand. Grafting Wax. — The grafting season is approaching, and in the midst of it we are often asked where a good grafting wax can be got. We have for several years used that made by Mr. Trowbridge, of New Haven, and have found it so entirely satisfactory that we recommend it without hesitation. He has also an excellent pre- Mr. Dreer's Removai,. — We learn that Mr. Dreer, Philadelphia, has removed from his old stand to a new and spacious store, No. 714 Chestnut Street, which he has fitted up in a handsome manner. This we take to be evidence of a successful business ; indeed, we notice that seeds- men generally are doing a thriving trade. We hope Mr. Dreer will continue to sell as good seed in the new store as he did in the old one, and prosper greatly. A New Era in Propagation. — One of our cotemporaries has discovered a " big thing " in the way of propagation. A per- spective view of a portion of the Kew Palm House has been copied from an English journal, and presented as a frontis- piece, with the following inscription: "A southern view of a Netv Propagating House." The thing is too good to be lost. Only think of a propagating house a hundred feet high ! Is it possible that there are any people who can be deceived with such things ? Dissolution of Copartnership.- — We notice that Messrs. Buist & Son, of Phila- delphia, have dissolved partnership, and in doing this they have divided the busi- ness, the elder Mr. Buist taking the nur- sery and seed-growing department, and the younger the seed and implement busi ness. This is one of the oldest houses in the country, with a well-known reputa- tion, and we hope each may enjoy the same success that marked the firm of Robert Buist & Son. "New Lamps for Old Ones." — We call the attention of our readers to the fact that we will give two new volumes un- bound, for single volumes of the years 1846 to 1850, inclusive, and 1853, 1858, and 1859. Our early subscribers who 72 The Horticulturist. have irregular sets embracing these vol- times, will thus be enabled to continue their subscriptions for many years without a further cash investment. Those who have complete sets may class them among the rare books in their library. The Hor- ticulturist is not stereotyped, and but few more copies are printed than are sub- scribed for. As a history of horticulture, landscape gardening, rural architecture, and the progress of rural art and taste, it is full and complete, splendidly illustrated, and covers a period of nearly twenty years. Those who continue to take it may look upon it as one of the best investments that can be made, as the time will come when it will more than realize its cash cost with interest. The increase of public taste in all matters relating to rural life makes all authority on such matters of ap- preciating value. CATALOGUES, &c., RECEIVED. Fleming ^ Davidson, 67 Nassau St., New York. — Descriptive Catalogue of Choice and Select Flower and Vegetable Seeds. Peter Hendei'son, Jersey City, New Jer- sey.—Spring Catalogue of New Plants. Catalogue of the Officers and Students of the State Agricultural College, Lansing, Michigan. — Possesses a good many valua- ble features. Report of the Commissioner of Agricul- ture for January, 1864. Prince ^* Co,, Flushing, L. I.- — -Select Catalogue of Fruit and Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, Vines, &c. Coi*i*espoiideiice. been sooner answered. This brown beetle is a nuisance. The remedy you propose is one of the best. You can knock them in a sheet, but the water is best. A decoction of com- mon brown soap, with a little lime in it, will drive them ofi", but they will be sure to re- turn.— Ed.] Editor Horticulttjkist, — I wrote to you yesterday about stopping the vines at this season of the year. On going out to see the vines, I discovered a large number of bugs on a seedling grape which blossoms earlier than the others, and is now in bloom. They eat the young fruit before it is fairly set. I have killed a large number, but they are not easy to take, and I am so unwell that I can spend but a few minutes at a time among the vines. Please tell me what they are, and the remedy, if there is any. I shall take a bowl of water next time I visit them, and let them drop into that. I caught these by putting pieces of leaves in for them to hide themselves under. Yours, etc., M. J. Pareish. [Your letter was mislaid, or it would have [We are compelled to omit much interesting correspondence and other matter, but ■will find room for it next month.] Will you be kind enough to say in Feb- ruary number if the * ' Bignonia venusta' ' can be worked on " Tecoma capensis," and oblige. Very truly yours, Charlfs N. Doane. Jamaica, L, I. [The Bignonia can be worked upon the Tecoma. It may be done by the usual " spUt" grafting. — Ed.] THE HORTICULTURIST VOL. XIX MARCH, 1864. .NO. CCXIII. ir0foiitg plants h |l00ms. The subject of growing plants in rooms, always a very interesting one, has re- ceived an additional interest since the introduction of the Wardian case ; or, rather, since the Wardian case was popu- larized, if we may use the expression ; for it is now nearly twenty years since the Wardian case was made known to the American public. Plants are grown in rooms with very unequal sucqess by dif- ferent persons, which is owing mainly to three causes : first, unsuitable conditions ; second, improper selection of plants ; third, want of knowledge. Having had no inconsiderable experience, in former years, in growing plants in rooms, we pro- pose to examine these causes of failure, with the hope that we may be able to say something that will help the reader to overcome them. The love of plants may be said to be universal ; and we know of no period of history in which this love has not manifested itself by the cultivation of plants, either at the window or on the top of the dwelling. We accept the fact as an evidence of the beneficence and wis- dom of the Creator. It would be deeply interesting to trace the development and manifestations of this love of plants, from its origin in the garden of Eden, up to the present time ; but at present we wish to confine our remarks chiefly to the con- ditions under which plants may be most successfully grown in rooms. For our present purpose, we may say that plants need chiefly sunlight, a moist air, and a moderate degree of heat. It is apparent that a room usually affords these conditions very imperfectly, and our object should be to supply the deficiencies by the best means at command. The old- fashioned fire-place and wood stove gave us a soft and mellow heat, and growing plants in rooms was comparatively easy ; but the introduction of hot-air furnaces has surrounded the subject with almost insuperable difficulties. The air produced by these furnaces is so dry and exhaust- ing, that moisture is abstracted faster than the vitality of the plant can supply it ; aU its functions, consequently, become de- ranged, disease follows, and the plant gradually pines away and dies. This is especially true of those plants that require a very humid atmosphere for their healthy growth. We have, therefore, unwillingly ESTEEKD according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864, ty Mead & Wood'wabd, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. March, 1864. 74 The Horticulturist. been brought to the conchision, that plants can not be well grown in a room which is heated with the full power of a hot-air furnace, if we barely except succu- lents ; and the heat is generally too strong, if not too dry, even for these. But, it may be asked, can nothing be done to modify this state of things, so as to make the growth of some plants possi- ble ? We answer. Yes. In the first place, let the register be so regulated that the room at no time shall become overheated ; that is to say, above a pleasant living tem- perature. The top and bottom sash of the window should be often opened, to admit fresh air, which will benefit the inmates of the room as much as the plants. The human system can endure an overheated air but little better than plants. A basin of water placed over the register will be an additional help. A man in Newark, N. J., whose name we forget, has invented a contrivance, which he places within and near the mouth of the register. This is kept filled with water, which is evaporated into the room, and the air becomes charged with an appreciable amount of moisture. Where a coal stove is used, a basin of water should be kept on the top. Any contrivance, indeed, that will add a little moisture to the air of the room, will be found desirable. One of the best is a table, made so as to contain wet sand on the top. A little detail will probably not be unwelcome here. The table should be made strong, with rollers to the legs, that it may be easily moved from the window when necessary, as is sometimes the case on a very cold night. A movable table is also convenient in watering and clean- ing the plants. The table should conform to the shape of the window; if, for ex- ample, the window is a bay, the sides of the table should be angular accordingly. For a common window, the table may be two and a half or three feet wide, and a little longer than the width of the win- dow. The top of the table should be on a line with the window-sill. Around the edge of the table should be screwed a piece of board, four inches wide ; a nar- row moulding on the lower edge will give it a neat finish. Two good coats of stone paint will be necessary to preserve the wood work. The top of the table will present the appearance of a shallow box, which is to be filled with silver sand or fine moss ; or a couple of inches of sand may be put on the bottom, and the top of the sand covered with green moss from the woods, which will give the table a handsome finish. Additional beauty may be given to it by planting Lycopodium around the edge. The pots are to be set on the top of the moss or sand. When the plants are watered, all the surplus water and drainage are caught by the moss and sand, from which an evaporation will constantly go on, greatly conducive to the health of the plants. The sand must be kept moist at all times, and must be watered for this purpose, if necessary. The vapor, as it rises among the plants, will be found to condense on them at times during the night, and this is just what is wanted. A table of this kind is worth all the fancy stands that the in- genuity of man has invented. Plants look better on it, and they grow better. We trust we have now given the reader some idea of the conditions under which plants may be successfully grown in rooms. The other points will be reserved for another article. ■^« ♦ » «>■ COUNTRY HOMES. BY MEAD & WOODWARD, ARCHITECTS, &C. , 37 PARK ROW, N. Y. We show this month what can be done with a substantial old farm house ; how easily and beautifully it can be changed into a suburban home of elegant exterior, and comfortable and convenient interior appointments. Country Homes. 75 This class of spacious and substantial Mansard roof, as sIiomti in Fig. 64, are arm houses, with the gambrel, curb, or very numerous about the suburbs of New Fig. 64. — View of the Nichols House, near Englewood, N. J., at the time of Purchase, Fig. 65. — The same remodeled for Rev. T. G. Wall, by Mead ^ Woodward, Architects and Contractors, 37 Park Row, N. Y. York City, and more particularly in the prized seclusion and protection above "neighboring province of New Jersey," bleak exposure and far-reaching views, where one finds them nestled in the val- As a general thing, the better class of leys or by the road side, as best fitting to New Jersey farm houses of this type were the taste of our early Dutch settlers, who built of squared and hammered red sand- 76 The Horticulturist. stone, laid up in regular courses, and in many instances the character of the work differed on all sides, the front being the most finely finished. And in many of the most pretentious of these houses, brick was substituted for the front, as being less common. There is, perhaps, nothing more diffi- cult in an architect's experience than to make a fine thing out of a subject so des- titute of beauty of form or proportion, and yet preserve the substantial walls and other belongings, that have stood for half a century, and are now stronger, and prom- ise a durability that exceeds those of other houses built in this progressive age ; and yet here is a " presto change " that will almost defy the keen eyes of the old settlers to recognize any trace of the ancient landmark that for fifty years has overlooked the beautiful valley of the Tenakill. There are very many of these old houses that are equally well adapted to Avear a modern face, though but few purchasers can look through all such changes with the eye of a professional expert, and select that to which, at a low price, a certain beauty can be added, which, when done, shall indicate the wisdom of their choice. First impressions many times are sadly against all hopes of success. " With weather-stains upon the wall. And stairways worn, and crazy doors, And creaking and uneven floors. And chimneys huge, and tiled and tall,' ' But these difficulties are the least trou- blesome to adjust, if the walls are good, and ceilings of a fair modern height. It may then be a better choice to adapt such a house to the present cultivated tastes and requirements, than to build anew from the foundation. Fig. 66. In the plans, tlie dotted lines show the Fig. 67. centers of the old partitions. Six feet have .—Stable. BemarTcs on Grape Vine 3Iildeiu. 77 be constructed of either wood or stone. been added to the length of the wing, thus improving the kitchen accommodations. This house is situated within a moderate walking distance of the flourishing new suburb of " Englewood," some fifteen miles from the great commercial metropo- lis, on the line of the Northern New Jer- sey Railroad, and adds prominently to the architectural surroundings of this charm- ing and attractive locality. In Fi^s. 68 and 69 we give a design for a stable for four horses. It may Figs. 70 and Yl. — Plan and elevation of in oak, and presents an an entrance gate, which we have executed ance. effective appear Fig. 70. — Elevation of Entrance Gate. Fis;. 11.— Plan. REMARKS ON GRAPE VINE MILDEW It is hardly possible to overestimate the mischief done to grape vines by mildew. Those, therefore, interested in their culti- vation can not be too inquisitive as to the causes of that disease, and especially the means of preventing it, so far as can be known. Unfortunately for this, however, there is much relating thereto so involved in mystery as to elude the observation of the keenest investigator. "We know that mildew is caused by minute fungi growing BY A. VEITCH, NEW HAVEN, CON. in or upon the leaves of the vine, and other delicate parts, in a truly parasitical way, which is at the expense of those parts affected. But we can not tell whence these do come ; whether their seeds are carried about in the air, making no sign until a suitable resting place is found, in which to germinate and grow, under those conditions required by the laws of their being, or whether the plants upon which they grow contain those seeds, 78 The Horticulturist. bound up in their structures, or circulate throughout with the sap. Such questions as these, however, I am wilHng to leave for the learned to discuss and settle at their leisure. At the same time, enough may be known by intelligent cultivators to enable them to control some of those causes at least, the effects of which they have so much reason to deplore. Vines, especially in city yards, or where they are not exposed to a free circulation of air, are liable to be injured by other causes than mildew. In seasons like the last, when for several weeks together the weather was excessively dry, succeeded by heavy rains, they suffered much from " sun scald," at least about here. And in general, those were most injured which were driest at the roots preceding the rains ; owing, it would seem, to extreme delicacy, superinduced by too great a pro- tection from the invigorating influence of moving air, and the want of moisture at the roots to insure a healthy growth. When in this condition, the leaves are extremely liable to be hurt by the sun shining full upon them, when wet with dews or frequent showers. In this state, also, they are liable to the attacks of mil- dew ; for whatever tends to foster deli- cacy of growth, or weaken the functions of the vine, prepares the way for the advent of this enemy. Experience teaches this, else why was it that vines in city yards, as a general thing, suffered more the past season than those growing in open lots ? I know of a vinej^ard in Cheshire, Conn., in an exposed situation, the ground sloping to the north or north- west, without any natural or artificial pro- tection, where the vines were entirely free from mildew last year. Many similar instances could be mentioned, all tending to show that a free circulation of air is unfavorable to the growth of mildew. It also seems evident that the way in which vines are pruned in many instances fit and prepare them for the assaults of this enemy. I refer especially to the very common practice of leaving the wood, at winter pruning, in a crowded state. This practice, instead of insuring a valuable crop, gives the vines the chance of fritter- ing away their strength in their efforts to perfect a superabundance of foliage and fruit, none of which they are able to do ; and, consequently, their energies being overtasked, they exhaust themselves, and thus become the ready prey of mildew fungus. To guard against this, it is necessary to prune in such a way as to secure annually a vigorous growth ; which can be done by following the advice of Mr. Mead, in his " Hints," or by any other method founded in principle , although not ' ' found in the books." By so doing, over-crowding would be avoided, and the sap would flow through well-regulated channels, causing a healthful develoi^ment of every part, which, in ordinary seasons, would go far to maintain the vine uninjured to the close. It may also be said of summer pruning, the only rational way is to begin early and do it often throughout the growing season, as, by so doing, there would be no neces- sity for taking much from the vines at any one time. But should this operation be neglected until about midsummer, it would be better not to prune at all, at least not until the mildew season is over, which might not be imtil late in the fall. We say this from having frequently observed vines so treated, or rather maltreated, suffer greatly from mildew, when others more fortunate have been comparatively exempt. In such instances, it is easy to account for the difference. It is in the fact that by taking from a vine all at once a great breadth of foliage, the due balance between the roots and the branches is destroyed, without any hope of readjust- ment for weeks to come, and the whole system so shocked as to cause a derange- ment of function, ending in general debility, which may be regarded as the certain harbinger of mildew as well as " sun scald." The leaves in a crowded state protect each other from currents of Remarks on Grape Vine Mildeio. 79 air and the direct rays of the sun, and when deprived of this protection they are so tender that, instead of being benefited by exposure, they often suffer great harm, and cease forthwith to be of any further benefit. Another fruitful cause of mildew is sud- den and important changes as regards moisture at the roots or in the atmos- phere, either from damp to dry or dry to damp ; or when there is a great relative difference in this respect between the soil in which they grow and the atmosphere. Should the weather be dry in June and July, followed by heavy rains in August and September, mildew may reasonably be looked for. It is worthy of notice that vines growing in a southern aspect, or where they are likely to become very dry at the roots, are more liable to suff"er than those whose roots have been kept uni- formly moist. Several cases might be mentioned in support of this. In one instance, an acquaintance, for the sake of convenience, built a compost heap close up to his vine arbor, and over the roots of several vines ; those showed no indica- tions of mildew, while others in their neighborhood suffered badly. In another yard, the roots of the vines ran under a a walk paved with brick, a sufficient means of retaining moisture, surely ; these likewise escaped. In the vineyard already referred to, the vines were mulched with straw, and did not suffer from drouth. Such instances as these naturally suggest the propriety of properly preparing the ground previous to planting ; which can be done only, in many situations, by trenching the ground to the depth at least of two feet, which will be the means of not only enabling the vines to receive a requisite supply of moisture, and not more, but also of increasing its tempera- tui'e, which, apart from other advantages, would greatly tend to prevent mildew. And even in very dry weather, watering would be beneficial ; but perhaps by mulching properly it might be dispensed with. There can be no doubt but cold in the atmosphere often brings on this disease, and I can not find any good reason for not believing that changes of temperature in an opposite direction do the same thing. This, at least, does not prevent it. It would rather seem, mildew fungus is not over nice as to any particular degree of heat, provided one or other of those causes we have endeavored to state had been at work on the vine, so prostrating vitality as to expose its delicate organs to the attacks of this subtle foe. The ex- perience of last season seems to teach this, and is so viewed by a correspondent in a late number of the Horticulturist, who says, " Vines mildewed from the 10th of July to the 1st of September," during which time there were " terrific showers of rain, accompanied with a hot and damp atmosphere, the thermometer for nearly six weeks standing at 90° in the shade, and heavy showers of rain nearly every day." It is needless to say an adequate supply of nutritious food is necessary to the well- being of the grape vine, and when this is withheld, as often is the case with old vines, they are greatly prized by the para- site we speak of. In short, it would seem, could we maintain all the conditions of health, vines would rarely suffer from either blasting or mildew. [We regard Mr. Veitch's article as a valuable contribution to the history of mildew. He is entirely correct in say- ing that' "it is hardly possible to over- estimate the mischief done to grape vines by mildew," for millions of capital are dependant upon the operations of this mysterious pest. Mr. Veitch's remarks deserve to be carefully read, for they are suggestive, especially those on summer pruning. We must have protection with- out interrupting the circulation of air. — Ed.] 80 The Horticulturist. DUCHESSE DE BERRI D'ETE PEAR. BY THE EDITOR. This is not quite a new Pear, but it is last of August and early part of Septem- not generally known. It is a late sum- ber. It is rather a vigorous grower, and mer or early autumn pear, ripening the moderately productive ; but coming in at a time when larger pears of good quality jected to by some. We regard it, how- are becoming plenty, its size will be ob- ever, as worthy of a place in an amateur's Plant Houses. 81 collection. Our own description not ^^ Fruit small, oblate, obscurely pyi'i- being within reach, we give that of Mr. form. Skin, yellow, shaded with light Charles Downing, which is substantially red. Stalk, short, inserted in a small the same, with this advantage, that Mr. cavity. Calyx, partially open, set in a Downing has known it longer than we broad shallow basin. Flesh, juicy, melt- have, ing, with a good vinous flavor." PLANT HOUSES.— X. BY THE EDITOR. We have selected for illustration this design from those heretofore given. It month a plant house quite different in its was designed and built for J. C. Johnston, Fig. 2. — Ground Flan. 82 The Horticulturist. Esq., of Scarborough, N. Y. It is built on the south side of the dwelling, and is entered from the parlor as well as from the pleasure grounds. Fig. 1 is a per- spective view, which gives the reader a good idea of its general appearance, though we can not help saying that in this case, at least, the picture does not flatter ; the house looks finer on the ground than in the picture. The circular house on the southeast corner is strictly an ornamental feature, and a very pretty one. The interior arrangement is shown in the ground plan. Fig. 2. The house is divided into two compartments, A and B. The last is intended for growing and prop- agating plants. The house is heated by hot water pipes, the boiler being placed in the cellar of the dwelling, which is entered by the steps,/; e is a propagat- ing tank, fitted with sliding sashes. It is quite large enough to propagate all the plants the owner will want ; d, d, are beds about a foot deep, with a moderate bot- tom heat, for plunging pots in when desired ; w is the walk. This compart- ment is to be used for bringing plants into bloom, after which they are to be taken to the show room or conservatory, marked A in the plan. The arrangement of this compartment is such, that all the plants in it may be seen from the parlor door or window, the steps leading to which are marked b ; a, d, d, are tables ; c would make a pretty little fountain, but it is in- tended at present to put it in the form of a rustic basket, and fill it with ornamental plants. The effect can not be otherwise than good. Climbing plants of various kinds will be trained up the muUions and rafters of the circular house, and allowed to hang in festoons from the roof. When the house is filled with flowering and or- namental-leaved plants, with climbers de- pendent from the roof, the effect will be charming. We can already see that Mr. Johnston has provided for himself a source of deep enjoyment and comfort. — «-^ » «» BURIAL PLACES OF SMALL EXTENT. What a multitude of burial places there are scattered all over the country, now without suitable inclosures, open to the encroachments of cattle, without trees, grown up to bushes and weeds, small and contracted in extent, crowded with head- stones leaning in all directions, telling a tale of neglect and heartlessness dis- graceful to any people. May we not charitably suppose that this state of things is but a libel on the true character of many communities who suffer them to exist ? It has often occurred to us that much of this neglect is owing to a want of knowledge of what to do, rather than a willingness to let such a condition of things remain. In other instances it is probably owing, in a great measure, to carelessness on the part of the people where this neglect is found, and a want of unity of action in eff'orts to ■^emedy the evil. In many parts of our country a better spirit is manifesting itself, and we are happy to think what is now doing may act as a leaven to change the whole aspect of things in this respect. May we not hope the time is not distant when a more Christian and civilized view of this matter will pervade our whole country ? To such journals as your own we look, to give direction to efforts for the improvement of works of this character. With these feelings, we present to you our own case. Connected with an ornamental ground of considerable extent, which is laid out in the modern style of landscape gardening, we have a piece of ground fenced off in a pen-like manner, 13 rods wide and 16 rods deep — a rectangular plot, in form a par- allelogram. What a look of neglect shows itself as we look over the ground ! Seven large apple trees and many smaller ones, Burial Places of Small Extent. 83 looking as though some money considera- tion retained them in their present posi- tion ; a variety of straggling, unsightly trees and bushes ; coarse, neglected grass, mown once in a season, for its supposed money value ; a rough and uneven surface, with burials in rows across the lot, in straight lines, leaving a space through the center from north to south and from east to west, apparently designed to afford a place, at some future time, for walks in these directions. Upon this neglected spot, we are ashamed to confess, are the monuments of President Azel Backus, President Henry Davis, Hon. William H. Maynard, Professors Seth Norton, Josiah Noyes, J. Findley Smith, and others. Here, also, lie the remains of Rev. Samuel Thornton Kirkland, the early Christian missionary, who, with a prophetic view of the future of this country, provided princely gifts to found an institution of learning and science. By his side lie the remains of his Indian friend, the great chief, statesman, and humble disciple, Shenandoa. , It has long been felt that this neglect was not creditable to us, and that it was an unfair expression of the respect and affection still cherished among us to the memory of those individuals whose bodies lie buried there. At a late meeting of a few individuals interested in these grounds, it was determined to put them in good condition, and arrange a system of walks, with a drive around the whole ; to plant them with choice trees and shrubs, and so to beautify them, that they shall no longer compare unfavorably with other well- arranged grounds of like character. It is designed to expend such sums of money in this improvement, and its future keep- ing, as may be realized from those who feel interested in this enterprise. The inclosed plan was adopted as one suitable for its improvement. It originally consisted of about one acre of land, but to which has recently been added, by the gift of one greatly inter- ested in the contemplated improvement, about one third of an acre more. It is proposed to work the cemetery ground so that it will harmonize with the orna- mental grounds to which it is attached. To partially disconnect the cemetery from the ornamental grounds, we design to plant groups of trees pretty thickly along the division line, but not so as to cut off entirely a view of the monuments from the ornamental ground. It is intended to grade the whole surface to correspond with the natural slope of the grounds, and to cover it with grass, to be kept well cut, and to make good and substantial roads and walks. The other lines of the ceme- tery are to be planted with a good hedge, as a protection against encroachments. The drive is so arranged as to give, while passing around it, a view of the whole ground, approaching very near the boundary on the north, which is made necessary by the manner in which burials have been located. The intermediate walks are nearly confined to the points indicated on the plan for the same reason. 84 The Horticidturist. To break up the present stiff and formal arrangement of monuments and head- stones, the idea indicated on the inclosed diagram was adopted ; that is, to plant near the bounds, inside the protection hedge, an irregular screen of evergreens, with deep indentations and recesses, leav- ing spaces suificient for burial lots around the whole outer lines, where the drive does not approach too near the lines to prevent so doing. To remove the objection to the present location of burials already made, and to break up their straight lines, it is designed to plant, as shown on the plan, with ever- greens, so as to divide the whole central part into spaces in extent suitable to meet the wants of any families who may be buried there. The points near the walks and road, and in front of the recesses, to be planted with choice deciduous trees and shrubs, such as the new American, Rosemary-leaved, and KilmarnockWillows; Fern-leaved Beech, Weeping Cherry, Cut- leaved Weeping Birch, Viminales Elm, Weeping Thorn, and others, and such shrubs as Euonymus, Sjiirasas, Vibur- nums, Weigelas, etc. The location of this cemetery is on the east slope of College Hill, and overlooks for many miles the valleys of the Oriskany and the Mohawk, the northern slope of Paris Hill, and affords a distant view of the Steuben and Trenton Hills, giving many views, for variety and beauty, which can scarcely be exceeded. From the ground, for many miles, may be traced what is known as the old prop- erty line, extending from Wood Creek, near Rome, to a point on the Mississippi, near where the Tennessee River empties into it. This line was adopted by a formal convention, held at Rome, in 1768, and was designed as a boundary line for ever between the whites and the red men, who were then the owners of this vast terri- tory. It now remains a sad memento of a race of people, not far back in point of time, Avho once o^vned and lived in this fertile region of our country, and who have now disappeared from among us. Will you i^lease give us your opinion of our plan, and make such suggestions as may occur to you in regard to the im- provements we contemplate? Perhaps, in so doing, you may help others who are in a similar condition to our own, and, like us, need your advice. [It is only too triie that the condition of our rural burial grounds is not such as it should be ; and though this is unmistaka- bly the result of reprehensible neglect, we are far from believing it to be an evi- dence of indifference to the memory of the dead. The causes that you assign, and others of a similar nature, no doubt operate potently; so, also, does the con- sciousness that our burial grounds are mostly onlj^ temporary abiding places, even for the dead ; and that the so-called spirit of improvement will in a few years sweep them all away. The recent forma- tion of Cemetery Associations is doing much to correct this evil, by turning aside this ' ' spirit' ' from desecrating the cities of om- dead. You have, therefore, adopted a very judicious course to re- lieve your burial ground from the re- proach that now rests upon it. We have no doubt that you will find a general readiness on the part of your people to co-operate with you. We are much pleased with the general design of your plan. Small places are often spoiled by attempting too much. This you have happily avoided. A single boundary drive is all that should be attempted here. It approaches the boundary too closely on the north ; but that seems to be unavoida- ble. We do not see how the line of the walks could be improved, under the cir- cumstances. The boundary planting, with a broken outline, is very good ; but avoid marring its boldness by breaking it too much into detail. The recesses formed would be appropriate for monuments. No provision seems to have been made for a receiving vault. Both the southeast and Sashes vei'sus Fixed Roofs. 85 northeast corners would be suitable places for vaults, or even the middle of the east border. The idea of dividing the middle ground into plots by evergreens pleases us very much. It is in very much better taste than those dreadful iron chains and rails. We should increase the depth of planting a little on the right and left, at the points where the cemetery grounds merge in those of the ornamental grounds, so that they shall be gradually lost in each other. The introduction of water would be an interesting feature, but there seems to be no source of supply. In edging, let the sod come down gradually till it meets the face of the walk. We dislike a naked, perpendicular edge to a walk; it looks bad, and is not easy to keep in order. You have done the plan so well, that there is not much room for criticism. The improvements that could be made by disturbing the dead are so slight, that the thing is not to be thought of. If your trees are judiciously grouped, and the proposed improvements carried out, you will have a cemetery that will be highly creditable to the intelligence and taste of all concerned in it. — Ed.] SASHES VERSUS FIXED ROOFS. BY PETER HENDERSON, JERSEY CITY. I HAVE read and examined from time to time, with much interest, your remarks and sketches of Plant Houses, and it is not to dissent from your views that I now write, although it seems to me that your ideas run all one side of the matter, for your designs and descriptions are almost exclusively of an ornamental character, and adapted only for conservatories or graperies, leaving the uninitiated com- mercial nurseryman or florist to look in vain for something to suit his case. I have said that your ideas seem to be one- sided, in describing only ornamental erections ; they seem also so in your uni- formly recommending the fixed roof prin- ciple. Now, for the purposes of the florist or nurseryman, I tliink there is but little doubt that the advantage is with the sash over the fixed roof. The difference in cost is trifling ; probably a little in favor of the fixed roof; but balanced against that is, that your house, once erected on your favorite plan, you are emphatically "fixed." It is not portable, (unless made in sections, which is only a bad com- promise with the sash plan,) and any alter- ation requiring to be made, your roof is of but little or no value. But the most serious objection to it is the diflficulty with air. I have never yet seen a house built on the fixed roof principle that had means of giving air so that plants could be grown in a proper manner, and I could name dozens who have been induced to build on this plan, that one year's experience has given them much reason to regret. We are now adopting for plant houses, low, narrow, span-roofed buildings, formed by 6 feet sashes, one on each side, the ends of the houses facing north and south. These we attach three together, on the ' ' ridge and furrow ' ' system , as shown in sketch. This system presents great ad- vantages, and, by using no cap on the ridge piece, air is given in the simplest and safest manner, by the sash being raised by an iron bar 9 or 10 inches long, pierced with holes, which answers the double piirpose of giving air and securing the sash, when closed, from being blown off by heavy winds. There is no necessity for the sashes being hinged at the bottom, as might be supposed ; all that is required being to nail a cleet along the wall plate, fitted tight to the bottom of each sash. Every alternate sash is nailed down ; the other is used in giving air in the manner described. The advantages of such erections are so obvious, that I need not trespass much on your space to enumerate them. The plan 86 Tlie Horticulturist. can be adapted to detached buildings already up, by erecting houses of the same length alongside ; or, in the erection of new houses, if not more than one is wanted, it may be put up with a view to further extensions. I have had four a , ground level. — b, bench or table on which to stand plants, ^^^ feet wide in each house. — d, pathway, 2 feet wide. houses on this plan in operation for nearly two years, and I have never before had so much satisfaction with any thing of the kind. Intending next season to remove my green-houses from their present site, all c, 4 inch pipe, 3 shall be put up after this style. [We are glad to learn that you have been interested in our plant-house sketches. Your criticisms are quite welcome. We propose to examine them briefly. It is ad- mitted, in this case, that " our ideas run all on one side," to the extent that the de- signs thus far given have been mainly in- tended for amateurs. The reason is this : being an amateur ourself, we are most familiar with the wants of the amateur, and we have supplied his wants first, as belonging to the most numerous class. The nurseryman and the florist are better able to supply their own wants, as they generally do, by building their own houses in their own way. But by and by we will see if we can not do something for them. The purposes of the amateur and the flor- ist are so dissimilar, that the same house will hardly answer best for both ; yet the general principles involved are the same. You object to our style of house that it is " not portable," but, when once erected, is "emphatically fixed." Precisely so; that is just what is intended. An amateur locates his house with a " fixed " purpose, and intends that it shall remain "fixed." Unlike'the florist and nurseryman, he has no occasion to move it. Our house is "fixed;" yours, alas! is not. Unplaned and unpainted, it is always rotting and tumbling to pieces, and has to be built over again every four or five years ; in fact, we have seen more than one case where it was necessary to replace nearly all the principal timbers at the end of the second year. We beg your pardon ; your house is " fixed ;" it is being " fixed" all the time, and yet it is never " fixed." Is such a house most economical, even for florists ? Those who have both kinds as- sm'e us that they are not, and among them one of the best and most extensive florists in the country. In regard to alterations, they can be made in the fixed roof about as easily as they can in the sash roof. Neither can make much of an argument here. — Next comes the "difficulty with air." Just here we beg to assure you, that with the ' ' fixed ' ' roof, air enough can be admitted to " blow your head ofi"." If it is not done, it is not because it can not be. You want to keep your plants nearly dormant during the winter, and consequently must have a good supply of cool air on warm days. The amateur wants to keep his plants growing freely, and wants but comparatively little air. What is best for him is not best for 3'ou. Then, again, you want, at the end of win- ter, a short, lively growing season, and the means of hardening off your plants rap- idly ; and the sash roof undoubtedly affords you the facilities abundantly. But all this can be done very cleverly with the " fixed " roof; and as you are about build- ing, we propose to put you to the test. Ventilation of Grape Houses. 87 We will furnisli you with a plan for a house or section, which you shall build to the "letter." If it does not do all that is claimed, we will take it down at our own expense. — In compactness and gene- ral economy, the "ridge and furrow" presents some decided advantages for the florist. The accumulation of snow in the ridges is an objection, but not an insupera- ble one. Yours would be more economical if made a little wider. — Ed.] <» o » «M- VENTILATION OF GRAPE HOUSES. BY WM. BRIGHT, PHILADELPHIA. The most simple, convenient, and effi- cient method of ventilating grape houses which we have ever been able to devise, is shown in the following engravings. Fig. 1. — Top Ventilator. The top ventilator is formed by a sash, all in one piece, running the whole length of the house, and opened at one motion, by simple machinery. The front, or bottom ventilator, is only four inches wide, and is placed almost up to the glass, so as to carry the stream of fresh air over the plants. This is also opened and closed by a crank and shaft, with iron elbows, and is all the front ven- tilation that will ever be found necessary. Another method of making the front ventilation is shown in the engraving of a lean-to vinery, lately erected in this city. The sashes in front are hung with ropes and weights, like window sashes, running down, (not in closed-up cases,) in front of the wall. This method of forming the front ventilator gives a more elegant ap- pearance to the house, but in no other The Horticulturist. respect is it better than the four-inch ven- tilator made of wood, as shown in Fig. 2. The top ventilator, in Fig. 3, is the same as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2. — Front Ventilator. [The principle of admitting air over the plants, and not on them, is undoubtedly the correct one, as we have many times stated. Your contrivance lets the air in at the right point. For a plant house, we should prefer the arrangement in Fig. 3 ; the other is better adapted to a grapery. The mechanism for working the top ven- tilators is very convenient, but it is costly, a similar contrivance in New York having cost one dollar a running foot to put it up. Will yours cost less ? Your top ventilator would be very much better if hinged at the bottom, for reasons which will naturally suggest themselves. The sub- ject of ventilation may be ventilated prof- itably.— Ed.] A GOOD TREE PLANTER. BY THE EDITOR. Several years ago, we saw in some pub- lication a description of a tree planter. It seemed to be a good thing, and we had one made immediately, which we have continued to use to the present time. Others have used it at our suggestion, and have been well satisfied with it. It is, indeed, a great labor saver. It does away with the annoyance of sighting " both ways," or, indeed, any way. The accom- panying figure illustrates its use. It is made of a piece of board eight feet long and six inches wide^. In the middle, a half circle, four inches in diameter, is cut out, as seen at c. At each end, an inch and a half auger-hole is bored, shown at a, a. A description of the manner of using it will not be out of place. A number of stakes will be needed, which should be six or eight inches long, and rather more than an inch in diameter. It is of no con- sequence whether they are square or round. They may be split from pine boards, or small branches or saplings may be cut from the woods into proper lengths. Now, suppose a row of trees is to be Farmers^ Gardens. 89 planted. First, stretch a line for the row, and measure off the distances at which the trees are to be planted. At each place, and close to the line, drive in one of the small stakes. Now take up the line. This much has to be done whether the tree planter is used or not. The next operation consists in placing the tree planter against the stake, so that the latter comes in the middle of the upper edge of the semicircle, when a stake is to be driven in the hole at each end of the tree planter. The whole row is to be gone over in this way ; and it can be done in half the time that it takes to describe it. When the holes are dug, the size is marked around the middle stake, which is then removed. The earth should be thrown on one side, so that when the planter is put down again it shall rest on the level ground. We will suppose that the holes have been dug, and the trees are ready to be planted. The planter is to be placed over the two end stakes, which were not removed. The semicircle will be over the middle of the hole. The tree is to be held straight against the middle of the semicircle, (just where the middle stake stood,) and the filling in done in the usual way. (See the figure.) When the row is finished, it will be found to be a perfectly straight line, provided the stakes were all in line . In this way, a single tree or a whole orchard may be planted, and each tree will occupy the precise spot where the stake was driven. So, too, if a tree is to be taken up, and another put in its place, it may be done with the certainty of hav- ing the new tree occupy the precise spot where the old one stood. The chief advantage of the tree planter consists in saving the time and labor of sighting rows of trees, to get them in line ; for in using this simple contrivance they must line, if the stakes are put in the right places. The rows must be laid off and staked, whether the planter is used or not ; and the only additional labor consists in staking the planter at each hole ; but the planter can be placed at twenty stakes while a single tree is being planted in the usual way. The planter may be used with equal facility for planting shrubs, &c. It may be made of a smaller size for this purpose, if desired, but we use only one. Having used it quite extensively, we give it an unqualified commendation. If Ave knew the name of the inventor, we should take great pleasure in giving him credit for such a useful instrument. M « ^ O < > FARMERS' GARDENS. BY WILLIAM BACON, EICHMOND, MASS. The time when any thing like a com- fortable garden was scarcely known among farmers is yet within the memory.of many, of not the very " oldest inhabitants." In those days many, very certainly, had a patch inclosed near the dwelling, which was called the garden, whose products in- ventoried, first and principally, potatoes, a few hills of beans, strips of land two feet wide and ten feet long were severally appropriated to beets, carrots, and onions, with a few hills each of cucumbers, squashes,, and a sufficient space for from Maech, 1864. twenty-five to fifty cabbage plants. These articles, when the men performed the labor, were usually planted or sown soon after the corn and potato planting in the field was ended. If the labor was per- formed by the women of the household, it was done rather earlier, in the " odd spells " left from other labors. These gardens were usually poorly at- tended. The men did not like the small work of weeding onions and carrots. Of course they were neglected, while the potatoes and cabbages (these were more 2 90 The Horticulturist. substantial articles) were hoed in about the same proportion of time as were the field crops. The result was, these gardens afforded their owners but very little pleasure in summer, or profit in autumn, or comfort the following winter ; for in the former season neglect licensed weeds to grow without restraint. In autumn, these weeds, of which the beggar louse and pig weed were competitors for ascendency, so nearly covered up all that it was designed should grow, that an attempt at harvest- ing would have been any thing but a pleasant or compensating employment. In winter, the tall, dry stalks of these rival weeds told plainly of the fertility of the soil which had given them sustenance, and that they had won their victory over it, almost without eftbrt or obstacle. The fruits of these gardens consisted mainly of a row of currant bushes, whose roots were protected by turf and weeds, which grew in matted clumps, and knew no other pruning than that afforded by the few straggling sheep or cattle that might run there in early winter ; and a few pear trees — real native fruit — whose products 60 far defied inroads of pilferers, that the swine, if turned in among it, would turn away in disgust. Whether the quaint saying, " root hog or die," had its origin with some father or more tender and affec- tionate mother, when they saw their hope- ful offspring brought to the alternative of choking on these vile products or adopt- ing the rooting system, we have never been advised ; but if such counsel were actually given under the circumstances, it speaks better for the instinct of the ani- mal that rejected the fruit, than for the reason of the man who allowed a tree of so worthless a character to cumber his grounds. Such gardens as we have described are not without their existence now, though we note it as a beautiful feature in the progress of the age, that they are each year diminishing in number. Yet, how many of the good, well-to-do farmers of the present time deprive themselves of many of the beauties and comforts, to say nothing of the luxuries the garden might bring them, almost without money or price ? How few of the real cultivators of the soil have ever tasted a cauliflower, or any of the varieties of melons, unless they obtained them in market ; or how many have feasted on the better kinds of pears ? Take the wide sweep of really independent farmers, and how often can we find in their gardens, or yards even, one grape vine to hang out its clusters and invite them to their healthful feast ? It is not because farmers do not like ber- ries, and pears and grapes, as well as others do, that they neglect their cultivation. It is not because they have no leisure time to care for them that they do not go into the cultivation of them. Although there are periods in every season when their business presses so that rest appears like an object never to be attained, yet there is no class of men who have more leisure moments than the painstaking, go-ahead farmer ; and if the majority of farmers have not an equal amount of time for relaxation from the labors of the field, the fault is too often their own. It is a truth sufQciently evident to be well established, that the most business men very often have the best gardens. They commence them for relaxation from other and more engrossing cares, and for the cheap and pleasant amusement they aftbrd ; and as they progress, the comfort and profit of the thing leads them for- ward. Comfort ! How much is implied in the word ! It is synonymous Avith health, and the surroundings that lead to secure it to its possessor. The inhabitants of cities, and villages, and close workshops very well imagine what it is, when they inhale the pure air of the fields, or taste the vegetables and fruits, fresh from their gatherings. And, in ajipreciation of it, they do not fail, so soon as circumstances will enable them, to feast upon them fresh, the products of their own hands. Exotic Feriis. 91 Then why do not all farmers, who have land enough and means enough for its improvement, admit themselves and their families to the pleasures, the comforts, and profits of the garden ? It is a matter of congratulation that so many of this class are waking up to the subject, and we hope that this improve- ment will become contagious, and spread, until every homestead will be adorned with its vines and fruit trees, and that choice vegetables will become as common as their merit demands. [Mr. Bacon draws a strong picture, but there is only too much truth in it. It is pleasant to know, however, that this kind of gardening is gradually disappearing, while in its place we see something more tidy, better arranged, and very well stocked with a choice class of fruits and vegetables, that add geatly to the comfort and health of the household. There is no reason, outside of themselves, why the great mass of farmers should not fully enjoy all the luxuries which a garden is capable of affording, equally with the mil- lionaire, and at a much less cost. If Mr. Bacon's article should meet the eye of a farmer who has not a neat and well- stocked garden, we hope he will resolve to have one at once. — Ed.] EXOTIC FERNS. BY Wn.LIAM J. DAVIDSON, NEW YORK. The attention of horticulturists having been increasingly directed, of late years, to this lovely class of plants, than which few are of more easy management, I would, Mr. Editor, agreeably to your ex- pressed wish, offer a few remarks on their cultivation. We often see in a stove- house large numbers of young ferns, growing in all imaginable places, and are apt to wonder how they came there ; but when we take a frond with its seed or spores fully ripe, and examine it, our won- der merges into admiration at the beauti- ful adaptation of nature for their disper- sion. We find it covered with almost microscopical seeds, which float off" on the least breath of air, and, alighting on some place favorable for their germination, soon become the beautiful plants we ad- mired. To grow ferns from spores, then, we must imitate nature as nearly as possi- ble ; and probably the best way is to fill a pot about three parts full of rough peaty earth, and shake the frond or spores over it, and cover with a piece of glass, to pre- vent evaporation, placing the pot in a saucer of water, which will keep the soil moist enough by capillary attraction. In a week or two, we will see small green scales begin to form on the surface, and in a short time the young fronds begin to appear. The glass may now be gradually removed, and as the plants increase in size and strength, they may be potted off singly into small pots. With stove and green-house ferns, the same necessity exists for a period of rest, (induced by a lower night temperature in winter and spring,) as in that of the hardy species. We often find this important point overlooked, and in consequence of two or three years' growth being com- passed in one season, the plants get spindly and weak, and a slight change or exposure to sunshine or damp at once destroys or disfigures them. The compost used for their growth should be chiefly peat or leaf mould and sand. A liberal admixture of cocoa fiber is very desirable ; indeed, ferns seem to revel in such a mixture, and many of the more delicate and finer varieties grow as they never grew before, when planted in the pure, rmadulterated fiber. Moderate- sized pieces of turfy loam may be used with those of stronger growth, as it re- tains moisture longer than peat does, and causes the fronds to grow shorter and 92 The Horticulturist. stouter than if grown in peat alone. A liberal supply of broken pots, freestone, or charcoal may be added, to keep the mixture porous and secure proper drain- age, and the compost, except for small pots, should not be sifted. Shade is, if possible, a greater necessity here than in their out-door management. This is easily managed by roller-blinds or mats, which should be removed on every safe opportunity. In common with all other plants, ferns often suffer as much from superabundance of water as from want of it. A too com- mon impression prevails that they may be unsparingly watered, and, in consequence, many of the more delicate kinds, espe- cially in winter, perish. The fronds should never be allowed to droop ; but as soon as the surface soil looks and feels dry, enough water should be given to wet the ball thoroughly ; not a little at a time, and often, as we sometimes see done. Ven- tilation should also be regularly attended to, especially in hot weather, as a stove fernery, though shaded, would soon be- come unbearably warm in bright sunshine, while the intense heat would destroy or disfigure many of the tenderer varieties. A slight syringing overhead (except on the succulent and hairy kinds, which should not be wet) is very beneficial, and in hot weather the plants will soon show their gratitude for it, by increased color and luxuriance. It also assists greatly in keeping down thrip, which, with brown scale, are the great pests the fern-grower has to contend with. The thrip soon shows his unwelcome presence by dis- figuring the fronds, which should at once be sponged with blood-warm soap and water, or the most infested fronds entirely removed, and the plant dipped in a weak solution (about two ounces to the gallon) of the Gishurst Compound, or carefully fumigated till the insect disappears. Brown scale should be removed by hand, while young and light colored, as, if allowed to remain till old and brown, it is merely a cover for microscopic thousands of young ones, which, falling as dust over the other fronds, form new colonies for future extirpation. Mealy hug also some- times shows itself, and should be destroyed in a similar manner. From such a large class, when all are so interesting and beautiful, it is hard to make a selection. The following, how- ever, will, I think, be found of easy culti- vation, and will amply repay the slight attention required to grow them to perfec- tion. Those marked with O. will stand a minimum temperature of 45 degrees. Acrophoriis hispidus, G. , and immersus, C. — Very beautiful and easily grown plants, with finely divided, light green fronds. Avoid sprinkling or syringing these varieties. Anemidictyon fraxinifolia, G., tomentosa, and phyllitides, G. — Very distinct and handsome flowering ferns, with contracted spike-like fertile fronds. Adiantum, or Maiden's Hair Fern. — One of the most graceful and beautiful of the whole genus. They have all divided, light green fronds, and are particularly well adapted for vases or hanging baskets. The most showy are A. affine, G., cunea- twn, G., concinnum, caudatum, curvatum, cardiochlcena, formosum, G., macrophylhim , i7itermedium , and trapeziforme. Aleuritopteris Mexicana. — A most beauti- ful fern, with the habit and appearance of a Chelianthes. Alsophila radens and Australis. — Lovely, large-growing species, combining the grandeur of a tree-fern with a very ele- gant divisional appearance. Asplenium. — This family contains many beautiful and well-known varieties, all worthy of a prominent place. The fol- lowing are the most desirable : A. hulhif- erum, G., axillare, G., Belangeri^ G., cicutarium fragrans, G. , Otites, G. , falca- tum, G., pr amor sum and var., Canariense, G., redinatum, G., vlviparum, and di- morphum. Aspidium, Lastrea, and Nephrodium, com- prise a large family, all so nearly alike, that we may rank them all under the head Exotic Perns, 93 of "Aspidium." They include many of our most elegant ferns, and are all worthy of cultivation. The most useful and or- namental are : A. glabellum,Canariense, G., patens, G., augescens, G., decompositum , G., album-punctatum, molle, var., corymbiferum, coriaceum, G., capense, G . , pnbescens falca- tum, G . , caryotideum , G., trifoliatum. Blechnum. — Beautiful evergreen ferns, of bold habit. Fronds with short stalks, arising- from a tree-like stem. B. Brazili- ense, G., corcovadensc, occidcntale, G., glandulosum , G., pediiicdum , and longi- folium, are all well deserving a prominent situation. Cibotium Barometz and Scheidei have very stout, long, brownish, hairy stalks, bear- ing very elegant, spreading, thrice divided fronds. Cyathea medidlaris. — A noble and very distinct tree fern, with numerous long- pointed, dark scales on its crown and stalks. Cheilanthes. — Exceedingly beautiful and elegant ferns, indispensable in every col- lection. Very impatient of syringing or drip. The following are general favorites : elegans, G., farinosa, G., Hirta and var., Ellisiana, G., lendigera, radiata, frigida, G., and spectahilis. Drynaria coronans, quercifoha, and mor- hillosa. — Most attractive and handsome dark green ferns. Davcdlia Canariensis, G. — The beautiful and well-known "Hare's Foot Fern." D. hullata, G., and dissecta, G., are also very beautiful, and make handsome specimens. Gymnogramma. — The striking and beau- tiful "Golden and Silver Ferns" rank high in every fern fancier's estimation, and are all easily managed. The follow- ing are the most easily procured golden vars. : ochracea, G., sulphurea, Martensii, chrysopkylla, and Lacheana. Silver vars. : pulchella, tartarea, dealbata, Calamclmios, and Peruviana. G. tomentosa and ntfa are also favorites with many cultivators. Goniophlebium appendictdatum, G., and suh-auriculaturn , must not be overlooked, the fronds of the former having rich crim- son mid-ribs and veins, while the latter is one of the best ferns we have for hanging baskets, having graceful drooping fronds from three to six feet in length. Hemionites palmata. — An ivy-leaf shaped, extremely pretty, and distinct fern, bear- ing viviparous plants on its fronds. Hypolepis repens, G. — A well-known handsome fern, with spreading, hairy, light green fronds, excellent for suspend- ing. Lygodium scandens, G. — An exceedingly elegant climbing fern, forming a dense cover of slender and graceful foliage. Nothochlmna. — A very elegant family, rather difficult of management, owing chiefly to their dislike of moisture on their fronds. Closely allied to Cheilan- thes, which they much resemble. The prettiest are : lanuginosa, trichomanoides, nivea, (silver fern,) jiavens or chrysopkylla, (golden fern,) and Eckloniana. Onychium Japonicum. — Avery slenderly- divided, deep green fern ; should be in every collection. Polypodium. — A large and distinct fam- ily, bearing very prominent fruit dots on the fertile fronds, and comprising many choice and useful kinds. The principal are: pedinatum, G., plumula, G., effusium, G., concinnum, iridioides, phymatodes, Bil- lardieri, aureum, G., and fraximfolium. Pteris. — Very distinct and ornamental ferns, including many indispensable varie- ties : P. geraniifolia, ternifolia, hastata^ G., rotundifolia, G., lonifolia, G., semi- pinnata, cretica, albo-lineata, argyrcea, G., aspericaulis, var., tricolor, scaberida, G., trcmida, G., and arguta, G., are the most conspicuous and choice varieties. Platycerium alcicorne and grande. — Stag's Horn Ferns. Very interesting ferns, with entire, hoary, light green, fertile fronds, the sterile fronds always prostrate and very distinct. May be grown on mossed blocks of wood, care being taken to keep the blocks well moistened. Woodwardia or Doodia caudata and aspera are very pretty little tufted ferns, well worthy of a place in every collection. 94 The Horticulturist. Though not ferns, strictly speakmg, the large family of Selaginellas deserve a jjass- ing notice. They are plants of a most attractive and elegant appearance, and include a great variety of form and hue. Many of the species may be used for sur- facing large pots, and most useful are : S. Africana, atroviride, densa, cxsia, cir- cinalis, denticulata, G., Icevigcda, (cfesia arborea,) iiimqitali folia, G., lepidophylla, Lyalli, Schotti, G., stolonifera, G., umbrosa, G., Wildenovii, G., serpens, and Brazil- [We must thank Mr. Davidson for com- plying so promptly with our request for an article on exotic ferns. He has made the subject quite complete, and given a list that is not only good, but easily got, as they may all be bought at a reasonable price of those who grow ferns for sale. Spores or seeds of some of them may also be bought. We should be glad to see ferns more generally grown than they are. Many of them grow finely in plant cases in rooms. — Ed.] WAYSIDE THOUGHTS UPON ARCHITECTURE. BY ARTIFICER. Architecture. — It may be well that we can affirm, in reference to general matters, that the things we love best we know most of. It might be well for us to affirm this much of the distinctive art of architecture, did there not occur so many inconsistencies in our profession and practice of it. While it is true that we can point proudly to works that will stand the test of analysis and criticism in all departments of the art, it is no less true that we are far from realizing its whole worth — all it would bring us if better cultivated and en- couraged. How largely and intimately it enters into the concei-ns of social and domestic life, its wealth of refining in- fluences and impressive language. Nowhere, that I know of, has architec- ture found the favor it deserved, of the many institutions of learning scattered through the length and breadth of our beautiful land. No one is exclusively dedicated to it. Not even its rudiments are taught in our academies and colleges, where music and painting are considered as essential to a finished education. It may be that this is mostly due to archi- tects themselves, who have neglected to diffuse both the " spirit" and the " let- ter" of architecture among their country- men. I do not believe, with some, that there is any lack of genius on our part powerful enough to control a growing development in architecture, for no land ever gave birth to fairer or better. Egypt could boast because her river gods ruled and her bondmen wrought. Greece could boast because her temple piles and graceful columns were dedicated to her gods. Rome could boast as long as her " Cgesars" were patrons and the world tributary. America may boast more than all these. Architecture is understood to mean the " ai't or science of building," or con- structing buildings for all purposes of man, including the domestic, civil, and devotional ; so that architecture and building are classed as one and the same thing, when they are as distinct in their offices as painting and sculpture. Form, in architecture, is the sign or signs of skill, utility, or convenience, and discovers the relation between the symbol and the thing symbolized, and hence means more properly the act of designing for the formation and adornment of buildings upon scientific and art prin- ciples. This definition naturally resolves itself into two heads, viz. : designing for the construction of buildings, and design- Wayside Thoughts upon Architecture. 95 ing for their adornment. The former is restricted in its operations to such rules as practice and science have instituted, and a repetition of these rules only is required for all like subjects. While the latter can not be so restricted, it is com- paratively limitless in its operations ; it may reach as far as the conception of the intellect can reach. Its only land- marks are fitness and proportion ; these give beauty ; its ruling star, " genius." Had I time to reflect upon the origin of architecture, we might see how its first principles, in the process of development, became, or gave birth to, second princi- ples. And these, associated in practice under the control of national taste and re- quirement, became phases, classes, or styles of art, as the Eg3^ptian, Grecian, Roman, Byzantine, Gothic, and Italian styles. It is undoubtedly true that the ancient Greeks derived their first prin- ciples for their beautiful system of columnar architecture from what is technically termed the ^^ primitive hut," formed of the trunks of trees set up- right on the ground, at regular intervals from each other, with rough beams laid horizontally across their tops, and trans- versely over these smaller ones, exposing to view their naked ends, having a roof of poles and bark over all, as protection from the Sim's rays or storm. This simple form, so far as the purposes of utility were concerned, was almost perfect, but was wanting in finish and beauty. So far, constructive skill and requirement had been at work. Afterward, as the mind could conceive the relations between the useful, symbolized in the beautiful, new elements were born into life, which, in the changes of time, under a system of proportion, new conceptions, and increas- ing care, became the almost "miracles" of perfection and beauty handed down to us under the titles of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders of Architecture. The " Hut," as a type of all subsequent development, became classed in reference to its parts. Its upright supports, when succeeded by others of grace and symme- try, were styled columns ; its horizontal beams, architraves decorated with mould- ings ; and the space occupied by the ceil- ing timbers outside was ajjpointed for a frieze ; the jutting rafters or inclined roof timbers became carved modillions ; the projection of the roof gradually assumed the proportions of an elegant cornice and entablature . Thus we see the primitive Hut, before it took upon itself a tasteful character, was not architecture ; though realizing nearly all the requirements of utility, it could not be architecture until there was proportion to place instead of disproportion ; fitness where it was not ; harmony for discord, and richness for poverty. I allude thus briefly to the supposed origin of Grecian Art, that the reader may the more readily distinguish between buildings and architecture ; otherwise I might trace it stage by stage, in its glorious ascent over the stepping stones of civili- zation, mingling its ripe influences with those of Roman, Byzantine, and Italian architecture, until their combined influence and eflbrts irradiated the whole hemis- phere of art. As a fine art, architecture stands in the first rank, since nearly every science con- tributes more and more, and, I might say, is necessary to its perfection. The " store house of nature" has not that which it can not use, and no intellect has or ever can be found powerful and comprehensive enough to mould its last, fitting, and perfect form. It is progressive and far-reaching in its tendencies, because intertwined with the religious, social, and civil elements of society, and it says for each what they can not say for themselves, were its presence wanting. It will point out the church, the domestic dwelling, and the court-house, with all the precision and significance of language ; in fact, it does speak, in a langu?ge whose " thoughts breathe and words burn." It wields, too, a moral power, and is the source of many refining influences, inasmuch as it frequent- 96 The Horticultui'ist. ly lifts our thoughts and aspirations above a common level, and turns them toward the contemplation of that "Infinite Power" who fills so vast a space with such varied forms. The purity of its types, which have served us so well as models, and well springs from which to draw, are everyway worthy the assiduity with which our pre- decessors have labored and wroiight, and it would be well for us did we strive to imitate more closely their example. The success they achieved under greater disad- vantages than we could possibly encounter on the same road, should greatly encour- age and whet our efforts. The art-loving Greeks nurtured architecture tenderly, wrought carefully and beautifully, and reared magnanimously for posterity. They knew not all the sublime forces that told her laws, yet they knocked, and the doors were opened ; they perseveringly sought and found, and in the strength and purity of their great faith each mountain barrier was removed and outlier spanned, and the way once rugged and insecure, lined with bramble and bush, became a gentle emi- nence paved with mosaics of art, of rare device, at Avhose summit sat its " God- dess." What do we not owe to classic Greece, and who does not love her ! ■<»»»«» HOT BEDS.— 11. BY THE EDITOR. It has been suggested that a few re- marks on the general management of hot beds would be very acceptable. An early hot bed, or one started in January or February, reqpiires pretty constant atten- tion. Two things require to be kept con- stantly in mind : first, that the bottom heat shall not die away ; secondly, that the frost be kept out by sufficient cover- ing. Loss of heat will not often occur when good material has been used abun- dantly^ ; it seldom occurs in a good pit ; it more frequently happens in a bed made on the surface. It may occur from deficiency of material, from poorness of material, from careless exposure, or from defective covering at night. There are two ways in which it may be restored : first, by mak- ing a number of holes in the bed, and fill- ing them with hot water. When this has been done, the bed should be shut up tight, covered warmly, and remain so till the presence of steam gives evidence of a restoration of heat, when the usual routine may be resumed. The heat will sometimes return in a few hours ; at other times not for a day or two, and it may even become necessary to repeat the application of hot water, but not often. The second mode of restoring the heat, consists in cutting away the outside of the bed, and applying fresh hot manure in its place. This should be well covered with coarse litter. It will help the process materially if holes are made in the sides of the bed, which will allow of the ready access of heat from the fresh manure, and restore fermentation to the whole mass. If the bed, however, is in the first instance properly made of good material, and unnecessary exposure avoid- ed, all this trouble will seldom be called for. A sufficiency of covering is a very im- portant matter. Straw mats make an ex- cellent covering ; so do woolen blankets, litter, &c. ; but whatever the material may be, it should be sufficient to shut out the cold effectually, and prevent the loss of heat. Coarse litter should be placed around the frame up to the very top of it. In very cold weather the covering should be put on before the sun has left the bed, especialty if the wind be sharp from the northwest. The covering should be se- cured by laying boards on it, or otherwise, to prevent it from being blown off". We have known the heat of a bed to be lost in a single night in consequence of the Neiv or Rare Plants, &c. 97 mats being blown off. Look to this mat- ter, therefore, carefully and constantly. The mats should also be kept on mostly during very cold, cloudy days. In mod- erate weather, the beds may be uncovered though the sun do not shine, provided the wind is not too high. The object to be kept steadily in view, is to give the grow- ing plants all the sunshine and light possi- ble, and at the same time run no risk of losing the heat. It will be necessary to put the covering on at night till about the first of April. It should not be removed in the morning till the sun is well up. The subject of ventilation may next be alluded to. In very early beds, this re- quires almost constant attention. Such beds are usually made up of a large mass of material, in order to insure a strong heat ; and this makes ventilation a very delicate matter, especially while the bed is fresh and the plants are young. An ex- perienced gardener will judge of the heat pretty accurately by simply raising the sash ; but it is well to keep a thermometer in the bed ; and if it be a self-registering one, so much the better. For Cucumbers, for which early beds are made, a tempera- ture of about 80° is a very good one. For most other things, about 70° is much better. When the sun is well up, the beds should be examined, and as the heat in- creases the sash should be raised a little, say about an inch at first, to be increased towards midday, and lowered again towards night ; but the sashes must all be shut down tight at least an hour before sundown. During some days the sashes will not need to be raised at all. The ob- ject of ventilation is to prevent the tem- perature from becoming too high ; for if to the rich soil and moist, stimulating air a very high temperature be added, the plants will grow spindly, and come to nought. The sashes, therefore, must be raised Avhen the temperature increases rapidly under a bright sun, and lowered as the sun declines ; being careful, all this time, not to allow the heat to escape too rapidly. What is wanted is a pretty high but uniform temperature. It will be need- ful for the novice, at first, to give both his judgment and attention to this matter pret- ty closely ; but in time experience will make it simple and easy. When a small amount of ventilation is needed, the prop should be placed at the head of the sash ; when more is necessary, place the prop at the side. In the latter case, the prop should be placed on the side opposite to that from which the wind is blowing. The wind will then blow over the sash, and not into the frame, and the danger of chill- ing the plants will be avoided. The majority of plants grown in hot beds are to be transplanted to the open air, and it is therefore necessary to " harden them off , " as it is called. This is done by gradually increasing the amount of ventilation as warm weather approach- es, until at last the sashes are left off alto- gether, when there is no longer any dan- ger of frost. What has now been said, it is hoped, will give the reader a pretty good general idea of the management of a hot-bed. The special treatment of cucum- bers, cauliflowers, &c., will be given in separate articles at some other time. ^»^ »»^ NEW OR RARE PLANTS, &c. Our list of foreign plants is made up from the Journal of Horticulture, Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Floral 3Iagazine, &c., to all of which we desire to give credit . Aristolochia leuconeura, (Pale-veined Tree-Aristolochia.) — Nat. ord., Aristolo- chiaceas. Linn., Gynandria Hexandria. Native of New Grenada. The flowers are produced in clusters on the lower part of the trunk; limb of the flower purple, beautifully netted with yellow lines. Blooms in the stove during September. — {Bot. Mag., t. 5420.) Pelargonium Bowkeei, (Mr. Bowker's 98 The Horticulturist. Pelargonium.) — Nat. ord., Geraniaceaj. Linn., Monadelpliia Decandria. Native of the Trans-Kei countrj^ in South Africa. Graceful in foliage and flowers, but the latter are devoid of striking color ; they are tinted partially flesh-color and partlj^ yellowish green. — [Ibid., t. 5421.) ScHizosTYLis cocciNEA, (Crinason Schizos- tylis. — Nat. m^d., IridaceEe. Linn., Tri- andria Monogynia. Native of watery places in British Cafiraria. Flowers crim- son, blooming late in autumn. — [Ibid., t. 5422.) MiMULUS REPENS, (Creeping Monkey- Flower.) — Nat. ord., Scrophulariaceae. Linn., Didynamia Gymnospermia. Native of extra-tropical Australia, and as far as Victoria, and then in Tasmania. It is also common " in saline situations, and muddy banks of rivers in New Zealand." It will probably require the protection of a cold frame in winter. Its flowers are lilac, partially dotted with yellow. — [Ibid., t. 5423.) SoLANUM ANTHROPOPHAGORUM, (Cannibals' Solanum.) — This is one of the condiments eaten with human flesh by the cannibals of the Fejee Islands. Such flesh, they all acknowledge, is most indigestible ; and the fruit of this plant, called by them Boro dina, somewhat resembles the Tomato, but having an aromatic smell, is employed to assist digestion, and its leaves are wrapped round the flesh pre- viously to its being baked. — [Ibid., t. 5424.) Rhododendron, Princess of Wales. — Pre- vailing color, dark mauve, shading off to a white throat. Its truss is large, and altogether the variety is superior. Raised by Mr. Young, Milford Nurseries, near Godalming.— (F/ora/ Mag., pi. 177.) Rhododendron, Countess of Devon. — Ground color white, with rosy edge, the upper petals being spotted with purplish crimson. The taruss is large, and the flowers well formed. — [Ibid., pi. 162.) It does not seem to be a very striking variety. Rose, Baron de Rothschild. — Brilliant crimson, very large, and very double.— [Ibid., pi. 178.) Gloxinias. — Lady Emily Villiers, pink ground, darker toward the throat, which is white ; center of lower segments have a band of white spots. Lady Victoria Howard, mauve, toward the throat brown- ish crimson, throat white ; center of lower segments have an irregular band of white lines. 3IademoiseUe Suzanne de la Bouvil- lerie, segments of corolla dark lilac, throat white. They were raised by Mr. Breeze, and are now in the possession of Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son.— [Ibid., pi. 179.) AcHiMENES. — Purpurea elegans, claret color, throat orange. Leopard, pale crim- son, throat orange, spotted with crimson. Ptaised by Mr. Parsons, of Welwyn, and now possessed by Mr. B. S. Williams, Paradise Nursery, Holloway. — [Ibid., pi. 180.) Az.iLEA, Louise Van Baden. — Pure white; shows a slight tendency to sport. Flowers large and well formed, and of remarkable substance. A splendid variety, of Bel- gian origin. — [Ibid., pi. 158.) Amaryllis, Regina spsctabilis. — Supposed to be a cross of A. regina with A. specta- bilis. It is of robust growth and decidu- ous in character. Color dark crimson, with a white stripe down the petals. — [Ibid., pi. 159.) DisA GRANDiFLORA. — A Splendid terres- ti'ial Orchid, a native of the Cape, and first flowered in England by Charles Leach, Esq. Spike eighteen inches high, with large flowers of great brilliancy. — [Ibid., pi. 69.) We doubt whether this Orchid is yet in this country. Bourbon Rose, Rev. H. Dombrain. — Supposed to be from Louise Odier and a dark Hybrid Perpetual. Fine form, large, with regularly-disposed petals. Color vivid crimson. — [Ibid., pi. 163.) Of home productions, we do not hear of much in addition to those mentioned in our last. We are very much inclined not to put any thing in this list unless it has been properly endorsed by some Horticul- tural Society, or we have some personal Monthly Calendar. 99 knowledge of it. In England they manage such things much better than we do. Phloxes. — Last season we received a collection of seedlings from Mr. Isaac Buchanan, of New York. They were an uncommonly fine lot, and it would be easy to select a dozen of first-rate merit. Mr. Buchanan, we understand, will send out the best of them this spring, under name. Star Ipom(ea, {Ipomoea {Quamodit) coc- cinea.) — Under the name of Star Ipomaa, the seeds of this plant are being sent out by Mr. J. Wesley Jones, of Chatham Four Corners, as a novelty. This is a mistake. It is an old inmate of the garden, now mostly superseded by better kinds. Petunias. — The blotched and striped varieties of the Petunia are destined to become popular. Mr. Buchanan will send out this spring some very fine ones, under name. They are excellent bedding plants, but used in this way, the double and sin- gle should not be mixed in the same bed. Mr. Henderson will also add to the list of good ones. Yokohama Squash. — The seed of this very fine Squash, introduced by Mr. Hogg from Japan, will be for sale this spring by our principal seedsmen, Mr. Hogg having placed it in their hands. We have already noticed it. It should be extensively grown. -»«-^"» »» MONTHLY CALENDAR.— MARCH. Orchard, Fruit Garden, fyc. — This is a busy month among fruit-trees. If they have not been scraped and cleaned, it should not be longer neglected. Continue to look after and destroy the nests of the tent caterpillar and canker worm. The nests of the latter will increase as the weather grows milder. Look well, too, after the borer. Pruning generally may now be done. If the orchard is to be plowed, it may be done as soon as the frost is well out of the ground, but not while the soil is wet. The beginning of the month is a good time to commence propagating the vine from eyes, under glass. The vineyard should be looked over, and trellises, wires, &c., put in order for spring. Vines that were pruned and covered last fall, should remain so for the present. Those that were not pruned last fall, should be pruned now. Grafting the vine may now be done better than later in the season. The Grapery. — In warm days, top ven- tilation may be needed in the Cold Grapery, to prevent the buds from being excited. In other respects, every thing will remain quiet for the present. Any work to be done in the way of repairing, painting, wiring, &c., should be finished before the vines begin to grow. The Hot Grapery must be carefully looked after. If the vines are in bloom, do not syringe them, but keep the air moist by wetting the floor of the house. Thinning out should be done as soon as the grapes are the size of small peas. Handle the bunches as little as possible. Pinch in as needed, and take out all unnecessary growth, while it is very small. The shoot from the top bud should have some freedom of growth. Give top ventilation when needed, but only moderately. Green-House. — Attend to ventilation and watering, as directed last month. Plants that are intended to be removed to the border will require more air than others. All kinds of bedding plants may now be propagated freely. Camellias, while mak- ing their new growth, should not be crowded. Azaleas will now be coming into bloom rapidty. Give them plenty of room, and water regularly and fully. A few Caladiums, Begonias, &c., may be re- potted and brought forward. Destroy insects, which will now multiply rapidly, if let alone. Look over the plants gen- erally, and repot such as may need it. Seeds of many annuals and biennials may be sown in the green-house for early blooming in the border. Plants in Rooms. — Attend to watering, 100 The Horticulturist. &c., as directed last month. Plants that are making a new growth should be placed nearest the light, while those in bloom or dormant, may be farthest from it. Seeds of half-hardy annuals, &c., maybe sown in shallow boxes, set near the window. They should be transplanted into small pots as soon as out of the seed leaf. Kill insects on their first appearance. Ver- benas, Petunias, Geraniums, &c., maybe propagated. Ornamental Grounds. — Drive and walks should be put in good order. The lawn may be raked ofi' toward the end of the month. . Shrubs, &c., may be pruned. Finish repairing fences, &c. ; draw off all rubbish, and put every thing in good order. If trees and shrubs are to be planted, locate them, and dig the holes. Borders and beds may be forked up as soon as the ground gets dry. Apply old manure when needed. Vegetable Garden. — In this department work will begin in good earnest. Hot- beds may now be made for general sowing of seed, such as Tomato, Radish, Lettuce, Melon, Cucumber, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Pepper, Celery, Egg Plant, Potatoes, Beans, &c. Sow the seed in drills, but Melons and Cucumbers may be sown in small pots. Never use cold water for watering hot-beds. Ventilate during the middle of the day, and shut up early. Cover the glass warmly at night. (See article on Hot-Beds.) Fork up the gar- den as soon as the ground is dry, toward the end of the month, and sow Peas, Potatoes, Onions, Leek, Windsor Beans, Beets, Carrots, Cress, Lettuce, &c. Trans- plant from cold frames Lettuce, Cabbage, and Cauliflower. Cold frames should be uncovered during pleasant days all the winter, and at this time should be left un- covered also at night, unless the weather should be quite cold. Finish clearing up rubbish, hauling manure, and clearing up generally, so as to be prepared for good weather, if it should come this month, which we now judge, however, will not be the case. EDITOE'S TABLE. To Contributors and Others. — Communications, Letters, Catalogues, Periodicals Remittances, Packages by Express, Advertisements, &c., should be directed to Mead & Woodward, Editors and Proprietors, 37 Park Row, New York. Exchanges should be addressed to " The Horticulturist." We desire to say, Mr. Knowlton, that our issue with you is not that we know much or little about grape culture ; that point has been already decided ; but the issue is, that you have made a wretched use of the labors of others without the customary acknowledgment. That is the point, and it is a very grave one for you. For a man to disown the " fountain " from which he drew his own inspiration, is very much like a child disowning his father. This thing is getting to be a disgrace to horticultural literature, and we mean to denounce it in proper terms, no matter who the offender may be, or however " vulgar " it may be thought to do so. Vulgar ! why the truth is always a vulgar thing to some men. When you have any proper explana- tion to make, you can have the use of our columns to make it. Crowded. — We are so much crowded again this month, that we must ask the in- dulgence of our correspondents. Some communications, requiring immediate no- tice, will be answered by mail. Editor^s Table. 101 The Metropolitan Fair. — We would earnestly call the attention of our readers to the great Metropolitan Fair, to be held in aid of the Sanitary Commission. It is a subject that appeals strongly to our patriotism and humanity. Our brave soldiers have been stricken down by dis- ease and the bullets of the enemy, and lan- guish for the sympathy and comforts that we are abundantly able to give them. Let conscience for once have her perfect work. We appeal to all our Nurserymen, Florists, Amateurs, Farmers, and Gardeners, to send in their trees, vines, plants, flowers, &c. and let the women convert them into bless- ings for our sick and djdng soldiers. So shall God bless you all more abundantly than ever. We print below the Circular of the Floral Department, which we hope will be read, and responded to in a liberal manner. Floral Department of the Metropolitan Fair. — It is proposed to have a Department in the Metropolitan Fair, devoted exclusively to the sale of Bouquets, Baskets of Cut Flowers. Plants in bloom, Seeds, Roots, Slips, Grafts, &c. ; and the Floral Com- mittee appeal to all Gardeners, Florists, owners of Private Green-houses, Nursery- men, Farmers, and persons possessing Rare Plants, to contribute them. A conspicuous place will be assigned in the Fair to such donations, and the names of their givers will be attached. Bulbs, Seeds, and all imperishable arti- cles, can be delivered previous to March 28th, at the Receiving Depot, No. 2 Great Jones Street. Bouquets, Baskets, and Cut Flowers, in every form, are to be sent, during the two weeks of the Fair, to the Palace Gardens, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, Four- teenth Street, New York, for the Floral Committee, on such days as may be speci- fied by the donors as more convenient, and as may aflbrd a daily supply of fresh flowers for sale. Transportation will be furnished free by the principal Express Companies. It is particularly desired that, when practicable, the flowers may be sent already arranged. An answer to this communication is earnestly requested, stating what contri- butions may be expected, and at what times, unless the givers can allow the Floral Committee to name the days. And surely the ministry of these bright tokens of our Father's love will be doubly blessed, when, after gladdening our senses, their avails shall serve to raise the suffer- ing soldier to health, or to comfort and soothe his dying hours. They are gifts which Heaven daily re- news, and the flowers gathered to-day wiU be replaced to-morrow, fragrant with the memory of a good deed. All communications (unless otherwise specified in an accompanying note) may be addressed to Mrs. Geo. Fred. Betts, Ladies' Floral Committee, 241 East Twenty- fifth Street, New York. Committee of Ladies — Mrs. G. F. Betts, Mrs. Robert S. Howland, Mrs. Robert Colby, Mrs. Albert Gallatin, Mrs. Carl Schurz, Mrs. Thorndike, and other Ladies. Committee of Gentlemen — Mr. Augustus Belmont, Chairman ; Mr. George C. Gray, Mr. Edward Potter, Mr. Lydig Suydam, Mr. Isaac Buchanan, and other Gentlemen. Missouri Horticultural Society. — We are indebted to some friend for the late proceedings of this Society. They are very interesting, but we are too much crowded to give an abstact this month. Mr. Lane's Agency. — We would call attention to the purchasing agency of Prof. Lane. To those who wish to employ an agent to make their purchases, we know of none better. His natural tastes and busi- ness capacity well fit him for the particular line of business he has taken in hand, and we commend him to our readers as a relia- ble and faithful man, prompt in all his en- gagements. CATALOGUES, &., RECEIVED. Transactions of the New York State 102 The Horticulturist. Agricultural Society, with an Abstract of the Proceedings of the County Agricultural Societies. Vol. xxii., 1862. — Just received. Col. Johnson will please accept our thanks. Transactions of the Massachusetts Hor- ticultural Society for the Year 1863. — Worthy of a more extended notice, which we shall endeavor to give next month. Transactions of the Essex Agriciiltural Society, (Massachusetts,) for the Year 1863. — The State is in this time, for which we thank you. We must recur to these Transactions again. /. M. Thorburn ^ Co., 15 John Street, New York. — Annual Descriptive Catalogue of Vegetable and Agricultural Seeds, &c. Alfred Bridgeman, 876 Broadway, New York. — Descriptive Catalogue of Vegetable Seeds, (fee. Also, Descriptive Catalogue of Flower Seeds, with practical directions for their Culture and Treatment. Henry A. Dreer, 714 Chestnut St., Phila- delphia.— Garden Calendar for 1864, &c., with select Lists of Seeds, Trees, and Plants. -B. K. Bliss, Springfield, Mass. — Spring Catalogue and Amateur's Guide to the Flower and Kitchen Garden, &c. — The illustrations are well done. James Vick, Rochester, N. Y. — Iliustrated Catalogue of Seeds, and Guide to the Flower Garden, &c. — We can not help say- ing that the engravings are finely done. Geo. Baker, Toledo, Ohio. — Descriptive Catalogue of Fruit and Ornamental Trees Shrubs, Vines, &c. Francis Brill, Newark, N. J. — Catalogue of Summer Flowering Bulbs and Roots for Spring Planting. &c. /. Knox, Pittsburgh, Penn. — Price List of Small Fruits, &c., for the Spring of 1864. H. B. Lum, Sandusky, Ohio. — Illustrated Catalogue of Flower Seeds, Cuttings, &c. Vilmorin, Andrieux, ^ Co., Paris, France. — General Wholesale Price List of Garden and Agricultural Seeds. Also, Wholesale Price List of Flower Seeds. Ferdinand Korn, Agent, 170 Fulton St., New York. Cor i*e spondence . Editor Horticulturist — Sir — It seems to me, as it doubtless will to you, a piece of temerity for one of limited information and experience comparativelj^ in Horticultural lore, to question or qualify the statements of yourself and Dr. Grant, to whom generally we are accustomed to look as oracles. I shall, however, claim the protection of my good intention, which is the same as yours, doubtless, to develop the facts in Horticulture. It is well-nigh passing into an adage that nurserymen and horticultural writers are the biggest liars in the land, so different are their assertions. I don't adopt this senti- ment, but attribute all their differences and discrepances to the effect of soil, climate, and treatment. I am strongly impressed with the idea that you nor the Dr. don't make sufficient allowance for these, and some- times adopt as a demonstration, what in a different section and circumstances may not hold good at all. Dr. Grant says the Con- cord is offensive, and has a toug'n, acid center, and intimates that no one with a decently re- fined taste could find pleasure in eating them. Also says the Anna is exceedingly rich and vinous in flavor, not surpassed by anj^ grape ; that it is healthy, vigorous, &c., and you endorse both these, which is doubtless true under the circumstances in which you have seen them ; but is the farthest from the truth with others, and under different cir- cumstances. Here the Concord ripens beau- tifully and thoroughly, and is esteemed very good, even beside Delaware. Here the Anna is worthless ; will not grow under the best treatment, and all of our amateurs have not been able to make it bear enough, scarcely to taste ; but so far as tasted, the impressions are not the best. So of the Mulberry. I Editor's Table. 103 might say it is esteemed with the Blackber- ries, Tiioinbugs. Time would fail me to tell of all these, that in high hope we have planted to awake to bitter disappointments. If a man should read Grant, Mead, Huss- man, Knox, Deliot, and Campbell, &C., and attach equal veracity to each, it seems to me he never could decide which grapes or straw- beiTies to plant. I attribute all this to the tremendous influence of climate, soil, &c., and that at least a partial remedy is to be found in fully recognizing this fact in all "catalogues, descriptions, &c. Fully recog- nized, it will lead to inquiry before planting ; and proper selections and proper treatment, lead to success, and success to universal planting and plenty of good fruit. An aid to this end may be found in encouraging reports from all parts of the country from Horticul- turists, even if they don't know every thing and, like the writer, not accustomed to write ; and to set the example, I will close by saying that here Delaware is good all the time, grows, bears, is healthy and A No. 1 to eat. Allen's Hybrid, with me, grows well, is a delicious and handsome grape, but inclined this year to mildew. Cuyahoga grows well, but mildewed badly. Concord grows strong, bears well ; some of my bunches weighed three-quarters of a pound ; ripened thorough- ly ; skin exceedingly thin , with no pungency in it, and though not the best, a very delight- ful eating grape, even beside Delaware and Allen's Hybrid ; will fall some from the bunch when handled. Hartford grow^s well, ripened a week before Creveling, is foxy, and only good, if one is hungry for grapes. Creveling is a rampant grower, bears well, and is a fair grape, among the best of early grapes. Rogers' No. 19, good grower, large showy grape, but with me about third quality. Can't give it the reputation Mr. Brehm does as to quality. Diana grows well ; fruited first time this season ; skin tough, with a strong feline taste. I wait in hope with it. Mead's seedling grows well, is much like, if not the same as Catawba ; if any difference, a little later, and not quite so good. I can give it a shorter name — humbug. Rebecca, Rogers' No. 15, Lincoln, and others are not in fruit yet ; { all grow fair and healthy. My Union Village and Lenoir have not grown so well. Catawba and Isabella were rather poor ; our tastes are getting rather beyond them ; still a perfect Catawba is very nice. R. ChilUcothe, 0. [It is not safe for any except a close and attentive reader to criticise the opinions of others. This is the first time we ever heard that "it is well-nigh passing into an adage that nurserymen and horticul- tural writers are the biggest liars in the land," and we take occasion to repudiate it as a gratuitous libel. There are, no doubt, occasional instances of decei^tion and misrepresentation, as in all other trades and professions ; but, as a class, there are no more honorable, upright, and intelligent men any where to be found than among " nurserymen and horticul- tural writers." It can not be expected that all men should agree in matters of taste; some latitude for difterence of opinion must be allowed, without calling in ques- tion a man's honesty. Now let us exam- ine your position for a moment, and see how far we adopt " demonstrations." Dr. Grant has repeatedly traveled over the West, and we presume bases his opinion on what he has thus seen. We know that we, at least, make abundant allowance for the conditions you name. We are con- stantly receiving fruit from all sections of the country ; and we find some kinds to be uniformly good, some uniformly bad, some good in one section and not in another, and some to vary in a minor degree. We therefore think we are in a good position to give a fair opinion of the current fruits of the day. We think, also, that two men, each speaking for his own locality, may give somewhat dis- similar opinions of the same fruit, without having their veracity brought into ques- tion. Taste, too, has something to do with a man's opinion on the subject of fruit. Tliis, with us, in regard to grapes at least, is only at the beginning of a pro- 104 Editor^s Table. gressive stage. A man who has all his life been accustomed to the wild grapes of the woods, may at first stick up his nose at even a Cannon Hall Muscat. But all this is changing.— Can you point to the place where we have recommended the Anna for general cultivation? We have said that the Anna, when ripe, is a rich and high-flavored grape ; and so it is. It is otherwise when not ripe. We have recommended it to be grown where it will ripen, but not elsewhere. We have said that it does best in a warm, sheltered place, and requires a long season; and that is the case. Are not these " sufficient allowances?" It seems to us that a dis- criminating man may read Grant, Mead, Hussman, Knox, &c., and decide what to plant without impugning the veracity of either. As to the quality of grapes, they all substantially agree, though some of them differ widely as to which is the most profitable for market. The influence of chmate, soil, &c., does not come in at this point at all. In your conclusions on grapes, we can not perceive that you differ materially from any of the gentlemen you have named, and you must there- fore come in for a share of your own denun- ciations, unless you withdraw them. — Ed.] Dear Sir : — I have prepared ground for planting 2,500 vines in the spring. My preparation consists in draining, the tiles being laid four feet deep and thirty feet apart, with a descent of one foot in twelve or more, and trenching about twenty-six inches deep, honest measurement. My soil is rich loam, a little inclining to gravel, with a fine sod, which yields excellent hay, having the mold or fertile portion about one foot deep. The trenching has been done with a spade by an Englishman, who delights in the work, and he has made an excellent job of it. As the work was in progress, no enrichment was worked in, but the foot of sub-soil that is now snper- soil, has been since worked and fertilized. I propose to plant 1000 Delawares, the best plants that I can get from single eyes; 1000 lona, and 500 Diana. My latitude is about one degree north of New York. The Isabella and Diana ripen well with me. My purpoee is to grow grapes for the table, and I would produce none but the best in their best degree of excellence. I hope to add one acre at least, each year, to my vineyard, but not any more than I can have done so well that you will say it need not be better. A few remarks from you will be gratefully received, and especially any suggestions as to improvement, or show- ing where I am in error. If not in deeply now, good guidance may lead me sefely out. I have read your " Hints," and ex- tracts from your lectures, with interest that is always increasing, and my proceedings have been shaped in accordance with them. With respect, Vineyardist. P. S. — If you will call on me when next you pass, or will make the visit for that sole purpose, you shall not go away with your pocket lighter in consequence. I shall esteem a consultation with you on the ground a pleasure, and an advantage imposing pecuniary obligation. [You have happily a soil naturally adapt- ed to the growth of the vine. We pre- sume your exposure is equally good. Your preparation is excellent, insuring the per- manence of the vine and the perfection of the fruit. When some vineyards, badly prepared, will be showing signs of prema- ture age, yours will be still in the vigor of youth. We hope, in enriching your soil, you have not forgotten to add a little muck. In your future treatment, be care- ful not to overstimulate your vines. Your selection of grapes for the table is the best that you could have made. We can not perceive wherein you have made an erroi' ; so far from it, we think you are in the high way to success. We came very near seeing you last fall. We shall em- brace an early opportunity of doing so, for we feel no little interest in your success. Something might suggest itself on the ground that does not on paper. — Ed.] THE HORTICULTURIST VOL. XIX APRIL, 1864 NO. CCXIV. irotoiitg ^^hiits h |l00ms -II. Our former article was confined to the consideration of the conditions under which plants may be successfully grown in rooms, and we trust that some light was thrown on the subject. The mention of light, however, reminds us that we omit- ted to say anything about light ; an omis- sion that we will now supply. Light, the warm, vivifying light of the sun, is so ne- cessary to the health of plants, that noth- ing will compensate for its absence. No plant that is grown in a room can receive too much of it. Let it stream in, there- fore, through every pane, unobstructed by curtain or blind, that it may revel among the plants to which it gives life and beauty. Some windows, of course, are better than others. The best of all is that which faces the south, since it receives the sun longest. The next best is that which fa- ces the southeast or east. The nest, west ; and the least desirable of all is one that faces the north. The larger the window, the better. It should not be under a pi- azza or verandah, or the plants will inevi- tably grow spindly and weak. If in the city, a window on the second or third floor is better than one on the first, since it will receive more light. A bay is the best of all windows, as it is the lightest of all. A bay, indeed, may be inclosed so as to form a receptacle for plants but little inferior to a green-house. We wonder that this is not often done. A moist air would thus be obtained for the plants, and the sun would ordinarily furnish sufficient heat. When this was not the case, and especially at night, the inclosing sashes or doors might be thrown open, and the plants would receive the warmth of the room. Outside shutters or blinds would be very desirable, to be used at night. We may illustrate a bay of this kind hereafter. Of whatever kind the window may be, pro- vide for and admit all the light that is pos- sible. Let us now pass to the second cause of failure, improper selection of plants. This has more to do with the want of success in growing plants in rooms than is gener- ally supposed. It is not to be expected that an inexperienced person should be able to make a judicious selection of plants for this purpose ; neither is it to be expected that the florist should always be right in his Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864J by Mead & Woodward, in the Clerli's Oflice of the District Court o ' the United States, for the Southern District of New Yorlc. April, 1864. 106 The Horticulturist. recommendations ; in fact, he is sometimes wrong, though his knowledge will enable him to say rather what will not do than what will. Of the many lists of plants that we have seen recommended for rooms, very few indeed are free from serious objection. This arises chiefly from the fact that these lists have been mostly prepared by persons who have had no experience in the room culture of the plants they recommend. We do not say this of all, because we know better. If we could command in a room the same conditions that obtain in a green- house, it would be safe to recommend the same plants for both ; but these condi- tions are by no means the same in both ; and that all plants do not succeed equally well in both is a fact within the experience of every man and woman who has ever grown plants in a room. At the time we grew plants in a room, we went through the whole catalogue of plants, and may therefore be supposed to know something about them. We mention this fact, sim- ply that the reader may understand why we speak so confidently. We now propose to present a brief list of plants which we know to be well adapt- ed to room cultiu'e. It will comprise only those which we have grown well and with comparative ease, but most of which we have seen others grow well under sim- ilar conditions. It may be stated in gen- eral terms, that plants that require a very humid atmosphere, such, for instance, as Caladiums, Begonias, (the Rex family,) Marantas, &c., will not do well in rooms, except they are inclosed in a case ; while, on the other hand, those that delight in a warm, drj^ air, such as Cacti, Mammil- laria, &c., do finely. There is a class of plants that come in between these, that also do well. The Camellia is often re- commended as a good room plant ; but it is by no means such, being grown there with the utmost difficulty. We have sel- dom or never seen a weU-grown Camellia in a room. We think we shall place at the head of the list, in view of the large satisfaction it yields, the Azalea, one of the gayest and most beautiful of flowers. All the Cacti, Epiphyllums, Mammillaria, Aloes, ^c, do well in rooms. All are singular in their forms and growth, and many produce large and brilliant flowers. In this class is included the Night-blooming Cereus. The Calla is also a good room jilant, and so is the Hyacinth, Crocus, Narcissus, Tulip, Ixia, Bab- iana, Oxalis, Luchenalia, and most other bulbs, not forgetting the Cyclamen, one of the best of them all. Here, too, must be placed the Laurustinus, and also, but not quite so good, the Pittosporum. Better than tlie last, but much neglected, is the CoroniUa, with its pretty yellow, pea-like blossoms. The Heliotrope does very well near the light, and is indispensable for its grateful fragrance. So, also, is the Daphne, but it is not so easily grown. And while among the fragrant flowers we must not for- get the Gardenia, Orange, Lemon, Magno- lia fuscata, and Carnation. The Scarlet and sweet-scented Geraniums are nice room plants, and easy to grow, but the Pelargo- nium is not. The latter may be flowered after a manner ; but a small truss of bloom on a long, spilidly shoot is far from attract- ive. Just here very naturally come in the Cuphea and Bouvardia, the former an admi- rable room plant of the easiest culture. Alike beautiful and easy to manage is the Chinese Primrose. Its proper place is the front of the table, where its white and purple flowers will cheer us all winter long. For the back of the table we can have Abutilon striatum, a tall growing plant, with large pendent flowers. For a middle position, nothing is better than the Choro- zema, with its handsome pea-like flowers. The Bridal Rose (Rubus) is another desira- ble plant, resembling a Raspberry, with double white flowers. A few climbers will be needed, and these may be found in Passifiora ccerulea, a singular and beautiful flower, the best of its class for a room. The Wax Plant, {Hoya,) a curious, but by no means sweet- scented flower. We may also add Mau- randya Barclayana, with showy tubular Plant Homes. 107 flowers of a bluisli white color. The Ken- nedija MarryattcR, with scarlet, pea-like flowers, also does very well. But a collection of plants would hardly be perfect without the Rose. Fortunately, there are a few that do well in rooms. These may be mostly found among the Tea Roses, such as Goubalt, Bougere, Leveson Gower, and others. Of Bourbon and China Roses, Hermosa, Malmaison, Queen, Phcenix, Daily, and Agrippina, are the i(best, and bloom finely. The Hybrid Perpetuals do not grow very well in rooms. The best that we have tried is old La Reine. There are many annuals and biennials that do well, the following being some of the best : Mignonnette, always a favorite for its delightful fragrance. Sweet Alys- sum, a sweet, modest little plant, with small white flowers, that smell like new honey. Lobelia, (gracilis, erinus, speciosa, ramosa, etc.,) a charming room plant, pro- ducing masses of beautiful little blue flow- ers. Candytuft, (Iberia,) a very desira- able plant, with flowers from purple to white. There are several hardy plants that bloom finely in pots, and are extensively used in this way by florists. They bloom nearly or quite as well in a room as they do in the green-house. Some of the best of these may be noticed. Spircea prunifolia, when in bloom, is a complete mass of white, with its tiny double flowers. Not less beautiful is Spircea Reevesiana, both the double and single. If the double-flower- ing Dwarf Almond he placed between these, a very pleasing contrast is produced. The Deutzia gracilis is a beautiful dwarf shrub, covered with handsome little white bell- shaped flowers. The Dielytra spectabilis is a charming herbaceous plant, resembling a Poeony in growth, and bearing long racemes of singular but beautiful flowers, very inappropriately called by some, Bleed- ing Heart. There is also an old but little known plant, named Daphne cneorum, a small, low growing evergreen shrub, highly prized for the beauty and fragrance of its bright pink flowers. We close the list for the present, though there are not a few other plants that may be added that are nearly, if not quite as good for room culture ; but we do not think we should add more to the list of hardy shrubs, except it be the Weigela rosea. ■<*♦»»»- PLANT HOUSES.— XI. BY THE EDITOR. We present this month an illustration of a house which we designed some three years since, and which has given no lit- tle satisfaction. It is a propagating and forcing house combined, and has fully an- swered the purpose for which it was de- signed. It is not of large size, being only 3t) feet long and 20 feet wide ; but its ca- pacity for work is greater than its dimen- sions would lead one to suppose. Fig. 1 is a perspective view, from which the reader may infer that it is a very neat and well-proportioned house. It has a fixed curvilinear roof laid in aquaria ce- ment, the best material for glazing that we have yet seen. There are no side lights, but the stone foundation is built up above ground, terraced, and sodded, which sets the house up, and avoids what is called a " squatty" appearance. Fig. 2 is the ground plan. The house runs east and west, the object being to use the north side for propagating purposes. A room is partitioned off at the east end for a boiler pit, seed room, etc., and is fitted up with potting table, drawers, shelves, and a writing desk. The boiler pit is partitioned ofl" by itself, as shown in the plan. In the center of the house is a large bed, in which plants of various kinds 108 The Horticvlturist. are plunged. Tlie edge of this bed is Lettuce." The bed on the south side is sometimes, in winter, " garnished with used for forcing Lettuce, Tomiitoes, Cu- Fig. 1. — Perspective Vleio. cumbers, etc. That on the north side is used for propagating purposes. The bot- arrangement works well, but involves an expense that may be avoided where two houses on different levels are not heated by the same boiler. F g. 3 gives a good Fls. -Section. Fiff. -Ground Plan. tom heat for these beds is supplied by brick tanks resting on piers, the water being heated by four inch iron pipes run- ning through the tanks. In this case it was necessary to run the pipes through the tanks, because they are also used for heat- ing a grapery near by, the floor of which is considerably higher than the tanks . The idea of the interior arrangements. In ad- dition to the beds mentioned, there is con- siderable shelving at each end. On the whole, the house is an excellent, one, and, withal, handsome. The owner is so much pleased with it, that his only regret is, that it is not larger. Another just like it would be a handsome addition to his fine place. Fungi in the Green-house. FUNGI IN THE GREEN-HOUSE. BY A. VEITCH, NEW HAVEN, CONN. 109 It is not the foliage of plants alone that is liable to the attacks of fungi, but the roots as well. And when it is remembered how necessary these organs are in the economy of vegetation, too much vigilance can not be exercised in protecting them from every influence, the tendency of which is to destroy, or even weaken their energies. The spawn of some of the larger fungi is capable of doing this, as many gardeners very well know. Indeed, were they to record all the mishaps resulting from such causes, within the limits of their experience, they would constitute quite a long chapter ; the study of which, howev- er, might be useful in teaching others how to avoid similar misfortunes. It sometimes happens that the spawn of fungi finds its way into flower-pots along with the material used in potting. This is more likely to be the case when the rotted dung of old hot-beds is used, as it is often more or less pervaded with the mycelium of several species of Coprinus, and others nearly related. By way of showing how much mischief is sometimes done in this way, I may mention a circumstance which happened some eighteen months ago. It was that of a stock of Roses potted with this kind of material, the result of which was, sev- eral hundreds of them were injured be- yond recovery before any danger was ap- prehended : an event not to be wondered at, as at potting time they were set into winter quarters to rest until spring. The jjractical lesson to be derived from this and similar cases is, never to use ma- terial to pot with unless entirely free from all mouldiuess ; and it is not unlikely but that "virgin losm from an old pasture" and well rotted manure thoroughly wrought into a compost by frequent turn- ings, owes at least half its virtues to being free from the spawn of fungi and its dete- riorating effects. Plants in green-houses, especially those standing upon pine wood shelves, in a state of decay, are in danger of being injured by fungi, which not unfrequently grow upon them. I refer more partictilarly to some of the members of a small group belonging to the tribe Gasteromycetes, technically call- ed Ni.dularia, so called from the plants resembling little nests, or which " consist of leathery cups containing several lentic- ular bodies, supposed to contain sporules, and altogether resembling a bird's nest with eggs." Nidularia campanulata is common in green-houses, coming to per- fection in autumn, and in favorable cir- cumstances so abundant, that when mush- room-growers raise as good crops of their esculent, they can not feel otherwise than saiisfied. But though autumn seems to be the only season in which this very inter- esting fungus fructifies, the spawn grows throughout the year, showing itself in white flakes on the surface of the boards, and developed with great rapidity under the flower-pots ; owing to the constant supply of moisture it receives there, and to the absence of light. It is here the michief is done ; for if not attended to, it may find its way through the holes of the pots, and spread throughout the entire ball, destroying every root and fiber as it goes. I saw some valuable plants last season nearly destroyed in this way, and would have been entirely so had it not been arrested in its progress. The method employed to do this was to turn the plants out of the pots, and remove all the roots and every particle of earth the least affect- ed ; otherwise, I know of no way in which to save plants so circumstanced. But, however annoying it may be on shelves, it is still more so in propagating beds, where they are " possessed," as in them its progress is more concealed, and its presence may not even be suspected until much mischief is done. All danger from this enemy may be 110 Tlie Horticulturist. avoided by frequently painting the shelves, or replacing them with new ones when in a state of decay. Sometimes, however, it may not be convenient to do either the one or the other. If so, it would be safe to sprinkle sulphur occasionally over the parts aSected, as that mineral kills fun- gous growth wherever brought into con- tact with it. [We would add to Mr. Veitch's very interesting article, that quicklime added to the sulphur renders it more potent. A gardener should always be on the lookout for these enemies, and apply the remedy before much mischief is done ; nay, even when there is reason to suspect their ap- pearance ; for the old adage, that "an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure," will apply here with great force. —En.] -*-►-♦-•-►*- COIT'S BEURRE AND TARQUIN PEARS. BY THE EDITOR. We give portraits this month of two pears as dissimilar almost as two pears can be. The first is Coit's Beurre, a pear as yet but little grown, but of decided ex- cellence, and destined, we think, to be- come quite popular. It lias sustained its goodness wherever we have seen it. It is a good grower, and bears well. The sec- ond is Tarquin, remarkable chiefly for the length of time it may be kept. It is simply a winter cooking pear of little merit, and perhaps not worth being figured. Coifs Beurre. — Fruit, medium, obovate, inclining to pyriform. Skin, yellow, deep- ly covered with russet, often with a beau- tiful crimson cheek. Calyx, large, open, Section. with narrow segments, in a broad, very shallow basin. Stalk, short and stout, in- serted in a small fleshy cavity. Flesh, but- tery, juicy, spicy, and vinous, but a little Coifs Beurre Tarquin Pears. Ill gritty at the core. Quality, best. Season, The following is Mr. Downing's descrip- September and October. It .is an American tion of Tarquin, onr own being lost : Pear, having originated in Ohio. " F^TOi large, pyriform. Stem, long, stout, fleshy at junction, without cavity. Calyx, with russet, and thickly covered with large, open, with persistent segments, in brown dots. Flesh of poor quality. A a broad, irregular basin, surrounded by very long keeper." russet. Skin, green, sprinkled or patched 112 The Horticulturist. BLACK BARBAROSSA GRAPE. BY E. FRYER, GARDENER TO HON. WM. H. STARR, NEW LONDON, CONN. A VINE of this fine variety is grovi^ing in one of the graperies under my charge in this place . Last season it bore about twenty-eight pounds of fruit, bunches weighing from one and a half to four pounds each. Many of the bunches re- mained on the vine up to January last, and every berry was still plump and in good order. ^ Two bunches remained till the second day of this month, (March.) A few berries were plump, but all the others were good raisins. Tor late keeping, I presume, it is one of the best, if not the best variety yet intro- duced ; for, with proper appliances, there is no diflSculty in keeping the fruit in good order until March. It should be a great acquisition to a commercial grower, and perhaps indis- pensable in a private place, where grapes are required during the whole year. One thing in connection with this variety it may be well to mention ; that it will not bear with close pruning ; that is, it will not bear a full crop if pruned so close as vines generally are on the spur system. Double spurring, as recommended by Chorlton, is the method by which I have found it to produce a fair crop every year. With a house and border, the latter not over rich, exclusively to itself, I think it would be a profitable grape. [The Barbarossa is undoubtedly valuable as a late keeping grape. It is also a pro- fitable grape to grow for market. We are inclined to think, however, that the Lady Downe is quite as valuable in these re- spects, besides being a very much better grape. Has Mr. Fryer grown it? We should be glad to hear from any of our readers who have. — Ed.] AMATEUR'S SEED BUREAU. BY THE EDITOR. We lately saw at a friend's a piece of may be made of thin stuff. The draw^ers furniture, which it seems to us is admir- ably adapted to the preservation of such seeds and bulbs as the amateur usually keeps. The reader will get a good idea of its appearance and construction from an examination of the accompanying figures, the first being a perspective view, and the second a plan. It is five feet high, three feet wide, and one foot deep, but may be Inade of any convenient size. The one we saw was made of mahogany ; any other wood that suits the taste may be used. One made of pine, well oiled and rubbed bright with soft shavings, would not be out of place in the library or sitting-room. The sides should be made of boards not less than an inch and a half thick, to make room for the bolt of the lock. The back may be five inches deep, or any other con- ii ^ ^ I c o II o o II «■ o li ^ * 1 ■- - venient depth. The two narrow strips or flaps on each side, one of which is shown open, serve the purpose of securing the Wayside ThoiigJds upon Architecture. 113 drawers. On the flaps being closed and locked, all the drawers are secured against being pulled out. In other words, by simply turning the key, half the drawers are locked. The position of the locks is shown, and the engi-avings exhibit the construction so clearly, that further de- detail is unnecessary. This bureau, we think, is a French con- trivance. It may be applied to a good many useful purposes, besides keeping seeds and bulbs, as well as be made an elegant piece of furniture, suitable for the parlor, the library, or the general sitting room. It would make, for instance, a very good fruit bureau, the drawers being made sufficiently deep to stand the fruit up. In a moderately warm room. Pears would ripen well in it. ■<>♦»«>■ WAYSIDE THOUGHTS UPON ARCHITECTURE.— V. BY AETIFICEK. The Architect. — We all, doubtless, un- derstand, in a general way, that an archi- tect is one who designs and superintends the erection of buildings, without being positive or clear in reference to any of the details of his profession. It is for this reason, principally, that I desire the in- dulgence of the reader in a bi'ief review of some of his qualifications and duties. A good many qualifications are neces- sary to make a thorough architect. Not only is he required to be conversant with the theory of his art, but equally so with all the practical methods. " Practice is the constant and accustomed attention to the manual operations, and to the several kinds of materials of which a work may be constructed ; ' ' and theory is the ability to demonstrate and apply the principles, and rides, and methods of propor- tion, in the current language of the art. To a complete and thorough education, embracing a knowledge of letters, that he may be enabled to make his thoughts, ob- servations, and experience intelligible to others, should be added that moral and religious discipline which strengthens the character and fortifies the conscience, be- getting a faithful and honorable discharge of duty and trust. To convey his ideas and conceptions, for ornament or utility, to w-orkmen, the the architect should be accomplished and skillful in drawing, so as to form the most perfect representation possible of that which he would execute. Arithmetic and mensuration are necessary to calculate the expense of a building, adjust measure- ments, and solve difficult problems of pro- portion or symmetry, and constructive laws relating to strength of materials. Natural philosophy, for the resolution and composition of forces, adjustment of laws of sound, light, heat, and ventilation. Chemistry, for the composition of mate- rials. Geology, for their quality and du- ration. Botany and history, for a proper selection and judicious use of style and or- nament for all classes of buildings. The architect should also be familiar with the general principles of painting, music, and sculpture, as aids and elements in the com- position of design. A practical knowl- edge of the law, so far as relates to rights and divisions of property, restrictions un- der which he is permitted to build, and the nature of contracts, agreements, and awards. The general principles of civil government should be known, to aid in de- signing for the requirements of civil build- ing. Theology, for general church build- ing. The architect should undoubtedly have a genius adapted to the calls of his profession, inventive skill, originality, taste, and something of the poet's fire should burn within him. 114 The Horticulturist. These are some of the qualifications ne- cessary to constitute a good architect. His duties consist in the preparation of all plans, designs, working details, and speci- fications ; the adjustment of all differences that may and sometimes do arise from a misapplication of specified requirements. It is within his province to see that the materials used by the different artificers in the construction of an edifice, be of a good merchantable quality, and also that the workmen execute the work of their respective departments according to the plans given them. We can conceive, from this brief review, how much diligence, attention, and study are required on the part of the student in architecture to excell in his profession. One of the brightest examples afforded by history for the emulation of the student is that of Bonarrotti Michael Angelo, a distinguished architect, painter, and sculp- tor, born in the 15th century. His talents for designing were so great, that he is ' ' figuratively said to have been born a painter." From the school of Ghirlandau, he went to that of Lorenzo de Medicis, where he remained until the death of his patron, when he removed to Bologna, where he executed an image of Cupid, a portion of which he buried at Rome, but which afterward came into the possession of Cardinal St. Gregory as an antique ; and it becoming known shortly after who produced it, the reputation of Bonarrotti as a sculptor became established. His skill and perseverance procured him the patronage successively of Julius H., Adrian VI., Clement VII., and Paul III., in whose reign he commenced painting the great work of the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. But what commends him as a particular example to students of archi- tecture, were his own efforts as an archi- tect, his principal work in this capacity being the St. Peter's Church of Rome. An evidence of his rapidity and skill is given by a writer of the 16th century, who says : " I saw Michael Angelo, when 60 years of age, strike off more chips from a hard piece of marble in less than a quarter of an hour, than three young masons would have done in three or four hours. He struck with such fury and impetuosity, that I expected to see the work broken to pieces, taking off at a blow large pieces three or four inches thick, and so close to the mark that the slightest deviation must have spoiled the work." [We are glad to see Artificer give so wide a range to the talents of the archi- tect ; and especially are we glad to see him give place to the moralities. It is in such a field alone, that a good name and permanent fame can be acquired. — Ed.] ^« o-^-**- PARK SPICE APPLE. BY WILLIAM S. CARPENTER, NEW YORK. This excellent apple originated on the farm formerly owned by Rodger Park, Town of Harrison, West Chester Co., N. Y. The original tree is now supposed to be over 100 years old. It is still vigorous, and bears very large crops of beautiful fruit. The tree stands alone in a pasture lot. The estimation in which this apple was held by the Park family, may be judged from the fact, that nearly all the grafted fruit on the farm is of this variety ; and what is most remarkable, grafts have never been disseminated ; and, with but one exception, it can not now be found growing oft' of the original farm. The nearest neighbors do not seem to know that a most valuable apple is within their reach. We trust that scions will now be disseminated by the person who discov- ered it, about two years ago, and was in- duced to purchase the fruit for its fine quality and great beauty, and ship them to Park Spice Apple. 115 England with a very fine lot of Newtown Fruit, pretty large, slightly oblique, Pippins. The Park Spice brought the conic. SHn, shaded with red and striped largest returns. with crimson on a yellow russet groimd. F'ig. 1. — Park Spice. Fig. 2. — Section. Flesh, yellowish white, fine grain, crisp, men from which our portrait was made, juicy, with a very pleasant spicy flavor. • and are prepared to endorse Mr. Carpen- Season, January to May. ter's estimate of its fine quality. — En.] [We may add that we tested the speci- 116 The Horticulturist. REPORT ON GRAPES IN CENTRAL IOWA. LATITUDE 42°. BY LUTHER DODD. With the exception of a few Isabellas and Concords, all my vines are young, having been planted a year ago last spring. I have from one to four each of the follow- ing varieties : Diana, To-Kalon, York Ma- deira, Union Village, Allen's Hybrid, Elsingburgh, Hartford Prolific, Logan, Northern Muscadine, Rebecca, and Anna. They were planted on high prairie land, sloping a little to the north, in a village garden, but slightly protected by neigh- boring buildings. The ground had been worked about two feet deep, and mixed with well-rotted stable manure. The vines all started -well, and made a good growth the first summer, except the Anna. The Delawares grew to my entire satisfaction. Early in November I pruned them back to the third bud of the new wood, and covered them with earth. When I uncov- ered them in the spring, I found the Union Village dead to near the ground. The new wood was all killed. Allen's Hybrid was dead, root and branch. Diana was killed back two buds. My other vines, of the above catalogue, were all alive to the last bud. The winter was very severe on small fruit. Changes were frequent and vio- lent from quite warm to intense cold. Isa- bella and Catawba vines, though covered, were killed, in my own and neighbor's garden. The hardiness of the different varieties was tested, and the fact that we have vines hardy enough to endure our most severe winters demonstrated. Though not the coldest, last winter was the most severe on vines and small fruit, of any since my residence in Iowa commenced, six years ago. By slight winter protec- tion, I am convinced that hardy vines will do well in Central Iowa. Of my vines, the following bore fruit the past season, and ripened in the order and at the time named : Hartford Prolific, ripe Sept. 1st ; Delaware, ripe Sept. 10 ; North- ern Muscadine, ripe Sept. 15 ; Concord, (vines four years old,) ripe Sept. 3; To- Kalon, ripe Oct. 1st; Diana, ripe Oct. 10; sweet and good. York Madeira, Elsing- burgh, and Anna, all failed to ripen any fruit. A vine of each bore a few bunches, which himg on the vines till severe freez- ing destroyed them. I hope that they will do better when the vines acquire a little more age. None of my vines have yet been affected by mildew or wilting of the grapes. The Diana has grown the most rapidly and yielded the most fruit. The Delaware is certainly the best, and Diana the next. To-Kalon is simply good. Hartford Pro- lific, Northern Muscadine, and Concord I class together, and call them all poor. I extended my variety last spring, and ex- pect to add to it next ; and hope to be able, if life is sjaared and Providence favors, to make a more interesting report in another year. [We have no doubt that we have grapes that will ripen uniformly in Central Iowa, and those living there will read j'our re- port with interest. We must have grapes for the whole country. We shall be glad to hear from you again. — Ed.] Sempervivum Arachnoideum . 117 SEMPERVIVUM ARACHNOIDEUM. BY THE EDITOR. Many years ago we were a good deal de- Sempervivum arachnoideum, then, and even lighted in being the owner of a plant of the now, a rare plant ; for a specimen is very SffllLLEP ^e seldom seen, even in the best collections, the intention of placing it before onr read- Some time since we saw a picture of it in ers, which we now do. It belongs to the the Revue Horticole, and had it copied, with Houseleck family, of which it may be con- 118 The Horticulturist. sidered a very delicate representative. It is a very interesting rather than a beauti- ful plant, though it is not destitute of the latter element. Its specific name, cob-web- bed, indicates its appearance very clearly ; for it looks as if a spider had run all over it, leaving its web at every point of con- tact. This is very well shown in the en- graving. The plant is not difficult to grow, but is very impatient of water. Put it in a light, open, sandy soil, with plenty of charcoal drainage, and water sparingly, especially when the plant is dormant, or it will rot oft". If this should happen, lay the plant, or the small ones that grow at the sides, on a shelf to dry a little, and then pot again in sandy soil. It is, withal, such an inter- esting and curious plant, that a little trou- ble in its culture will be well repaid. INCREASE OF THE PLANT TRADE OF NEW YORK. BY H. Messrs. Editors— I have been engaged in the plant trade in the vicinity of New York for the past sixteen years, and can speak from observation during that time of its immense increase . Nothing can bet- ter indicate the extension of floricultural taste, which in this case is certainly far in advance of the population. Sixteen years ago, those engaged in the trade might have been numbered by dozens ; now they may be numbered by hundreds. But to give your readers an idea of the present magnitude of the business, a table of figures will best explain ; of course, it is not given as strictly correct, but as an ap- proximation, which, on consulting with some of the largest growers, is beheved to be rather under than over the mark : 150,000 Roses in pots, average of 30c. each ^45,000 300,000 Verbenas in pots, average of 6c. each...'. 18,000 100,000 Fuchsias in pots, average of 20c. each 20,000 30,000 Dahlias in pots, average of 25c. each 7,500 10,000 Salvias in pots, average of 15c. each 1,500 25,000 Pelargoniums in pots, aver- age of 25c. each 6,250 20,000 Scarlet Geraniums, average of 15c. each 3,000 25,000 Monthly Carnations, aver- age of 25c. each 6,250 50,000 Heliotropes, average of 10c. each..' 5,000 20,000 Lemon Verbenas, average of 25c. each 5,000 50,000 Petunias, average of 10c. each 5,000 100,000 Tuberoses, average of 8c. each 8,000 50,000 Gladiolus, average of 25c. each 7,500 10,000 Phloxes, average of 15c. each 1,500 20,000 Chrj'santhemums, average of 15c. each 3,000 300,000 Miscellaneous Bedding Plants, average of 15c. each. . . 45,000 $187,500 The sales of some of the largest growers now amount to upwards of $10,000 annu- ally ; yet some of these men, who, on begin- ning business, carried the products of their green-house in baskets, or trundled them in wheelbarrows or handcarts to market, now employ two or three teams daily in getting their goods to the depot of sale. I may add, that now plants are much bet- ter grown, and that though prices may be lower than what they were a dozen years ago, yet the large quantities sold, and the better modes in use for propagating and growing plants, make the business to the producer more profitable than then. [These statistics are very interesting. An Ornamental Fruit Garden. 119 If we add to the above figures the large sum reaUzed from the sale of cut flowers, bouquets, baskets, &c. , we shall have a sum total not far from $300,000, which is prob- ably below the mark. This, be it remem- bered, is for the city of New York alone. It would be interesting to hear from other large cities, in order to get an approxima- tion of the flower trade of the whole coun- try. Can any of our readers furnish the figures? — Ed.] -<*^ »♦►■ AN ORNAMENTAL FRUIT GARDEN. BY THE EDITOR. In a former article we announced a pur- pose to give occasionally a garden plan, and we accordingly present a plan for an ornamental fruit garden. It was designed for D. D, Chamberlain, Esq., of Croton Falls. It is intended chiefly for fruits. The location being a conspicuous one, less regard has been paid to straight lines than ■ 1 ■'"© - '«(© • "«© «© u •"© % ^ '«© . , .'"'© // - II 1 '> would have been done for a vegetable gar- den, or one in which vegetables formed the chief object. In some places, the plan would be a very pretty one for a flower gar- den. Dwarf Pears and Dwarf Apples will be planted four feet from the edge around all the beds. Between these will be placed Currants and Gooseberries ; and Strawber- ries, in addition to the last, will be so planted as to leave a square in each of the large beds for vegetables. In the center of the garden there will be a rustic tool house, and under this a cistern, into which all the drain pipes will enter, with a suita- ble overflow. The garden is located con- veniently near the barn-yard. It is in- tended that every thing about this garden shall be kept neat and clean. We think the plan will form a pretty feature in Mr, Chamberlain's extensive and beautiful grounds. 120 The Horticulturist. WHAT IS UNSETTLED, AND WHAT IS SETTLED, THE GRAPE VINE? IN THE CULTURE OF BY HORTICOLA. Quantum est quod ncscimus. — Pu^f. How much there is that we do not know ! Thousands of years have been rolUng into the interminable ocean of eternity ; Aris- totle and Copernicus, Kepler and Newton, and Leibnitz, Linne, Lavosier, and almost innumerable other great men, have left their marks on the path to the halls of science ; great discoveries have been made, greater will be made in the progress of the ages ; yet we must meekly exclaim with Pliny : " How much there is that we do not know ! ' ' Every step which brings us nearer to the unfolding of the unchange- able laws of natin-e, doubles the distance, and we, like that ancient philosopher who, having been asked about God, doubled the days for investigation each time he was required to make known the result, we shall have to double, not days or years, but ages, and after the expiration of them, we shall be compelled to say: "How much there is that we do not know ! ' ' What we know is only what lies on the surface ; we know laws, but we do not know/orces. If we compare our progress with that made by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, it is gigantic ; but if Ave com- pare what we have attained and accom- jjlished with that which remains to be at- tained and accomplished, it sinks into insignificance, and almost disappears from the view like a distant point when we re- cede from it. The grape vine has been in cultivation for thousands of years; it has been subject- ed to the closest observation, much more so than any other plant or tree ; experiments with it have been made, varied, and re- peated under circumstances widely differ- ent from each other, in hot, temperate, and even cold climates, in the open air, and under glass ; yet we have almost de- spairingly to exclaim : '* How much there is that we do not know ! ' ' We shall at- tempt to show, in the following, what is unsettled as yet in the culture of the grape vine, and what is settled. WHAT IS UNSETTLED. I. Planting. — When we are about to plant a grape vine, and we consult books concerning the best season for it, we meet at the very threshold of grape culture with an unsettled point. While some of the best authors recom- mend the fall as the very best season, others, equally good, prefer the spring. Dr. Grant, f. i., is very much in favor of the fall ; Rubens, whose book on the vine has been incorporated by Haraszthy in his extensive work, says that the latter part of April or the beginning of May is best for planting. The same uncertainty prevails in regard to the proper depth necessary to insure success. Some authors think that a depth of eighteen inches is not too much ; others think that eight to ten inches are sufficient. II. Soil. — On the authority of Allen, the soil for grape vines was most copiously enriched to a great depth by burying in it the carcasses of dead horses and other ani- mals, and by mixing with it an abundance of bones, stable manure, etc. This prac- tice has been called, by Hovey and others, quackery, which would have the inevitable effect of destroying the vines in a short time. Recently sods from an old pasture, cut from three to four inches deep, some muck, sand, lime rubbish, and the like, have been pronounced to be the best mix- ture for the border. The same difference of opinion is found in Europe ; there, how- ever, as well as in this country, there is a strong inclination visible towards only moderately rich borders. III. Layering. — The practice of layering, What is Unsettled and Settled in the Culture of tJie Graj)e Vine. 121 for several successive years, a foot or eigh- teen inches of the previous year's cane, in order to obtain roots in greater number, extending over a long piece of the stem, has had its origin in France. Especially at TJiomerij it is resorted to as a rule, in order to obtain bunches and berries of large size. Dr. Grant has made it known here, desiring to layer each vine for a length of about ten or twelve feet. The Editor of the Horticulturist, who has, by his " Hints," benefited the whole grape -growing fraternity so much that enough praise can not be bestowed upon him, differs from Dr. Grant on this point. A very intelligent vine-grower declared not long ago in our hearing, that he repented having layered his vines ; for, instead of gaining, he had lost considerable time. Dr. Jules Guyot, in his book. Culture de la Vigne et Vinification, 3d edition, Paris, 1861, on page 24, admits that layering is useful and almost indispensable for table grapes, but condemns it for vineyards, except, as he expresses it, " tousF empire d'une absolue necessite pour le raisin de la vigne." That necessity arises, accord- ing to page 23, from the paucity and shal- lowness of the soil. In another place he asserts that layering is detrimental to the aroma. IV. Pruning. — Even the ancients prac- ticed the pruning of the roots, to a certain extent. The Romans called it ablaqueatio. According to them, the best time is the middle of October. It consisted in re- moving the soil from around the stem to the depth of about six inches, at a distance of eighteen inches from it, at which the surface roots are to he cut off. This root- pruning must not be omitted for the first five years ; afterwards it may be dispensed with every third year. Eor the curious, I give here the references : Pallad, xi., 5; Colum., iv., 8; Colum., iv., 24; Geop., v., 19; Plin., xviii., 75. Wherever you travel in the vine coun- tries of Europe, you find this pruning of the surface roots, if not universal, at April, 1864. least very common ; but as practiced there, it takes place in the spring, which season the ancients thought unfit for it. Even in Greece it is common. Mr. Rivers refers, in his well-known little book on Orchard Houses, on p. 158, ninth edition, to the letter from an American friend, then traveling, by the order of the government, in Europe. That friend says there that it interested him much, while in Zante and Cephalonia, that the people removed the soil from the vines from nine to twelve inches in depth, and cut ofi" all the roots within six inches of the surface close to the stem. The friend adds, that, by imi- tating the Greeks also in manuring the re- placed soil, he could save ^500 an acre in the formation of his vineyard. The pruning of the surface roots is strongly recommended by some skillful cultivators in this country; f. i., by Mr. Wm. Saunders, who keeps the first set of roots six inches below the surface, so that the soil above it serves as a mulch. Some, however, condemn it altogether, among the number of whom are Mr. Bright, in Philadelphia, and Dr. Grant, if I under- stand a remark of his on the functions of the surface roots right. Some approve of a course intermediate between the two extremes. So Rubens, who recommends it for light sandy soils, disapproving of it in soil with a hard sub- soil, or which is retentive of water. In regard to the pruning of the canes, the first unsettled point we meet with is the time. Many prefer the fall, some even the very early fall, for performing that opera- tion ; others continue it through the win- ter, but wish it to be finished in February, in order to avoid the bleeding of the vine. Kecht, in his celebrated work, (Practis- cher Weinbau,) page 39, says, that after pruning in late spring, a vine loses in twenty-four hours by bleeding two pounds of sap ; the following day just as much. Sometimes the bleeding does not cease in two or three weeks. Now, as about five pounds of grapes yield two pounds of grape juice, it is clear that an enormous 122 The Horticulturist. quantity of wine is lost every year by spring pruning; f. i., in Wurtemberg, where the vineyards occupy 82,900 acres. Dr. Jules Guyot, on the contrary, wishes to have the pruning deferred to the middle of March or the middle of April. On page 37, he prefers even the period from the 15th to the 30th of May; "for," he says, " it is then easy to choose the quantity of bunches to be left according to the strength of the vine." He continues : ' ' The water which flows out abundantly after spring pruning is not the sap ; it is a little stream, from which each branch takes what it needs, the elements of the sap. The bleeding of a vine shows sim- ply that the irrigating organs work, and that they work well." To form a head by pruning repeatedly low, is considered of vital importance by the majority of the German writers on the vine. C. Reemlin, the Vine Dresser's Man- ual, New York, Saxton, p. 43, says, " the formation and preservation of which — the head — is a matter of great moment. ' ' Ru- bens, p. 50, compares the head with the stomach in the body of the higher animals, which serves to elaborate the juice for nutrition. " The thicker, therefore,, and healthier the head is," says Rubens, " the better is the grape vine." ' Other writers,/, i., the French general- ly, do not even mention the head, showing thereby that they do not attach any im- portance to it. Still, is pruning at all necessary err use- ful 1 Although nearly all the writers on the culture of the vine seem to agree on this point, yet we find a great many people who think pruning barbarous, wrong, the source of disappointment, dis- ease, and loss. They point at our wild growing vines, which always ripen their crops ; they remind us of the grape vines in Italy, trained to trees, which yield, with- out pruning, an abundance of most deli- cious grapes ; they tell us of Isabellas and Catawbas, rambling unrestrained over fences and the roofs of houses, bearing and ripening their fruit annually. Y. Pinching. — So far as pinching con- sists in removing the top of a fruit-bear- ing shoot several joints of leaves above the uppermost bunch, there appears to be no difference of opinion among the wri- ters ; but pinching the laterals of shoots intended for bearing canes the following year, is considered absolutely necessary by some, and radically wrong and perni- cious by others. Dr. Grant, the Editor of the Hoeticul- TURiST, an 1 a host of others, look upon pincliiug the laterals from the beginning ud indispensable. On the other hand, Kecht, and his follower Meyer, in his work, DerWeinstock, (the Grape Vine,) Erlangen, 1861, protests against the pinching of the laterals of the cane intended for fruiting the next year. Kecht does not wish to do any thing to the young vine until it reaches the bearing age, except to cut it down to one or two buds every year. Also Rubens advises to let the laterals grow until they become too long. They are then to be shortened in a little. This has to take place in August. Kechi and Rubens assert that the buds of the base of the laterals grow much more plump by not pinching the laterals than by pinching. Kecht and others think topping the vines towards the close of August or the begin- ning of September injurious to the vine. VI. Training. — It would be impossible to explain here the multitude of systems according to which the vine either has been or is actually trained. We under- stand here by training those two general systems adopted for managing it, viz., the so-called renewal and the spur system. It is unnecessary to remind our readers of the fact that a few years ago all was re- newal. The cane which had borne was cut out to give place to a new one care- fully trained the year before. This is the system pursued by the Germans in Ohio, as well as by a great many of them in their own country. It is extensively practiced in France ; it is the system of Dr. /. Guyot; it is the system whichA. J. Downing prefers. What is Unsettled and Settled in the Culture of the Grape Vine. 123 Br. Grant, on the contrary, declares that the highest flavored fruit grows always near an old stump.; he advises, therefore, to change Dr. Guyofs peculiar mode of training, so as to apply to it the spur sys- tem. The spur system is generally the system adopted in vineries. YII. Covering. — In this country, cover- ing the grape vines in the late fall is thought to be indispensable for all varie- ties, even those that are perfectly hardy. A great many articles have appeared in the Horticultural Journals to prove not only the necessity, but also the utility of cov- ering. In Germany, covering is thought to be a necessary evil, not to be resorted to ex- cept in localities subject to late spring frosts. Rubens says, (p. 261,) that it is much better not to cover the vines in a country where the winters are not exces- sively cold. He adds that vines which have been covered, are much more tender than such as have not been covered. VIII. Manuring. — The best European writers on the management of grape vines in vineyards and gardens, caution against over manuring. While Guyot thinks very little of compost, Dubreuil recommends it, especially for soils of a certain kind. In this country, stable manure is, in the fall, spread on the surface, and dug under or removed in the spring. Guyot and Du- breuil say it must be dug under in the fall between the rows. Some ascribe to the use of stable manure a bad effect upon the taste and aroma of the grape juice ; but it is denied by Guyot and Dubreuil. The latter discusses this question in his work, La Culture du Vignoble perfectionee, and says the only effect of manuring is the greater vigor with which the vines grow ; conse- quently their product will be more watery. Dr. Grant affirms that liquid manure cau- ses an unhealthy growth. Rubens calls it beneficial, if moderately and judiciously used, and gives recipes for preparing it. Meyer is of the same opinion. He, besides insists upon cutting up all the wood after prmiing, in order to bury it among the vines. This advice is undoubtedly one of the very best that can be given. Having gone over the whole ground, and having foimd so many points unsettled, we turn now our attention to WHAT IS SETTLED IN THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE VINE. All agree that the grape vine is, 1. A useful Plant. — It serves for making arbors and producing shade on verandas, etc. Grapes are dehcious to eat, and condu- cive to health. When dried they make raisins; their juice makes wine, from which, by fermentation and distillation, alcohol is obtained, and through it vinegar. 2. A beautiful Plant. — The elegance and abundance of its leaves, its climbing habit, the fragrance of its blossoms, the color and shape of its clusters, place the grape vine among the most beautiful plants in ex- istence. 3. A patient Plant.— It may be propagated by seeds, cuttings of one or more eyes, of old or young green wood, by grafting, budding, or inarching ; it may be treated right or wrong, or may be left to itself; it is a long-lived plant, and will yield its fruit abundantly every year. It is high time for us to conclude this ar- ticle. We do it in shaking hands with our readers, and whispering into their ears, or, according to circumstances, exclaiming aloud : Quantum est quod nescimus ! [Thank you, Horticola, for this most in- teresting and learned resume of the unset- tled and settled points of grape culture. We feel strongly tempted to follow in your steps, but prefer to leave to you the ground that you have occupied better than we can. — Ed.] 124 The Horticulturist. A TALK ABOUT VASES, GARDENS, ETC. BY W., WASHINGTO>f HEIGHTS, N. Y. The few remarks I shall make are not intended for professional gardeners or ex- perienced amateurs, but rather for that large class who have gardens, but who can not afford to keep a gardener, merely keeping a " man of all work," who does not profess to know any thing about flower gardening. The lady of the house also, upon whom the responsibility of this branch of the garden generally devolves, is in the same fix as Patrick, i. e., knows very little about it. Vases, when properly filled, properly placed, and well taken care of, are useful and ornamental. Useful, in spots near and under trees, where it is desirable to have a bed of flowers, but where flowers will not grow in consequence not of the shade so much as the absorption of the moisture by the roots of the trees in the summer months, which leaves the ground as dry as powder. In such a spo-t a vase or vases may be placed, and, being par- tially shaded, will not require so much labor in watering, and will keep in bloom a long time. A moderate sized vase, if not too dense- ly shaded, may be filled thus : A good shaped plant of Souvenir de Chiswick or Sir Colin Campbell Fuchsia in the center, edged round with three plants of vari- egated Sweet Alyssum and three of Lo- belia speciosa. If the location is more exposed to the sun and wind, put a Tom Thumb or Punch Geranium in the center, with the broad- leafed Periwinkle, both the plain and vari- egated variety, on the outside, with the Ivy-leafed Geranium. A vase filled with the new blothed Petunias also looks well. Another elegant and graceful plant for a vase is Russellia juncea. Be sure there are holes in the bottom to let the superflu- ous water out ; and be sure also to put stones or oyster shells over the holes to prevent them being choked with the soil. Two thirds good loam, the other third fine decayed manure and sand, will be a suit- able compost. In planting circular or oval beds, it is often difScult to find suitable plants for the center. A vase, in some cases, answers the purpose very well ; a good standard monthly Rose, a Fuchsia Corallinna, also will do, if it is a strong plant. For a large figure on a lawn, a Norway Spruce looks well, till it gets too large ; the bed may then be turfed over. A circular bed, say 12 or 14 feet in diameter, on a lawn, planted thus, would be showy and effec- tive. A good shaped Norway Spruce, 7 or 8 feet high, in the center ; next to this round, 18 inches apart, some of the new French Gladiolus ; next to this alternate the dark leaf Coleus Verschafl'eltii with variegated Geranium, or Cineraria mari- tima, [Powdered bean,) or the new Centau- rea candidissima, with one or two plants of Ageratum Mexicanum . Finish the out- side with Phlox Drummondii, variegated Sweet Alyssum, Verbenas, and Gaillardia picta. Attempts are sometimes made to copy the English flower-garden style, in having each kind of plant in separate beds ; but in this climate it is, and will be, a failure in nine cases out of ten, imless in the hands of an intelligent and experienced gardener, who understands what plants to use, the harmony and contrast of colors, etc., with plenty of green-house room to grow his plants in. Of course, a person of moder- ate means may have a bed of Petunias and a bed of Vebenas, etc., but not sufficient to give the shadow of efiect they produce there with their thousands of plants of scarlet Geraniums, yellow Calceolarias, and blue Lobelias. Such plants, in our arid climate, are perfectly worthless. Plainly speaking, too many people make a wilderness where they intend, no doubt, to make a paradise. The picture of the Talk About Vases, &c. 125 ■wilderness I mean is this : Perhaps there are ten or a dozen beds around the house and on the lawn with nothing in them. About the first fine day in May, the lady espies her neighbor over the fence at work "making garden." Well, she must do the same ; so oft" she goes to the market or the florist, and purchases a lot of plants in full bloom. They must be in bloom, or she will not have them. Some of them may be good plants for summer blooming, and some may be worthless for such a pur- pose. By the time they arrive home it is likely they are as dry as dust ; but they are turned out of the pots into the beds, dry as they are, and left to take care of themselves. But there is not half enough to fill the bed, and she does not feel able or willing to buy any more plants ; and, as seeds are cheaper, the seed store is patronized, and annuals purchased to fill up the blanks. These are sown, some too deep and some too shallow ; and perhaps the contents of some of the papers all in one heap. Perhaps not more than half of them come up ; then the poor seedsman is ■ blamed for selling worthless seeds. Let a person visit such a place about the 1st of July. He will probably find the grass around the house a foot high, weeds in the walks, and the beds full of weeds, and half-starved, scraggy, bloomless plants, some not tied up at all, and those that are perhaps tied to small bean poles with pieces of old rags, instead of twine or matting. Now this, I am sorry to say, is not an exaggerated or overdrawn picture. There are plenty of such places to be found in the country every year. Now it was not intended, I know, by the occupants of these places, in the spring, that their garden should run riot in this way, and assume such a desolate aspect; but so it is. But as no beneficial results emanate from condemning and pointing out the errors of others, unless we are prepared and willing to suggest or substitute something better, I will en- deavor to give a few hints, which possibly may be of some little service to beginners. In the first place, I would say, do not at- tempt too much ; what you undertake to do, do it intelligently and thoroughly. If your means will not permit you to employ a competent person to attend it, or you are not willing or able to work yourself, why, do not waste your money in making half a score of flower-beds, and half a mile of paths to be kept clean ; but purchase a few good flowering shrubs and evergreens, and have them judiciously placed around the house and on the lawn, and keep the grass closely cut, the edges of the walks neatly trimmed, and kept free of weeds. Such a place always looks respectable and invit- ing, even without a bed of flowers to be seen. By no means would I propose to banish the flowers ; but have no more than what you are willing and able to take care of ; they will not take care of them- selves. A family of well-bred, well-trained, and well-educated children are a source of pride and pleasure to their parents, and also to their friends ; it is so with a well- planted and well-kept flower garden. The amount and degree of pleasure derived in both cases, depend upon the care and at- tention bestowed on them. It is surprising what satisfactory results can be obtained with a very small outlay of money, when judiciously expended and applied. I know places where the occu- pants of a small place have expended ^100 in the season for plants, labor, etc. ; an- other party in the same place would not spend $50, and yet the place would be more attractive in every way. The eff"ect produced in a flower garden depends very much on the way the plants are arranged as regards height, color, etc. Tor in- stance : take a circular bed that will hold 50 plants, suitable plants for show in sum- mer ; give these to a novice in gardening to plant ; then duplicate them, and put them in the hands of an experienced gardener of good taste to plant in another bed of the same size, and the contrast and results will astonish you. 126 The Horticulturist. For tlie benefit of those whose inexpe- rience does not qualify them to select for themselves, I will give a list of a few good standard varieties of plants from different classes or sections : 12 Dahlias.— Belle de St. Lawrence, Baron Alderson, Cossack, Roi de Pontille, Summit of Perfection, Vesta, Triomph de Pecq, Triomph de Eoubaix, La Phare, Yellow Beauty, Duchess of Cambridge, Mrs. Edwards. 12 Hardy Herbaceous Plants. — Aco- nitum versicolor, Achillea ptarmica, An- chusaltalica. Campanula carpatica, Chelone barbata. Clematis erecta, Delphinium for- mosum, Dicentra spectabilis, iEnothera fruticosa, Iberis sempervirens. Phlox sub- ulata, Phlox Madame Rendatlen. 12 French Gladiolus.— Comte de Mor- ny, Premices de Mont Rouge, Ophir, Nep- tune, Madame Souchet, Brenchleyensis, Clemens, Imperatrice, Vulcain, Victor Ver- dier, Le Puisson, Napoleon. 12 Annuals. — Phlox Drummondii, Can- dytuft, Mignonnette, Zinnia elegans, Hun- nemannia, Callirhoe, China Aster, Japan Pink, Globe Amaranthus, Sweet Alyssum, Balsam, Malope grandiflora. 12 Hardy Shrubs. — Althea frutex, Chi- onanthus Virginica, Calycanthus floridus, Deutzia gracilis, D. scabra, Forsythia viridissima, Rhus cotinus, Pyrus Japonica, Spirsea prunifolia, S. Reevesiana,S. callosa, Weigela rosea. Of course. Verbenas, Petunias, Chrys- anthemums, etc., must not be forgotten. [Very timely and acceptable. There is a large class of amateurs who need just such advice and information as this, and they will all thank you. At this season of the year we always wish that the magazine were twice as large as it is, that we might have more room for such articles. — [Ed. ->«-»-♦-*-♦*- WHAT IT COSTS TO PLANT A VINEYARD. BY CHARLES REESE. As there appears to be a pretty general desire among novices in vine-culture, to get at the cost of planting and bringing into full bearing an acre of this delicious fruit, I propose, at the risk of being con- sidered " intensely practical," to give my story in a plain way, adapted to the com- prehension of any one who knows a vine from a fig tree. It has often been a matter of astonish- ment how much ignorance pervades the community upon this and other subjects, when they might be so easily enlight- ened, if they would take the trouble to write half a dozen letters. The nurserymen all over the country ad- vertise their " priced catalogues," with handsome illustrations and accurate de- scriptions of many hundred varieties of fine fruits, for the low price of one or two postage stamps ; and yet many intelligent amateur farmers will go to an auction and pay seventy-five cents or a dollar for a tiny, sickly-looking, one year old Dela- ware vine, and forty, fifty, or sixty cents a vine for Catawbas. Of course they are ap- palled when they calculate the cost of an acre at those prices. A little trouble will show them where to purchase fine healthy vines of the former for sixteen cents apiece, as I did last summer, and the lat- ter for fifteen dollars a thousand, or one and a half cents apiece. And so on through the whole list of horticultural treasures, from luscious Bartletts and Beurres, and Crawford's Early and Early Yorks, down to the splendid Triomphe de Gand, and Russell and Wilson's Albany. I have made it a point, for several years, to send for a dozen or so of these counsel- lors every season ; and as soon as they have taken their seats around my table, I ask each in turn what he has to say this year. By noting carefully their replies, it What it Costs to Plant a Vineyard. 127 is surprising what a fund of valuable in- formation may be gained. As the result of my consultations for three years, I have forty thousand horticultural pets, embrac- ing nearly all the finest fruits in America, excepting, of course, the tropical, and not a single worthless variety in my orchard. The arrangement is such that not a foot of ground is lost, and yet each plant has all the space it needs for the present. When they require more room, they can very easily have it. Well, now, the first question with some is, what has all this cost? imagining, of course, the amount to be ten times greater than it really was. That is just the ques- tion I now propose to answer. If I am too high, I am very sure my catalogue friends will put me all right quickly. One hundred Delaware vines will cost twenty dollars. In three years, at- an expenditure of about the same amount annually, for raising the cuttings, you may have sever- al thousand. One thousand strawberry plants will cost from five to ten dollars. In twelve months you will have twenty thousand plants. ^ With Raspberries, Currants, Gooseberries, &c., it is somewhat similar. By planting what you must cut off to promote the health- ful growth of the plant, your stock will in- crease prodigiously. Dwarf Pears will cost from twenty to fifty dollaP* per hundred. Peaches from eight to ten. Apples, Plums, and Cherries, from ten to twenty, etc. The cost of planting an acre depends very much, of course, upon the condition of the soil. In my case, not the slightest preparation was necessary, beyond a thor- ough subsoil plowing, a complete over- turning of the sod, and such a disintegra- tion of the subsoil to the depth of 20 inches, as it had not known since it came from the hand of the Creator. This was done by a neighbor with two powerful teams, at a cost of five dollars per acre. It then took two men fourteen days to harrow, lay out, and plant an acre, say about seven hundred vines, eight feet apart each way. The bone dust, half a peck to each vine, cost about twenty dollars per acre ; so that the cost of planting an acre of Catawbas, including the vines, at the prices men- tioned in the catalogues, (I raised all of my vines from cuttings,) was less than sixty dollars. The second year after planting we placed a chestnut post on the north side of each vine, at a cost of sixteen dol- lars a hundred, or about one hundred and twenty dollars an acre. We have for two years taken a crop of mangolds, beets, and carrots, from the land between the vines, which has fully paid the cost of weeding, cultivating, &c. The entire cost of the vineyard, from the planting to the first full bearing, has been less than two hundred dollars per acre. Now let us look for the return. A few of our vines bore last fall. Nearly all wiU bear handsomely this year. An acre has been known to produce forty thousand pounds of grapes. This, at five cents a pound, would very handsomely -pay for vines, cultivation, chestnut posts, interest on land, and state, government, and income tax and all, the way I look at it. And who would not have grapes every day for des- sert at five cents a pound ? I will venture the assertion, the day is not very far dis- tant when they will be cheaper than ap- ples, and every poor man in the land may have them for dinner whenever he wishes them. I have had the fever for about ten years. Commenced in a small way in town, and have watched with much interest the grad- ual extension of the malady. Now that I am fairly in for it in the country, I shallj as soon as I have any thing very decided in the way of results to communicate, let you hear from me again ; that is, if you would like to. I hope to have something- very interest- ing to relate about strawberries this sum- mer ; also, something on the old question, " Does it pay to plant Dwarf Pears ? " [By all means let us hear from you again, not only about grapes, but also strawberries and pears. Your figures in 128 The Horticulturist. regard to the cost of planting a vineyard will interest a large number of our read- ers. They might all be doubled, and still leave a handsome margin for profit. The expense of preparation will, of course, vary in different localities ; but that ordi- nary plow land can be subsoiled twenty inches deep at a cost of five or six dollars an acre, we know very well, having re- peatedly kept an exact account of it.. Double this sum, however, should not be considered dear. Where draining becomes necessary, this must also be added to the cost of the vineyard. While we insist upon thorough preparation of the soil and the purchase of good vines, we are still of opinion that a great many ai'e needlessly frightened at the cost of preparing an acre of vineyard. — Ed.] ^» ^ » »>- NEW OR RARE PLANTS, &c. We glean the following from our foreign files and other sources : FoRRESTiA HispiDA, (Hairy-shcathed For- restia.) — Nat. ord., Commelinaceee. Linn., Hexandria Monogynia. Native of Malay Archipelago and Northeastern India. Beau- tiful from the purple color which pervades the whole plant. — {Botanical Magazine, t. 5425.) Ipom^a filicaulis, (Slender-stalked Ipo- msea.) — Nat. ord., Convolvulacea^. Linn., Petandria Monogynia. Native of "Asia, Australia, Africa, and even the warmer parts of the New World." An annual; flowers cream-colored, with purple eye. — {lhd.,t. 5426.) Gladiolus sericeo-villosus, ( Shaggy- stemmed Corn-flag.) — Nat. ord., Iridacese. Linn., Triandria Monogynia. Native of the interior of the Cape of Good Hope. Three to four feet high ; flowers greenish yel- low in a very long, densely-flowered spike. —{Ibid., t.5A21.) Trichantha minor, (Smaller-leaved Tri- chantha.) — Nat. ord., Gesneracese. Linn., Didjmamia Angiospermia. Native of Tropi- cal America. Flowered in November by Messrs. Veitch. " No Gesneraceous plant, perhaps, exceeds this in elegance of form and beauty of colors." It is a stove climb- er. Flowers purple, yellow, and crimson. —{Ibid., t. 5428.) Canscora Parishii, (Parish's Canscora.) — Nat. ord., Gentianacese. Xran., Tetrandria Monogynia. Native of Moulmein. Leaves orbiculate-perfoliate ; flowers white. An animal.— {Ibid., t. 5429.) Dendrobium ciliatum, ( Fringed-lipped Dendrobium. ) — Nat. ord., Orchidacege. Linn., Gynandria Monandria. Native of Moulmein. Sepals green, petals yellow, lip marked with purple lines. — {Ibid., t. 5430.) Chrysanthemums. — Lord Clyde, crimson, rosette form; Saint Margaret, orange, an- emone-shaped.— {Floral Magazine, pi. 181.) ErantheMum tuberculatum. — Native of New Caledonia. Exhibited by Messrs. Veitch, and obtained a certificate from the Floral Committee . Flowers white . — {Ibid. , pi. 182.) ScHizosTYLis cocciNEA. — Native of South Africa. Previipj^sly portrayed in the ' ' Bo- tanical Magazifie." — {Ibid., pi, 183.) Gladiolus. — Randle Jackson. Raised by Mr. Standish. Peach-blossom colored, with dark crimson stripes. — {Ibid. , pi. 184.) Magnolia Lenne. — Believed to be of German origin, but introduced by Mr. W. Paul from France. It is one of the decid- uous kinds. Flowers large, purple out- side, inside creamy white, and fragrant. — ■ {Florist and Pomologist, ii., 25.) Grapes. — We find three new grapes an- nounced, but have not seen them. The first originated in Saxonville, Mass., and is sent out by Messrs. Hovey of Boston. The second is Mr. Brackett's seedling, larger than the Union Village. This is also sent out by the Messrs. Hovey of Boston. Monthly Calendar. 129 The third originated in Poughkeepsie, N. T., and is sent out by the Messrs. Reagles of Schenectady. Stkawberries. — Mr. Carpenter, of New- York , ofiers a new native seedling named Progress, described as " of the largest size, color a brilliant scarlet, high flavored and solid. Plants perfectly hardy and very prolific." Buffalo Seedling is the name of another native , sent out by Smith & Bry- ant, Bufialo, N. Y. It is said to have "great ■productiveness, size, flavor, and firmness." We have not seen the fruit of either of these, though we have plants of the first. CoLEus ATEOPURPUREus. — We have seen this Coleus at Mr. Peter Henderson's. Its general appearance is somewhat like C. Verschaffeltii ; but it is nevertheless dis- tinct, the leaf being smoother and round- er, the color darker and more metallic. It will no doubt make a beautiful bedding plant. Double Pansy, Good Gracious, (Donald Beaton's.) — Mr. Henderson has also im- ported the Good Gracious Pansy, a double variety raised by the late Donald Beaton. We have not yet seen the flower, but it is highly prized abroad. Veronica, Gloire de Lorraine. — A hybrid variety, with " flowers sky blue, lilac, and white, flowering from June to December." It is offered for sale this spring . -<»♦ »«»- MONTHLY CALENDAR.— APRIL. Orchard, Fruit Garden, Ifc. — Any pre- paratory work neglected last month should be attended to without further delay, es- pecially for the destruction of insect nests. Do whatever plowing may be needed as soon as the ground is dry, whether in the orchard, vineyard, or garden. Be careful not to cut up the roots of vines or fruit trees. Pruning should be finished at once, and vines uncovered and tied up. Vines may still be propagated from eyes, and cuttings may be put in the open ground. Grafting of fruit trees may now be done. When trees, vines, etc., are to be planted, get them in the ground as soon as possi- ble. Uncover strawberry beds, and make new ones when wanted. Three or four canes are enough to leave to each stool of Blackberries or Raspberries. Shorten in the laterals. The Grapery. — From the middle to the latter part of the month, according to lo- cation, the borders of the Cold Grapery will need to be forked up, and enriched when necessary. Do nothing, however, to excite the vines prematurely. Leave them slung to the side of the house till the buds are weU. broken, when they may be tied up. Keep the house warm and moist when the vines have started, and in ventilating see that no current of cold air blows directly upon them. In the Hot Grapery the first early crop will now be ripening, and the air may be kept a little drier. In later houses pinching in laterals, &c., shouldbe attended to as directed last month. Ven- tilate with care, so as to avoid sudden changes. Dust with lime and sulphur on the first appearance of mildew, or if there is reason to suspect its appearance. Thin out where needed, and do it while the ber- ries are small. Do not allow any vine to carry more fruit than it is able to ripen thoroughly. Green-House.— More air should be given to harden off such plants as are to go out of doors. Azaleas will now be in their glory. Water regularly and abundantly. If any are to be re-potted, do it as soon as they go out of bloom. Pinching to make a compact head or form specimen plants should be done while the new growth is quite succulent. Repot Caladiums, Bego- nias, Gloxinias, Achimenes, and other dor- mant plants. Shift Fuchsias that need it, and give them plenty of room to grow. Pelargoniums should have plenty of light and room, and be watered regularly, or they are apt to drop their leaves. Hya- cinths, &c., past bloom, may be put out of 130 The Horticulturist. doors to make room for plants that are growing. Scarlet Geraniums, Verbenas, Petmiias, and other bedding plants, may still be propagated from cuttings in the early part of the month. So may also Fuchias and Carnations for late blooming. Seeds of annuals and biennials may still be sown in pots. Insects must be looked after constantly, and plants generally kept clean and tidy, especially those that are to be turned into beds or borders. Plants in Rooms. — Air may now be freely admitted at the windows. Watering will need more attention. Give most water to plants in bloom. Even Cacti, when in bloom, must be supplied abundantly. It must be understood, however, that a pot must never be set in a saucer, unless it contain some such plant as a Calla. To- ward the end of the month some plants, such as Laurustinus, Pittosporum, Scarlet Geraniums, &c., may be put out of doors, if desired, gradually exposing them to the sun. The directions of last month, in re- gard to seeds and cuttings, may still be followed. Ornamental Grounds. — Drives and walks should be put in order, and rolled. Rake off the lawn, if not already done. Trim edgings. Finish pruning shrubs, etc. Prune Roses, and be not afraid of the knife. Do all planting early in the month. Dig up beds and borders, and enrich them when needed, but only moderately, except for Roses. In addition to the usual bed- ding plants, provide a good supply of Coleus Verschaffeltii ; there is nothing more attractive than a bed of this beauti- ful plant. Set the plants about eighteen inches apart. Centaurea candidissima, well set up, makes a fine center piece, and Vari- egated Alyssinn a good edging. Vegetable Garden. — This is a very busy month in the vegetable garden, and he who keeps up with his work now will not be likely to get behind during the rest of the year. Finish spreading maniu-e, and spade up the soil deeply. Sow seed of Onion, Beet, Carrot, Parsnip, Cabbage, Cau- liflower, Celery, Lettuce, Peas, Spinach, Radish, and seeds generally ; but do not sow Corn, Bush Beans, Lima Beans, Cucum- bers, Melons, and similar plants, until the ground and the weather become settled warm, except they are protected by hand glasses. Cabbage, Cauliflower, Lettuce, etc., may be transplanted from cold frames. Hot-beds should be aired freely, and the plants hardened off and transplanted, keep- ing Cucumbers, Melons, Peppers, etc., till the last. Bean poles, Pea brush, etc., should be got ready, if not already done. Fork over Asparagus beds, and dig up the alleys. Sea-kale should be earthed up or covered with pots. Rhubarb is all the better for being blanched by covering with a barrel with both heads out. We judge that little will be done in the way of sow- ing seed this year much before the middle of April. EDITOR'S TABLE. To Contributors and Others. — Commimications, Letters, Catalogues, Periodicals, Remittances, Packages by Ex]3ress, Advertisements, &c., should be directed to Mead & Woodward, Editors and Proprietors, 37 Park Row, New York. Exchanges should be addressed to " The Horticulturist." Seeds, Etc., Received. — We are indebt- ed to the following friends for seeds. They will please accept our thanks, with the as- surance that they will be well cared for and thoroughly tested. From Messrs. Fleming and Davidson, seeds of some choice Editor^s Table. 131 novelties in the way of Asters, Pansies, Calceolarias, &c. From Mr. Dreer, seeds of the Cook's Favorite Tomato, as well as some novelties, such as Godetia, Sola- num, Datura, &c. From D. K. Bliss, seeds of choice new Asters and Pansies. From Mr. Buchanan, seeds of his blotched and striped Petunias. From Mr. Hogg, seeds of the Yokohama Squash. A New and Peculiar Orchid. — We late- •ly found on our table a neat little box, in- scribed, " An Orchid of a new and rare kind, flowered for the first time specially for " us. Being rather fond of Orchids, and, withal, at least in this instance, a ht- tle curious, we opened the box very care- fully, and, sure enough, there was an Or- chid of a very peculiar kind. In form it was symmetrically angular, and of a fine and delicate texture. The color was pure and "white as the driven snow." The flowers of Orchids are remarkable for their grotesque and beautiful forms, resembling butterflies, doves, &c., and in the flower of this, with a little aid from the imagination, might be seen something strongly resem- bling our own initials, very beautifully and delicately formed. We were delighted, and resolved at once that this Orchid should have a warm and sunny place in our heart- house. We hope never to wet it except with tears of joy, and wish that such may fill the eyes of our unknown friend all the days of her life. We thank her most sin- cerely for the Orchid, and the delicate hint which it conveys — to keep our nose clean! The Prairie Seedling Potato. — This is a new Potato that originated at the West. It was raised from seed by Mr. Moseby of lUinois. Mr. W. Shotwell having brought it to notice there, it was called the " Shot- well Potato." Mr. Henry R. Shotwell, of Eahway, N. J., having received it without name from his relative, called it the Prai- rie Seedling ; and thus, unfortunately, it is now known under two names. Mr. Shot- well sent a small quantity of it last season to Mr. Alfred Bridgeman of New York, who sold it under the name of Prairie Seedling. Our readers will now under- stand that the Shotwell and Prairie Seed- ling are one and the same thing. We grew some of them last season. They were not planted till the 28th of May, and were not well cared for ; but the yield was large and very fine. The tubers were also large, and the quality very good ; so good, that we wish we had enough to plant a couple of acres. Mr. Shotwell, we believe, has sent Mr. Bridgeman a lot for sale, so that those who wish can give them a trial. The Turban, or Turk's Head Squash. — We have to announce the appearance of another new Squash, introduced from France, and made better known by Mr. G-regory, of Marblehead, Mass. It is call- ed the Turban or Turk's Head Squash, of which we herewith present a portrait. It is different from the old squash of this name, which has for many years been grown as an ornament. Very fine speci- mens were shown in New York last fall. It weighed about seven pounds. The flesh is dry, fine grained, and sweet, with a rich flavor. It is mostly prized, we think, as a fall squash. Those who have used it as such pronounce it to be first rate, and it is no doubt an acquisition. Thus, with the Yokohama, Turban, and Hubbard, we can have the best of squashes all the year through. 132 The Horticulturist. Slack Knot in The " Black Knot " in the Grape Vine. — Last fall a friend brought us two or three shoots of a vuie, to learn what was the matter with them. On examination we found them to be affected with a " black knot,' ' which seems to be identical with that found on the Plum and the Cherry. We can not discover the least difference, and have no doubt that both owe their ori- gin to a similar cause. We have prepared an engraving of it, that the reader may judge for himself. We wish our friends engaged in grape culture would examine their vines during the coming season, and send us specimens as soon as they are form- ed, should they unfortunately have any. A NEW Horticultural Society for New York. — A society is now in process of for- mation, to be called "The Horticultural Association of the American Institute." We are not prepared to give particulars, but we hope the project will be fully and successfully carried out, that New York may no longer be reproached with being without a horticultural society. The en- terprise has our hearty endorsement. We shall allude to the subject again at the proper time. A New Work on Fruits. — We learn that Mr. LeRoy, of Angers, France, is engaged in the preparation of a new work on Fruits, which will embrace the history and de- scription of all fruits which have been known in France since the tenth century. It will make about six volumes, and its ar- rangement will be similar to that of Mr. Downing on the same subject. the Grape Vine. wanting in spirit. Dr. Grant alone having presented $400 worth of grape vines. We hope that they will do even better in New York. The Brooklyn Sanitary Fair. — This, we are glad to know, has been a great success, the receipts having been upward of $300,000. Our horticulturists were not A Word to Mr. Knowlton. — In a card to which our attention has been called, Mr. Knowlton says : " The earlier numbers of Mr. Mead's ' Hints on Grape Culture ' I never saw, and only read his latter ones hastily." " I wrote the work of which he complains entirely at my office table, with- out any work of reference to direct or guide me." This is all of the card that is of the least moment. We have the best of evi- dence that Mr. Knowlton had most, if not all, of the early numbers of the " Hints," and his work affords additional internal evidence of the fact. Such idiomatic phrases as " snap and crack a little," " safety valves," and others, do not come by accident. The inference is, that, if Mr. Knowlton did not consult the "Hints" while writing, he previously read them so thoroughly as to get the ideas well stored in his mind. But the fact is, that the whole idea of the reversed arms and safety valves was taken from the " Hints," and nowhere else. Mr. Knowlton's whole description of the process,, as well as the words used, shows this plainly. We do not know that we should have complained of this, even though no acknowledgment is made ; but he sums up by calling it "owr (his) system." Now we have no- where in our ' ' Hints ' ' laid claim to any originality, and where we have used the illustrations or labors of others, we have first obtained permission to do so ; but at the proper time we shall claim some small share of originality in the reversed arms and safety valves, having introduced them some Editor's Table. 133 twenty-two years ago, previous to which time we doubt whether Mr. Knowlton will find any evidence of their existence. Be this as it may, Mr. Knowlton, in writing his work, had before him the evidence that the system had been publicly de- scribed, and he therefore had no right to call it " his." He pretends to know more than we do, and we shall not stop to dis- pute it ; does he not know, therefore, that, if his directions about the safety valves are carried out, the vines, in nine cases out of ten, will be ruined? But we have neither the time nor the disposition to multiply words or bandy personalities with Mr. Knowlton ; and as to being "jealous" of the appearance of his work, we beg him to spare us, for nobody in the world but himself would ever suspect such a thing. CATALOGUES, &c., RECEIVED. C. W. Grant, lona, near Peekskill, N. T. — Illustrated Catalogue of "Vines. — This has been greatly enlarged, and many su- perb engravings added, bo that it is now rather a manual for the grape grower than a catalogue, and the best thing of the kind issued, containing instructions for the treat- ment of the vine in all its stages. It is sold for 15 cents. Transactions of the Indiana Horticultu- ral Society, at its Third Annual Meeting, held at Indianapolis, Jany. 5-7, 1864. Agricultural Department. — Bi-Monthly Report for January and February, 1864. Andrew Bridgeman, 8*78 Broadway, New York.- — Descriptive Catalogue No. 8, French Hybrid Gladiolus, and other Sum- mer and Autumn Blooming. Bulbs. /. M. Thorburn, ^ Co., 15 John Street, New York. — Annual Descriptive Catalogue of Flower Seeds, &c., witji a list of 115 va- rieties of French Gladiolus and other Spring Bulbous Roots. Robert Buist, Jr., 922 and 924 Market Street, Philadelphia — Catalogue of Select Roses. /. A. Bruce Sf Co. , 52 King Street, Ham- ilton, Canada West.- — Catalogue of Seeds for the Farm, the Kitchen Garden, and the Flower Garden, &c. Robert Buist, 67th Street and Darby Road, Philadelphia. — Select Catalogue of Green- house, Hot-house, and Hardy Plants. James J. H. Gregory, Marblehead, Mass. • — Retail Catalogue of Garden Vegetable Seeds. Charles Davis, Jr., Phillipsburgh, War- ren County, N. J. — Price List of Fruit and Ornamental Trees, Grape-vines, Shrubs, &c. James M. Mattison, Jacksonville, Tomp- kins County, N. Y. — Descriptive Catalogue of Fruit and Ornamental Trees. ■^« ♦♦«» Correspondence. Reading, Mass., Jan., 1864. Dear Sir : I have a trellis on the' south side of my wood-shed, fourteen feet wide, and eight feet high. In the middle of it I have a Delaware vine, two years planted, which last year sent up a cane about fif- teen feet long and half an inch in diameter at the base. I cut it back in the fall to about four feet, intending to take the arms at that distance from the ground. If it should this year form two canes of suffi- cient length and size, would it answer to extend them seven feet each way to the extremity of the trellis ? Or should I make the arms at first only three or four feet, and extend them more gradually ? Or would you advise extending the arms of the present vine only three and a half feet each way, and planting another at each end of the trellis , to be grown with a single arm three and a half feet towards the center ? And, having in one of these ways provided for the upper four feet of the trellis, would there be any objection to planting two more vines, on one each side of the pres- ent, and midway between it and the end of 134 The Horticulturist. the border, to cover the lower four feet? As my present vme has grown so vigor- ously, would not the space allotted to the others (four feet by seven) be probably found too contracted ? And if not, would two lonas answer as well as two Delawares ? Or one lona and one Israella ? Please give a tyro the benefit of your wisdom and ex- perience. My Rebecca (of which so many complain for tardiness of growth) has done splen- didly. The first ;^ear it grew about eleven feet, and the cane was as large as one's little finger. Last year it made full thirty feet, (two canes,) and the wood considera- bly larger. I kept the laterals well pinched in ; but three or four of them, that were less carefully watched, for they were be- yond where I intended to cut the canes for arms, seemed determined to do something in spite of me, and so blossomed and set three CO- four hunches of fruit in July. And these were on laterals that sprmig from wood of the same season. Is not this quite unusual ? In making the border I dug in a large lot of hickory nut-shells. Can these have had any thing to do with such an unusually vigorous growth ? I am satisfied that the original constitu- tion of a plant has more to do with its growth than most suppose. This Rebecca, as well as the Delaware, were purchased of Dr. Grant, and were vigorous plants at the outset. But I have another Delaware, bought elsewhere, which I have petted and nursed now for five years, and it has borne no fruit, and been nothing but an invalid from the first. Last year I thought it was going to die outright. It probably will never make such a vine as the first. w. H. w. [Tour questions are very clearly put. Tour best plan is the last one suggested, for which you have ample room. If your first plan were adopted, it would be ne- cessary to form the arms two or three feet at a time ; but arms of seven feet are too long for uniform productiveness. In a few years the spurs near the trunk would fail. We would advise you, therefore, to plant additional vines. Put the Delawares at each end of the shed, and the lona and the Israella midway between. The latter would then fill the lower course, and the Delawares the upper course. This would be an excellent plan, and aflbrd you much gratification. We are glad to hear that the Rebecca has done so well with you ; for it is a very nice grape when well grown. Tou no doubt had a good vine to begin with ; and you seem to have planted it properly in a well-prepared border. If all these conditions generally obtained, we should hear of fewer failm-es. It is not quite unusual for fruit to set on the later- als ; but it seldom or never ripens. It is quite probable that the shells had some- thing to do with the growth of your vines. If they acted in no other way, the shells would keep the border open and porous, and thus favor the growth of the vines. If that Delaware has been an invalid for five years, we should consider it past recovery, and give it a decent burial. — Ed.] Editor Hokticulturist : I WISH to plant a small vineyard, in South Central Ohio ; soil sandstone, high ; no muck on any place near. Can I succeed ? At a distance frorii any large city where the finest productions are apt to be appre- ciated, had I better plant Delaware, or some variety which will bear more weight of fruit, and be more showy, though the quality may be inferior ? And if so, what variety' or varieties ? The fruit will be mainly for market. A friend is quite partial to the brisk fla- vor of Catawba — prefers it to Delaware even. Can you name some more reliable variety, of similar flavor, and as good, or better, for the table? Your grape articles have given me more light than all I ever read on the subject before Hasten out your hook, for at least one of your subscri- bers is hungering for it. R. J. B. [We would advise you to plant the Del- aware. You will have something equally Editor's Table. 135 good for wine and for the table, and will not always be dependent upon the market. Aa a substitute for the Catawba we should recommend the lona. For early grapes, we would name the Israella and Groveling, as being the best two early grapes that we have had long enough to test. We think, too, that that the Diana would do very well with you. We have no doubt that you can succeed. In the absence of muck, gather all the leaves you can get, and use them freely in your compost heap. We are glad to know that you have found instruction in our ' ' Hints. ' ' The book is going on. — Ed.] Nauvoo, III., Feb. 15, 1864. Mr. Peter B. Mead : Dear Sir : I fear that the wine crop of the United States this year (California ex- cepted) will prove a very poor one, the fruit having been killed by the terrible cold storm at the commencement of the present year. The Catawbas, Isabellas, Dianas, Rebeccas, and even the Hartford Prolifics, which I hoped could stand cold weather better than almost any other kind, seem to be entirely dead, as high above the ground as they were bare, and not covered with snow. There are several other sorts equally as badly hurt, and there are none of whatever kind that have not suifered a great deal. Those that seem to have suffered the least, and of which some grapes may per- haps be expected, are the Delaware, Con- cord, Clinton, and some of the Norton's Virginia Seedling. The Logan and some of the To-Kalon also appear to have a few soimd buds, but of even all these sorts, none are without a very severe touch of hurt from the intense cold. Each bud, as you know, contains from two to four eyes or buds ; the center one, which is the best fruit-bearing, is dead, even in the hardiest kinds; but in the Delaware, Concord, and Clinton many of the buds contain still one or two sound living eyes or buds. Those who took the trouble last fall, and buried their vines, may congratulate them- selves, for their prospect is promising ; there are, however, very few who took that precaution, because in former years the laying down business proved not to be always the most profitable. Of the Dela- ware, we made last fall, for the first time, three gallons of wine, and I acknowledge that it did not meet fully with my expec- tation, though some others who tasted it seem to be of somewhat different oijinion. It may be that my taste is, as the proverb says, not sufficiently cultivated ; still it ap- pears to me as if I had been tasting a great many different good things in my life, generally without differing very far in opinion with others. A gourmand or epi- cure would perhaps differ with me, if I say that a well-prepared piece of beef- steak is better than a dish prepared from the contents of the entrails of snipes, or if I should say that I prefer a good piece of roast beef to a dish of shrimps ; but I be- lieve, however, that a great majoi'ity of jurors who would be able judges about good things to eat, would take my side in these questions. So far as I am acquainted with the Delaware, the grape, though small, pleases me very well, and because it begins to prove to be very steady, and the vines grow to a better size than what I expected. It would appear even more recommendable but for one fault it has- — its unhealthy, shriveled, wrinkled leaves, which are far from pleasing. The Concord appears to be at least equally hardy as the Delaware, in quality of the grape (and su- perior to it in the leaves) possibly not fully as good, but nevertheless a large and beautiful grape, and of good quality when perfectly ripe. How it will be as a wine grape, I can not say, by my own experience, but what I have heard of it out here West, it makes a very pleasing wine, if not so strong as the Norton's Seedling. I shall plant it without hesitation. I hear that our Congress intends to tax native wine at twenty cents per gallon, instead of, as it was justly expected, to release it from the present five cent tax. It would be fully as just to tax our corn, wheat, potatoes, ap- ples, etc., as to tax the native wine. Who- 136 The Horticulturist. ever has been in the wine-raising business must know how great the expenses and outlays are, ere profits can be earned from it. There may, perhaps, be a few years when many grapes may be raised, and some profit made, and the prospect for a new crop may be promising , but some un- expected, severe atmospherical changes will certainly take place, and all the hopes of a grape crop are gone ; but the outlays and trouble are still nearly the same, the capital invested in trellis- work, wine cel- lars, casks, vats, wine presses, etc., are there, and are assessed as usual, and taxes have to be paid for all, and what advan- tage are such property and improvements to the owner ? It is worse than a dead capital, because the owner of such proper- ty has to pay taxes for a thing which is then of no advantage to him. Such a tax would almost prove a death-blow to the wine-raising business, instead of what ought to be encouraged, and I hope that Congress will consider the matter well ere they pass an act which probably would destroy a branch of industry in its youth, which otherwise would probably one day be a benefit to the country. Mr. Editor, exciise my lengthy letter, for I give you the promise, not to trouble you again very soon, unless necessary. Respectfully yours, John H. Lienhard. [We regret very much to hear of the destruction of your vines. We have sim- ilar accounts from others, and fear the worst. In your climate, it would prove a great protection to lay the vines flat on the ground, if you do not wish to take the trouble to cover them. Did it occur to you that the poorness of your wine may have been in the making, and not in the grape? We have tasted Delaware wine made by Mr. Mottier, and it was by far the best American wine that we have seen. It sold for $24 a dozen when Catawba was selling for $10. This price was paid by persons who know what good wine is. We think Congress will inake a great mistake in laying such a heavy tax on native wines. It is a branch of domestic industry too young yet to bear it. We do not care if they lay a tax of one hundred per cent. on adulterated wines, but we hope the pure article may be spared. — Ed.] In the Jan. number of the Horticxiltue- IST, I see an article on heating by hot water, by J. Fleming, which is very good, and in which he says that, if the flue is built on the " Dingwallian " principle, it may be made to answer the purpose very well. But I would suggest an improve- ment on that ; for when the flue is long and the weather mild, or damp and calm, even the " Dingwallian" principle will not save you, when you first start or build your fire ; for the brick will conduct the heat from the smoke and air in your flue faster than the fire will produce it ; and it is well known that when smoke or car- bonic acid is as cold as the surrounding air, it is heavier, and will not rise up through the upright flue or chimney, and the result is, a smoky house. • Now, my improvement is to make an opening at the base of the upright flue, so as to allow you to build a fire, and then do so (when the weather is damp) before you build a fire in the arch. Then shut up the open- ing and build a fire in the arch, and when the smoke from the arch reaches the up- right, the fire at the base of the upright will warm the smoke, so that it can ascend, and also produce a draft, by the heated air and smoke producing a vacuum by the ascent, and by the time your fire is burned at the base of the upright, your horizontal flue will be warm, and then your trouble is over. Yours truly, J. Ceaine. Lockport, N. Y. [The trouble alluded to by Mr. Craine is often experienced where flues are used. His remedy is a simple one, and easily applied. When the draught is estab- lished, it will usually take care of itself. — Ed.] THE HORTICULTURIST. ■ VOL, XIX MAY, 1864 NO. CCXV. ircfoing Ihnts h ^001110 --IIL We have now treated briefly of two of the causes chiefly concerned in the want of success in growing plants in rooms, viz., unsuitable conditions and improper selection of plants ; and we trust that we have thrown some light on the subject. In oar first article we alluded to one oth- er cause, the want of knowledge, about which we propose to offer a few remarks. Want of knowledge, in fact, may be said to cover the whole ground ; still, no amount of knowledge will command success in the absence of the first two conditions ; for Nature, in respect of her laws, is an arbi- trary mistress. We do not propose, in the present article, to supply this knowl- edge, the want of which is so keenly felt by many, but rather to point out in what it consists, and how and where it may be obtained. We shall from time to time, however, give an article on the subject, and endeavor to make it plain to the un- derstanding of all. We may say, in the first place, and in a general way, that there exists, among those who desire to grow plants in rooms, no small degree of ignorance of the nature and wants of plants, and any great meas- ure of success in their culture, under such circumstances, can not reasonably be ex- pected. We do not expect a man to de- velop the best qualities of the horse without some considerable knowledge of his nature and wants ; we do not expect a mechanic to become a skilled workman without a knowledge of the materials used in his profession ; we do not expect a man to ex- cel in the art of painting without a knowl- edge of the laws of color, perspective, &c. ; and so of all the sciences and arts. Why, then, should we expect any one to grow plants in perfection without some knowledge of their nature and wants ? It is true that some persons, by dint of long practice, will learn how much heat, light, and water is needed to sustain some of the simplest and hardiest forms of vegetable life ; but this is very different from that knowledge which comprehends the laws of vegetable life, and their application to its multifarious manifestations ; and the dif- ference between these two degrees of knowledge is not greater than the different degrees of pleasure which each aflbrds. There are others who admire flowers, but will not take the trouble to learn how to Bhteeed according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864, by Mead & Woodward, in tlie Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. Mat, 1864. 138 The Horticulturist. grow them, and consequent!}' never know how to love them. Such persons have little conception of the amount and degree of pleasure of which they thus deprive them- selves. As between a simple admiration and a true love of flowers, there is all the difference that there is between mere ani- mal appetite and a profoimd intellectual feast. There is nothing that gives so much vigor and elasticity to the mind as the love and study of nature, and there is nothing that yields a purer and more lasting pleas- ure ; when it includes, as it naturally should, a reverent love of the Father, there is nothing that erects such a firm barrier between the heart and the cankering ills of the world without. A true lover of plants is a lover of his fellow-man and of good works. But let us be a little more specific, and see Avhat is Avanted by those we are more directly addressing. A scientific knowl- edge of Botany is desirable, as it greatly enhances our love, and makes us so famil- iar with the constitution of vegetable life, that we are enabled, almost at a glance, to determine the wants of a particular plant ; but such a knowledge of Botany is not in- dispensable to the culture of plants. It is indispensable, however, that the nature of any particular class of plants grown should be studied practically, so as to become fa- miliar with their wants in reference to soil, light, heat, and moisture. A practical knowledge of this kind is best obtained by growing the plants ; but if one is con- fined to this source of knowledge alone, many mistakes are made at first, much time is consumed, and not a few plants ruined. The proper course is to begin with a few plants of the easiest culture, such as the Scarlet and Sweet-scented Geraniums, the Calla, Sweet Alyssum, &c., consult some intelligent grower, read the best writers on the subject, such as Rand, Buist, Bridge- man, &c., and subscribe for one or more good horticultural magazines. These may be considered indispensable aids, and will be found very pleasant companions. Careful reading and patient practice will open the road to success, and pave it with gems of the most brilliant hues. You may live in a world of your own creation, peopled with angel forms, always wearing the radiant smiles of the blessed. Flowers are great hmnanizers, ripening and mellowing the heart for the better life. Wherever you see a few plants in a window, however humble the house may be, you may take it for granted that goodness has not alto- gether taken its departure from its inmates. Inestimable soothers and comforters under all afflictions, Ave would not part with our knowledge of plants for all the pelf the world contains. Bring up your children to love plants, and you will put them in possession of one of the brightest links in the chain that connects time Avith eternity. A GARDENER'S LODGE. BY FREDERIC S. COPLEY, ARTIST, TOMPKINSA'ILLE, STATEN ISLAND. The accompanying design was made for William C. Bryant, Esq., and was erected on his beautiful estate at Roslyn, Long Island, in 1862. It stands on the hill above his residence, overlooking the Bay from the village to the Sound, possessing one of the finest views on the Island. It was intended as a gardener's lodge, and to accommodate one or two families, as circumstances might require, (one on each floor,) giving each three rooms, and a joint right to the scul- lery, sink, and cellar. Arrangement. — The first story is 9 feet in the clear throughout, with every con- venience suitable for the health and com- fort of the occupants. From the porch, a small hall, lighted from the roof, is en- tered, with doors on either hand, to par- lor or living room, and staircase passage in front, communicating with the kitchen A Gardeiier^s Lodge. 139 at the back, chambers above, and cellar beneath. (See Fig. 2.) The chamber floor, second story, is 9 feet in the clear through the center, and Fig 1 — Peispective fieu Fig. 2.— First Floor. 6 feet at the sides, (from the floor to the plate,) the roof cutting ofi" three feet of the ceiling at the sides at an angle of 45 degrees. This loss of a few feet of the ceiling is more than compensated for by the cottage-like effect it gives to the rooms, harmonizing the inside with the out. The two principal chambers are provided with fire-places and ample closet room. The one over the parlor has two closets, built outside the frame, and a door into the sin- gle room, over the porch, forming a most desirable family chamber. Both these Fig. 3. — Chamher Floor rooms have, ventilators in the same chim- ney breast, and the small one may be warmed by a stove leading thereto. The other has a large closet over the store- room for trunks, linen, &c. The attic room over the kitchen wing is intended for the help. By reference to the plans, it will be seen that every room is of good size and form, cheerfully lighted, thoroughly ventilated, and of easy access one to another, at the same time that privacj^ so essential, is maintained throua;hout. 140 The Horticulturist. Condruction. — The building is construct- ed of wood, vertically sided, and battened, (with 1}4 inch tongued and grooved pine boards,) with horizontal strips in line of the window sills and floors, to hide the buts and small triangular pieces in the cor- ners, which gives the pretty effect of pan- eling. The whole is stained by a mixture of oil, &c., that heightens the grain of the wood, and gives a brightness of color, and that cheerfulness of effect, so desirable in rural dwellings. The roof is of slate, in bands of purple and green, and the chim- neys are surmounted by terra-cotta pots. The whole is filled in with brick. Cost, 3 , built in a substantial and plain man- ner, of plank frame, &c., with cellar under kitchen and center, (7 feet in the clear,) cemented on the gravel the same as cistern, and all interior wood work stained. As a specimen of cottage architecture, (on the smallest scale, lodge class,) it will rank as one of the best. For simplicity, variety of form, symmetry of proportion, with convenience of arrangement and econ- omy of space and construction, it forms a model cottage, that any one might live in and many covet, besides being an addition to the landscape and an ornament to the grounds. ■*» «"»-»►— NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN. BY HORTICOLA. When we wrote the " Gleanings from oiu" own Experience and that of Others," published in the February number of the Horticulturist, we beheved the method of Dubreuil, mentioned in his work, "La Culture Ferfectionee," etc., of making cut- tings of grape vines, new. We mean the method, according to which, the cuttings are buried in little trenches, but inverted, 1. e., with their tops downward. Dubreuil, it is true, does not pretend to be the dis- coverer of it ; still he recommends it, and, we think, justly, and call it, therefore, his method. A few days ago we read, in a rather desultory manner, a little book, published at Erlangen in 1859, (Die Weinbauschule von Dornfeld.) Its chief interest lies in the fact that it contains a circumstantial and accurate description of the vineyard cul- ture as practiced in the kingdom of Wirtemberg. On page 59, the author says, that in the vicinity of the city of Heilbronn it is customary to treat the cut- tings, before planting, exactly as recom- mended by Dubreuil. The process is there called sturzen. The only difference is, that the cuttings are put for several days in water ; some moss and good soil are tlirown into the trenches, which are filled up again after the cuttings are placed in them, with their tops downwards. Their ends are then covered with moss about an inch deep, and a little mound, about a foot high, is raised on them. They are taken out at the end of May or the beginning of June. It would certainly be a gratuitous labor to trace this method back to its origin ; it is, no doubt, mentioned in other works on the vine. Still Dubreuil had evidently no knowledge of it before the publication of his Culture Ferfectionee. In reading Columella, an agricultui-al writer who flourished about nineteen cen- turies ago, we can not help admiring the •skill with which the vine was grown by the Fiomans ; a skill so great that very little indeed has been added in the lapse of ages. Mr. Jaeger, under whose auspices Rubens's book on the vine was published, it being a part of Jaeger's highly valued horticul- tural library, shows that, as he confesses to be, he is a stranger in viticulture ; for he extols Rubens's book on account of the great number- of new discoveries he says the book contains. Still there is not a single new discovery in it. Old discoveries were discoveries in their time ; they are no dis- coveries for us. Rubens's book is a very The Bean Weevil. 141 useful little -work ; it is so good, because there is so little in it that is new, and that little is not good. Pliny, Pliny, how deeply thou wast im- pressed with the imperfection of thy vast knowledge, which thy kinsmen thought as varied as nature herself, when thou ex- claimedst : Quantum est quod nescimus I [It must and does happen that persons engaged in similar investigations will make similar discoveries, without either know- ing what the other has done. We wotdd suggest to Horticola that very interesting instances might be cited, and the search for them would be a pleasant pastime for one of his inquisitive turn of mind. — Ed.] ^. # » «» THE BEAN WEEVIL. BY THE EDITOR. It will probably be new to most of our readers that Beans are "afflicted" with Weevils ; but so it is. They are not, how- ever, beans " to the manor born " It may be remembered that we gave an account, last fall, of some Lima Beans, imported from Lima, that persisted in bearing no fruit. Some of them were left over, and placed in our seed basketfor another trial. A short time since we overhauled them, when, to our amazement, we found them completely riddled with holes. A closer examination showed that these holes were made by a weevil, many of which were at the time eating their way out. In the same basket were other Lima Beans, (not from Lima, however,) which showed no signs of the weevil. Two conclusions may be drawn from these facts : first, that these weevils are of foreign origin ; second, that they require two years to undergo their transformation. They do not seem to be identical with the weevil which infests Peas raised here, and which undergo their transformation in a single year. We have stated that the Beans were completely riddled. We took thirty-nine weevils from one bean, and left others in the same bean to eat their way out. We present a drawing of one of the beans. It will be understood, of course, that the other side of the bean here shown was also full of perforations. This is altogether an unusual thing with us. We have another interesting item to add on the same subject. We received from the Agricultural Department last spring a small bag labeled " Mexican Beans," from Mexico, which proved to be identical with . our "Turtle Soup" Beans. A few of these were left over, and were also placed in the basket. These too were riddled with weevils, while beans of the same kind, in the same basket, but bought in New York, were entirely free from them. We give an illustration of one. These weevils, like thotst; in the Lima Beans, had also been two years in undergoing their transformation. They are the first exam- ple of the kind that we have ever seen. We merely give the facts for the pres- ent. We have sent samples of the beans and the weevils to Dr. Fitch, and hope to hear something further about them. We have come to the conclusion that weevils " know beans " as well as other folks. 142 The Horticulturist. PLANT HOUSES.— XII. BY THE EDITOR. In our present illustration we have an example of wliat may be done with, a wall necessary, for certain purposes, to cut away an embankment, and build a sustain- ing wall. After this had been done, we were asked if the wall could not be de- voted to some useful purpose, and it was determined to build a lean-to grapery against it. The chief difficulty in the way was the wet and springy nature of the ground at the level marked water line in Fig. 2. It was found, however, that it that could not well be applied to any other useful purpose ; at least not to any pro- ducing such gratifying results. It became I Fig. 2.- Ps could be drained ; but at certain seasons I. of the year surface water would accumu- late from the overflow of a milldam. But ^ there is generally some way to overcome difficulties. In this case, the border was placed inside the house, and well raised, with a firm concrete bottom between the ground and water lines, and suitable drains connecting with the main drain under the front wall, to secure the requisite degree of dryness inside. Up to the present time we believe every thing has gone on very favorably. We have no doubt that many other places, now deemed useless, might be converted into good graperies at an ex- pense that the results would fully warrant. In case this was successful, it was the owner's purpose to extend the house along the wall at the left ; and it was therefore deemed best to insert the hip at the angle, to save future expense in tearing down the end of the house. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the house, which, in connection with Fig. 2, The Grape Rot and Mildeiv. 148 will give the reader a good idea of the The roof is curvilinear, like those already general arrangement. Fig. 3 is a plan, described in former articles in this series. ^'\f* Fig. 3.— Plan. Under the circumstances, we feel a good and hope the owner's anticipations may be deal interested in the success of this house, fully realized. — ^-fr-0-#-*->— THE GRAPE ROT AND MILDEW. BY J. STAGMAN, LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS. The subject of the grape malady has en- gaged the attention of every writer of any note who is acquainted with its eifects. These persons have given various theories respecting the cause of the disease and the remedies to avoid it. While one Avill contend it is in the manner of pruning, another will say it is the nature of the soil and location ; still another is certain it is atmospheric, while nearly all agree that it is accompanied by excessive moisture. All these various theories may approximate towards the truth, yet neither of them gives the true cause of the disease or the remedies to avoid it. The fact that rot and mildew are accom- panied with certain conditions common to most theories, proves one general cause covering them all, which gives the apparent plausibility to them. To fully elucidate this subject, we will consider the disease under two separate heads. The first, grape rot, or rather rapid decay. The second, mildew, dry rot, or slow decay. These two maladies are very distinct in their action, and very opposite in their tendencies. What will cause the one will prevent the other ; they can not exist at the same time in excessive action, for one is produced by a positive state, and the other by a negative. The positive produces an excessive vegetable growth, while the negative re- tards it. Properly speaking, there is but one cause, but two conditions ; both of these may take place in the same season — one is very likely to follow the other. When both of these conditions are proper- ly balanced, there will be a healthy vital action, with neither the excessive growth nor the opposite. The one rather predomi- nates in the young growth and commence- ment of the season, the other in the after growth and latter part of the season. The positive mostly develops the stock and vine, the negative the fruit. It acts on all vegetation, but some are more easily affected than others. The primary cause we believe to be electrical under its two conditions, positive and negative ; when the first greatly predominates it produces the rot, and when the latter greatly predom- inates it produces the mildew. The evi- dence in favor of this theory appears to be more conclusive than any other, and re- conciles many of the difficulties connected with other theories, and is in harmony with the philosophy of vegetable growth. 144 The Horticulturist. which may be seen from an illustration of the subject The grape rot, or rapid decay, takes place under the conditions most favorable to an excessive electrical action. For instance, damp atmosphere is a good conductor of electricity, and rain is much better, and vphen clouds are highly charged with this fluid they are in a positive state, compared with the earth and surrounding objects which contain less . The result is, that the superabundant fluid in the clouds finds its way rapidly to the earth through the medium of the moist air, rain, and vegetation ; consequently, every moist leaf , twig, and vine will receive an excess, which will produce a very rapid growth while this state continues ; if this excessive action continues, the sap will in- crease in its action also, taking up an in- creased quantity of water and crude material which is unnecessary to a healthy growth, which will enlarge the conducting capacity of the stock, while the evapora- tion is not increased in like proportion. If this state continues long enough, or comes in quick succession, accompanied Avith frequent lightning, it will hasten the rapid destruction of the fruit, and an un- healthy and immature vegetable growth. No motion can take place in any organ- ism without electricity ; it is the living, moving principle of animated nature. If this theory is true, that electricity is the cause of the movement of the fluids in vegetation, an increased quantity or exces- sive action long continued will produce the rot or rapid decay. A very luxuriant growth is made at the expense of the fruit, for it can not mature and perfect it under such circumstances ; it is only by retarding the growth that we hasten the maturity and the production of the best fruit ; for that reason, young, vigorous growing trees and vines do not bear. That the sap does not flow by capillary attraction or any inherent principle within the stock, may be proved by the slow growth of the horizontal branches, or by gradually bending aU the vertical twigs and branches to a horizontal position, which would not materially affect the flow of the sap ; neither could the pinching in of the branches retard its progress but slightly. But, according to this electrical theory, the bending or pinching in of the branches would have a direct and material efl'ect upon its conducting power, upon the same principle that a lightning rod or conductor to a house would have its action diminish- ed or nearly destroyed by breaking off the point or bending the rod horizontally. In harmony with this theory, we find the most rapid growing trees, and those that come most slowly to bearing, of a very erect growth, their leaves more sharp, long, and numerous, every twig pointing directly upwards, with their conducting points ready to secure imperceptibly all the electricity they can to hasten their growth to maturity. If we are correct in our reasoning, any excessive pruning of a tree or renewal of a vine for the purpose of forming new wood, is deleterious to the production of good and abundant fruit. Therefore we should obviate any excessive pruning ; we should so balance a tree and vine from the start that it will not need more prun- ing than will simply fulfill its healthful re- quirements ; diffusing a general short, ma- ture growth throughout the whole, and its fruit equally distributed, and that state continued from year to year. We shall now make a few remarks on the grape mildew, which we believe to be produced by a negative electrical condi- tion. This takes place at a time the most un- favorable to the development of this fluid, or to its excessive action. For instance, in a very dry season, when the atmosphere is a poor conductor, and when the earth con- tains but little moisture ; when this ex- treme state continues long enough, and tolerably early in the season, before the wood matm-es, the sap flows slowly, the vessels contract until the plant looses its The Teignmouth Apple. 145 vital action ; the mildew is then seen on the leaves, which soon begin to drop from the vine ; the fruit does not ripen, but re- mains insipid and worthless. This con- dition may be seen in a very dry season on some varieties of the grape, gooseberry, and pea, but more frequently it is seen in a green-house grapery with a dry atmos- phere and soil, and with imperfect ventila- tion. In harmony with this theory, vines or plants will not do well and remain healthy if placed in glazed pots, with a dry atmos- phere, though the soil be sufficiently wet ; neither will a damp atmosphere do, unless the earth is moist also. The reason of this is, the conducting power is in proportion to the perfection of the circuit ; if it is in- terrupted by a non-conductor for any length of time, it produces its deleterious effect in the form of mildew or slow decay. This explains why there is so little bene- fit produced by watering plants in a very dry season in the open ground ; thorough watering, and that continued up to the time of rain, is necessary to produce a healthy growth. If this watering should not reach beyond the extremities of the roots to the moist earth, it would be of little benefit ; no amount of water could be of any use to a plant if it was encased in a dry stratum of earth; This theory gives the reason why soil thoroughly drained and sub-soiled produ- ces so much better in a dry or wet season; it gives a constant regular conducting me- dium far beyond the extremities of the roots, under all conditions of the weather. Accordingly, vines or stocks subject to mildew, should be trained from the start. with just a sufficient number of branches placed in as vertical a position as practica- ble, without destroying any of the foliage, or retarding their growth by layering, pinching, or otherwise. We should culti- vate the soil deeply, thoroughly, and re- peatedly, especially in a very dry season. We have now given these two extreme conditions which lead to decrease and de- cay ; it should be the object of the culti- vator to avoid either. This may be practi- cally accomplished by the selection of a suitable location, and by the choice of vines that resist these deleterious influen- ces. Low, damp, rich soil favors the positive, while the opposite favors the negative. The selection of a high situation, with a loose, porous, and calcareous soil, with peb- bles and some sand intermixed, appears to be the best adapted to the healthy devel- opment of the grape, and to be exempt from the above maladies. [The theory of Mr. Stagman is a very in- genious one, and is clearly and ably stated. The connection of electricity with heat, and the influence of these upon vegeta- tion, will hardly be denied at this day. Still, these agents are so subtile in their nature, and so abstruse in their operation, that it requires patient investigation to de- duce a theory from their action on the veg- etable creation. Exception, we think, may be taken to some of Mr. Stagman's deduc- tions, but we are not prepared at present to state them. We are much pleased with his article, and its freshness, and hope it may lead the way to fiu'ther investigation. We shall be very glad to hear from him again. — En.] -^» ♦ » ♦» THE TEIGNMOUTH APPLE.— Syn. Vermont Pippin. BY CHARLES DOWNING, NEWBURGH, N. Y. Origin, Vermont. Tree, vigorous, up- right, and productive, and a regular bearer. Fruit, medium, oblate, obscurely angular. Skin, pale greenish yellow, often shaded with crimson in the sun, and thinly sprink- led with greenish and light dots, some- what raised above the surface. Stalk, rather short, in a large, deep cavity. Calyx, open, or partially closed ; segments small, slightly recurved ; basin large, deep. 146 The Horticulturist. regular. Flesh, whitish, tender, moder- flavor. "Very good." Ripe November ately juicy, with a mild, peculiar subacid to February. Fig. 2. — Section. [To which we can only add, that we the specimens from which our portrait was quite agree with Mr. Downing in calling made. — Ed.] this a very good applfe, and thank him for The Wilmington Pear. 147 THE WILMINGTON PEAR. BY CHARLES DOWNING, NEWBUEGH, N. Y. Fruit, medium or below, obtusely tur- considerably netted and patched with rus- binate, inclined, slightly angular, some- set, especially around the stalk and calyx, what oblique. Skin, greenish yellow, and thickly si^rinkled with russet dots. Stalk, long, generally straight, sometimes curved, much inclined, inserted in a slight depression, generally by a lip. Calyx, open, segments of medium length, per- sistent, sometimes recurved; basin rather shallow and uneaven, often regular. Flesh, fine, whitish, very juicy, buttery, melting, with a rich, sweet, pleasant flavor, slight- ly aromatic. " Very good." [Mr. Downing also sent us Dr. Brinckle's description, which does not differ mate- rially from his or our own. Dr. Brinckle, however, sums up " best," a conclusion at which we have also arrived. It is un- doubtedly a delicious pear to eat. It was raised by Dr. Brinckle from seed of the Passe Colmar, planted in 1847. It is in season in September and October. — Ed.] 148 The Horticulturist. RAISED FLOWER BEDS. TKOM THE LONDON FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. We saw iu a recent number of the Flor- ist and Pomologist a design for a raised flower bed, which pleased us so much that we had it copied, and herewith pre- sent it to the reader. We also copy the accompanying description. " A pleasing and attractive feature may be added to the present style of many flower gardens, where the beds are all cut out of the turf on the level surface , through having them raised 3 to 6 inches in height, according to their size, and as may be con- sidered best suited. There is a number of them done in this way in one of the flower gardens here, which shows off the flowers to much greater advantage than those on the level. This, in addition to the design being generally admired, in- duces me to describe the plan to the readers of the Florist and Pomologist. " For central beds, or such as might be considered desirable to give a more prom- inent character to in the general features of the flower garden, the raised beds will be well suited. Premising, then, that it is only to be an alteration of the beds already formed, the operation must be commenced by cutting the turf in strips with an edg- ing-iron 2}4 feet back from the bed ; then use the turfing-iron, and roll back the turf as far as cut without breaking it off. Pro- ceed nest to raise the bank to the desired height and shape, allowing sufficient breadth on the top so as to be 15 inches wide when completed ; it will then appear as represented in the annexed wood-cut. The slope of bank must be regulated ac- cording to height, and will look best when made with a pretty sharp angle. Raising the soil in the figure is the next operation, and will be easiest effected by trenching it over in good wide spaces, and filling the bottom up with stones, brick-bats, or any open sort of material at command, taking care to keep the good soil at top, and about 20 inches deep. The keeping of these grass banks may be thought an ob- jection, but we have never found any dif- ficulty here, by the use of the scythe, in keeping them as neat and trim as the turf on the level, " The introduction of raised beds wiU, I think, assist to obviate a great sameness, as well as a want of variety and good taste in many flower gardens where the beds are wholly on the level surface." — J. Web- ster, Gordon Castle. ■<' « » < » MONUMENTS.— NO. II. BY A PARISH MINISTER. In a former paper on the subject of mon- uments to the dead in our church-yards and cemeteries, I alluded to the inappropri- ateness of heathen forms and symbols among a Christian people. In our older and ruder burial places throughout the country, the common form of these me- morials is the modern head-stone ; modern, inasmuch as the use of this kind of mon- ument can not be traced back beyond a hundred , or a hundred and fifty years. The ornaments usually introduced in low relief MonumeMts. 149 on these head stones, consist chiefly of cherubs, doves, scythes, and hour-glasses, mattocks and spades, skulls and cross bones. I suppose there are persons who admire these conventional forms of ugliness, with puffy faces, which are intended as repre- sentations of one order of the holy angels. But, nevertheless, they are offenses against propriety and good taste. A sculptured angel keeping watch, as it were, over a tomb might not be an inappropriate em- blem there ; but cherubs, as they are com- monly represented, would be much better omitted, for the work is generally so ill ex- ecuted, that the ideas suggested by it are rather ludicrous than solemn. In some places a dove with extended wings is more commonly found than cher- ubs at the top of the headstone ; perhaps because it is a favorite nondescript of the village stone-cutter. If this is meant as symbolizing the Holy Spirit, it is evidently inappropriate, as the Christian doctrine confines His divine influences to the living, and extends them not to the dead. If it is meant as an emblem of the deceased, it must be remembered that such a symbol is unfit for even the purest and best of us. In an English church-yard there is a lu- dicrous example of this ornament on the tomb of a man who had been a market gardener. The bird is represented as hov- ering, with out-stretched wings, the tail raised, and the head downwards. But the design was so coarsely executed that the neck resembles the stalk of a plant ; the spreading tail looks like long, narrow leaves ; and the oval body being marked with indentations to represent feathers, the poor man's neighbors naturally and innocently conceived that this ornament was intended for a winged pine-apple, in compliment to the gardener's professional skill. Scythes and hour-glasses, mattocks and spades, skulls and cross-bones, being fre- quently intermingled, and placed in a group at the head of a tomb-stone , may be classed together, and one sentence of con- demnation passed on them all. It is not that they are unmeaning, or that their meaning is intrinsically objectionable, or opposed to Christianity ; but they are mere symbols, and by no means imposing sym- bols, while the grave itself, over which they stand, is a stern, awful, and impres- sive reality, awakening far more solemn thoughts than these mere types of mortal- ity can do. Besides, they are altogether defective in inspiring thoughts with which the sight of the grave should always be accompanied — thoughts of that which lies beyond the grave, and of the time when death shall be swallowed up in victory. They might be appropriate enough for a heathen, but a Christian wants something more. The same may be said of a still more of- fensive class of monumental ornaments, urns, and reversed or extinguished torches. They are both copied from pagan tombs. The extinguished torch represents that hope is at an end, and that the soul no longer exists. The urn was used to pre- serve the ashes into which the bodies of the dead had been consumed. It is there- fore only a memorial of that abominable heathen usage. What the intended mean- ing of the fillets and chaplets which are sometimes copied on Christian tombs from Greek designs, may be, is beyond our knowledge. There are other sepulchral emblems in use which are equally objectionable or ab- surd. But I come now to speak of one emblem which is perfectly unobjectionable, perfectly appropriate, full of solemnity, full of consolation. It lifts up our hopes, it dries our tears, it turns our mourning into gratitude. That emblem is the cross, which in some form or other, more or less conspicuously, should be exhibited on every monument and tomb-stone erected as memorials of our Christian dead. The cross, as a symbol of the redemp- tion, of the resurrection and eternal bless- edness beyond the grave, is as old as" Christianity, and its proper and reverential use must be apparent to every one. It is 150 The Horticulturist. the most expressive of all Christian em- blems, and it should be the sign which the Christian most honors, in every place where it may be appropriately set up, and es- pecially in the sleeping places of the dead. We present two examples of appropri- ate and expressive head-stones. They need little explanation, as their symbols and proportions are obvious to even slight examination. They may be cut from mar- ble, or from any of our most durable stones which may be preferred to marble. feet. Marble or Caen stone would be prop- er material. The base of this head-stoiTO should be ten inches in thickness, two feet wide, and twenty-one inches in height. The circle which supports the cross, and is itself a symbol of eternity, should have a radius of fourteen inches. The base should be firmly fixed in a heavy stone planted be- neath the surface of the ground. Brown stone would be a suitable material for this monument. The height of the next head-stone from the surface of the ground to the top of the cross should not exceed four and a half In our next paper I shall speak of in- scriptions, only adding here, that they should be modest and simple, containing little more than names and dates, with, perhaps, an appropriate text of Scripture, expressive of Christian humility or hoiDe. They should not be arrogant or boastful, and, above all, they should not " lie like an epitaph. ' ' [There can be little doubt that some at least of our monuments and head-stones are unmeaning and in bad taste, and others so wretchedly executed as to sink into mere caricatures ; but the trouble is to get something better. We are a little curious to know what our correspondent will say when he gets among the ' ' epitaphs ; ' ' for some of them do, in virtue of some kind of necromancy inherent in them, make real saints out of the vei'iest sinners. — Ed.] MARKET GARDENING BY A JEBSEYMAN. I HAVE been reading for a third time an article on " Market Gardening," page 182, volume for 1863, by a "Jersey Market Gardener," and am still at a loss to know what he seeks to prove, or whether his ar- guments of incompetency, ignorslnce, and lack of capital are not just as applicable to every other pursuit in life as to that of Market Gardening. 151 market gardening. It is no argument for or against any business or trade that a per- son may undertake it without previous training, and fail or succeed at the end of five years ; for it is a well understood and accepted fact that he who has qualified himself by a long apprenticeship, and who, at the end of five years' experience as a proprietor, shall have established his bus- iness without any money accumulation whatever, has done well, and has met with success far beyond the average. There is no legitimate business or profession that can be undertaken with a sure promise of sudden wealth, and we will venture to say that the Jersey Market Gardener himself had not, at the end of five years, with all Ms skill and prompt business capacity, done more than establish the broad found- ation to a business which has since led to Ms prosperity and renown. It is a habit among successful business men, authors, &g., to dispense a good deal of gratuitous advice to the young, adverse to following the pursuits wherein they have gained their wealth and reputation ; and Timothy Titcomb's advice to Mrs. Felicia Hemans Jones and the Jersey Mar- ket Gardener's advice to the readers of the Horticulturist are about on a par. The idea of a man writing down a pursuit which has given him wealth, position, and fame, seems to be absurdly ridiculous. The ad- vice certainly may be safe, but would not have any weight with those who think for themselves. Now the facts about Market Gardening, in spite of the contrary opinions of one who has made a fortune in its pursuit, are simply these : that in the vicinity of large cities, and more particularly in the vicinity of New York, Market Gardening, under- standingly and intelligently pursued, is ,one of the sure roads to wealth ; and that future prospects in that business hold out the most flattering inducements. New York, as a city, at the present time, con- tains one million inhabitants ; as a me- tropolis, that is, comprising its immediate suburbs, one million three hundred thou- sand inhabitants. Taking the ratio of in- crease for the last forty years, and sup- posing that it continues the same, in fif- teen years the population of New York, as a metropolis, will be fully three mil- lions. The value of superior land for market garden purposes ranges from $100 to $300 per acre ; and inside of a circle of 10 miles' radius from the City Hall, a market gar- dener we know of, who has made a hand- some comi^etency, and is desirous to re- turn to the father land to enjoy it, offers his acres for sale at considerably less than $300 per acre ; and this includes good buildings and quite an amount of glass, and lies on the outer edge of this circle. The market gardeners from Long Island come greater distances with their own teams. We have seen them fully fourteen miles from New York, and are well aware that this distance does not limit this class of business ; in fact, it extends, in all its varied branches, fully 150 miles on all the different railroad and steamboat routes which pour their wealth and abundance into the great and growing city of New York. What the efiect of adding an average number annually of one hundred thousand persons to the consuming population of New York, will be on the business of Mar- ket Gardening, can be readily estimated by careful business men. It must show, by all fair modes of reasoning, that, ju- diciously and patiently pursued, it will lead to a handsome result. This the Jer- sey Market Gardener finally admits in Ms summing up, though he has not studied statistics of success in life enough to know what success is. He says: "But, like men in all other kinds of business, there is not universal success. There is not more than one-fourth of the market gar- deners that have made money. Another fourth, perhaps, make a comfortable living. Another live from hand to mouth. The remainder have failed, lost their all, and left; and the cause of failure, in nine cases out of ten, has been insufficiency of capi- 152 The Horticulturist. tal. ' ' Now this is what we call a first-rate result. But first let us ask, what business is there in this world in which there is universal success ? Three per cent, of all the mercantile world are successful at the end of only twenty years ; yet twenty -five per cent, of the market gardeners make money, and twenty-five per cent, more make a comfortable living, and the richest and smartest of them all tells us it is a dis- couraging business. What pursuit, pro- fession, trade, or occupation, can show fifty per cent, of their number getting a comfortable living, and half of this fifty per cent, getting rich? There is none other. The most uniformly successful men are those who till the soil in one way or another. The question whether a capital- ist, a merchant, lawyer, or business man can attend to his business in town and farm or garden profitably in the country, we propose to discuss at some future time. This article applies to those bred to the business, and who give it their personal attention. There must be stepping stones to success in all pursuits. [It is said that " when Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of war." It is just so when Jerseyman meets Jersey- man. We, of course, shall stand by, and see that " nobody is hurt." — Ed.] <»«»»» COUNTRY SEATS.— NO. I. BY E. H. C. Messrs. Editors: — I have examined, with a good deal of interest and pleasure, Mr. Holly's volume on Rural Architecture, recently published by the Appletons, and, with your permission, I shall make it the basis of two or three articles on the sub- ject of country homes. It is a good omen to such as are interested in the real mate- rial progress of our country, that books treating upon this and kindred topics, find publishers and readers ; for it is only by the diffusion of works of merit that the public taste can be cultivated. Mr. HpUy truly says, that " our country abounds in most interesting and picturesque scenery, embracing ocean, river, lake, and moun- tain, easy of access, habitable and healthy ; and though filled with delightful villa sites, is too frequently suffered to remain neg- lected and unpeopled in its choicest nooks." And this is not because there is any deficiency of wealth for the appropria- tion and embellishment of these choicest sites, or of a willingness to lavish wealth on country places. On the contrary, we see, every year, costly establishments, de- signed for summer residences, or for per- manent homes, built up with as little re- gard for expense as for taste. The in- creased facilities of travel and communica- tion have brought a large extent of beauti- ful country within reach of our great towns, so that the time consumed in pass- ing from business to the open country does not exceed that which is necessarily em- ployed in reaching the more desirable lo- calities of our cities. The deficiency is found, then, rather in the culture than in the dispositions and means of our people. And the remedy and supply for this must be provided in the dissemination of merito- rious works treating upon the subjects of architecture and domestic embellishments, by means of which our people may be edu- cated to a higher and purer taste. Mr. Holly, in his present work, has done some- thing towards this object ; and although we do not regard his effort as a decided advance upon what we had before, yet, as a contrib\ition towards a very desirable object, we are glad to hail its appearance. We shall have occasion, as we go on, to examine his plans, and to point out what we regard as defective, as well as com- mendable. In constructing country homes there are three prime conditions to be observed : 1st, Adaptation ; 2d, Accommodation ; 3d, Ex- Country Seats. 153 pression. By adaptation I mean not only the arrangement of the main structure as to material and form, to suit the locality and character of the grounds ; but a fitness as respects the real wants of the occupants and the purposes of a country house. No- body wants a modern country house plant- ed down in the open country ; nor should any one desire to find a refuge from the bare streets of the city in the little less bare streets of a country village. The material used in our country houses has not been enough considered by us in building them. Timber is abundant in al- most all parts of the country, and the fa- cility with which an establishment can be built up in a few weeks, of this mat«i."ial, has been the main reason, we suppose, why we have so many abortions, in the shape of G-recian temples, and Gothic minature cathedrals and castles, scattered over the land. Let it be considered, that in building our country houses, we are not simply providing for our children — we are constructing a homestead. It is for the want of this consideration that we have so few homes in our country, so few house associations, around and among which our deepest and purest affections are en- twined. Our thin lath and plaster con- structions, which rattle and tremble in every wind and leak in every rain, do not aflbrd very good or permanent centers for these associations and affections. We have some native woods that are durable, out of which we may build houses that will last for several generations ; but with these, even, the cost of frequent re- pairs and painting is so great, to say noth- ing of the annoyances thereby entailed, that, in point of economy, wood is by no means the most desirable material. Nor is it, in any way, the most desirable. The prevailing taste in country dwellings, be- fore Mr. Downing' s time, was defective enough. A large, square, wooden house, painted intensely white, garnished with bright green Venetian blinds — standing in a contracted yard — inclosed with a red or white wooden fence, was the very beau May, 1864. ideal of a gentleman's country dwelling. We are thankful that this dispensation has passed away ; and we revere the memory of Downing, and of others like him, who were instrumental in bringing in a better taste in such matters. The first cost of a stone or brick dwell- ing somewhat exceeds that of wood, even in places where these materials are readily obtained. But if they are properly con- structed, such buildings will need very few repairs for many years. It is often objected, on the other hand, that such buildings are damp and unwholesome. This is, undoubtedly, true of many of the old stone houses which we find scattered about the country. And it is true, because they were not properly built. When prop- erly built, they preserve the most equal temperature at all seasons. They are warm in winter and cool in summer, and the sudden changes which affect the weather without need scarcely be felt by the delicate invalid within the walls of the stone mansion, if suitable attention is giv- en to the simple matter of ventilation. But I need not dwell on this subject in the present paper. I shall have occasion to speak of it again, before om- subject is concluded. [The work of Mr. Holly, alluded to by our correspondent, we have reviewed in a former number of the Horticulturist. The contrast between our country houses now and before the days of Downing is striking indeed. The improvement is not only very marked, but very great. The labors of Downing in introducing a better style and purer taste will be gratefully remem-^ bered. Nor, in this connection, should the labors of Vaux be overlooked, follow-- ing, as he does, closely in the footsteps of his former associate. His work on. "Country Seats," from the press of the Harpers, is, in our opinion, the best since the days of Downing. There are two points alluded to by our correspondent which we hope he will elaborate somewhat, the home- stead and sione homes. — Ed.] 2 154 The Horticulturist. FEENCH DWARF PEAR TREES. BY J. G. B. There is, perhaps, no one thing where- in Americans exhibit a greater absurdity for foreign productions, than in the pur- chase of dwarf pear trees. A friend pur- chased last year on the street a hundred of these trees. Upon inquiry, what va- rieties, he answered me they were all im- ported, and of the best kinds. This is but an illustration of numerous similar cases. It may be, and doubtless is, advantageous frequently for the dealer to import his trees. He is governed by the cost, as compared with the prices here, as also the difficulty in obtaining a needed sujoply and the varieties desired. The intelligent grower understands this whole subject ; and if he requires a few dozen or a few hundreds of trees, he will select his va- rieties, and purchase them of a reliable nurseryman on our own soil. He will gen- erally procure a better article, or at least the trees will be in better condition. Packed closely as foreign trees must ne- cessarily be for exportation, they become heated by the confinement, important limbs broken, and they are otherwise mutilated and injured. A new variety originating abroad, must necessarily be imported by some amateur or nurseryman ; and if the market here demands them in quantities be- fore this home supply is sufficient, enter- prising men send out their orders, and if to be had, procure the trees. But it is not this necessity to which we refer, but the idea that the tree is better and of a good variety because it is a French dwarf pear tree. Your dress may or may not be better because the material was maniifactured in England, France, or Ger- many. Your wife may insist upon having the imported goods, and be all right in taste and economy ; but when you apply her preference for foreign goods as a principle to guide you in your purchase of pear trees, you first commit an error, and afterwards innocently boast of it. As the season of planting is at hand, it is to be hoped these hints will not be without benefit. [Among a certain class of people there is a strange hallucination in regard to French pear trees. They suppose that French dwarf pears are not only a distinct order of pears, but very much superior to others, and it is sometimes difficult to con- vince them that our pears and French pears are precisely identical. This is the class of persons r-eferred to by B., and to such we commend his remarks. — Ed.] — ^-«"^-^ »|> "HOW TO BUILD A CHEAP VINERY." BY DR. NORRIS, WILMINGTON, DEL. A VINERY may be lean-to or span-roofed, of any length, and may be built of wood, brick, or stone, although, when the latter is abundant, we think it most desirable. Suppose a moderate sized house to be re- quired, say a lean-to 50 by 13. Twelve feet for the back waU and three for the front will be suitable heights. Founda- tions at least three feet below the surface, and the largest stones in the bottom. The front wall should only be one foot of stone above the surface, the other two feet being made up of glass sash hung on hinges to the front wall plate frame . Iron rods should be built in front and back walls to secure the wall plates firmly. The mason work may generally be done by the perch. Sev- enty cents a perch is the working rate, the employer finding sand and lime. The carpenter work can be done cheapest by Holo to Build a Chea'p Vinery. 155 contract, and for a house of the above di- mensions should not be over seventy-five dollars, the contractor finding the lumber. This includes a door in one end, and a run of movable sash hung to the back wall plates to open and shut at pleasure for ventilation. A good trellis may be made by building in and firmly bracing in each end wall an iron bar perforated with holes, through which the wires may pass. Slight iron supports in the rafters are used to steady the wire. This form of trellis will present an equal stress on both sides of the house, and prevent any disposition to swag. Borders^ may be made all inside, partly inside, and partly outside, or all outside. Entire inside borders are well adapted to forcing houses. For cold vineries, where no forcing is done, partly inside and partly outside are most in favor. The entire bor- der outside, with vines planted out and not inside, would seem only adapted to our southern latitudes. Whichever way the border is made, good drainage is indispen- sable. Three feet of soil to be removed and carted off, except the top spit. At the bot- tom all the old spalls from the building, broken brick bats, and small stones come well in play. They should be arranged so as to have a gentle descent from the back wall of the vinery. A good compost to fill up should be prepared some time previous to erecting the house, by getting old sods from a rich pasture, and suffering them to lie inverted in a heap, among which is sprinkled well decomposed stable manure, wood ashes, bone dust, leaf mould, sand, etc., and giving the whole pile an occa- sional turning. Now, on top of your drain- age, place a row of inverted sods, then fill up from your compost heap. When the vines are planted, have at hand a bar- row of leaf mould, with which to surround the fine fibrous roots. No grapery should be without a heating apparatus. Although some of the finest specimens have been produced without any fire heat, yet there is too much risk ; and the cost of a heater may be made so small, that no one building a grapery will begrudge it. Hot water apparatus is the best, but most costly, besides requiring a fireman to manage. The old-fashioned brick flue is as good as any, although an air-tight stove will answer very well in a small house. The unsightliness of the flue may be remedied by putting it entirely beneath the ground, directly under the walk if liked. The old Black Hamburgh should be the main dependance in the cold vinery. It will bear more exposure than almost any of the other foreigners. A vine or two of the Frontignans will not be out of place. They will mature considerably earlier than the Hamburghs. For late varieties, select West Saint Peter's. The Barbarossa, al- though prominent among the late keep- ing varieties, is said to require a longer period to mature its fruit than obtainable without an earlier start than a house with- out artificial heat will get. A vine of the Muscat of Alexandria may, with propriety , be introduced, although requiring more artificial heat than the other varieties to bring it to the highest perfection. • It is later than the Hamburgh, and an excellent keeper. [We are most decidedly in favor of cheap and substantial graperies ; for one that is not durable is not really cheap at any price. We confess that, with all our ex- perience, we are staggered at Dr. Norris's figures. A good house, 50 by 13, for 375 would be cheap indeed, and place a grapery within the reach of every man who desires one. We should be glad to know that this could be done. We pro- pose to place the Doctor's article in the hands of a number of contractors, to get estimates. We should feel obliged if some friends would do the same for us in Bos- ton, Philadelphia, and other places ; but we hope they will procure none but relia- ble estimates, for if they come down to the Doctor's figures, we shall accept a dozen or more of them for our friends. The materials and the work must be good 156 The Horticulturist. and substantial. We shall publish the es- self, Doctor, procure us such an estimate ? timates when received. Will you not your- — Ed .] THE TAYLOR GRAPE. BY S. MILLER, LEBANON, PA. Editor Horticulturist, — The varied ac- counts of this fruit, and frequent denunci- ations of it, compel me to defend it, as I was among the first to recommend it to the grape growers. A graft of David Miller, near Carlisle, Penn., bore eighty handsome clean bunches the year after it was set. I have a vine when in its fourth year, from a single eye stuck into the ground in the open air, that bore last fall one bushel of fruit. That bushel made at least three gallons of wine, now worth $4 per gallon. A wealthy wine merchant of Philadelj)hia, to whom I sent a bottle, wrote back, " Miller, your Taylor Avineisgood. Send me 1,000 vines." (He is also a vineyardist.) He took all the vines I had, and has engaged all I can grow for another year. (You see by this, Mr. Editor, I have no axe to grind.) An M.D. of Chester County, Penn., of grape experience, writes : " When I have eaten nearly a fill of Delawares, Crevel- ings, &c., then I top off with a hatful of the only real spicy grape we have, ' the Taylor.' " The President of the Missouri Horticultural Society writes me that they all pronounced my Taylor wine among the best. I sent them a little — I knew the of- ficers. Now I think this ought to be a little in its favor, and prevent persons who have it from rooting it out, or grafting it over as a worthless stock. It must be trained different from many others ; it should have plenty to do, for if headed back as severely as most others require, it will be in such a blast at the time of blos- soming, that they will be thrown off instead of setting, and will truly appear as repre- sented in Fuller's new book. Had Mr. Fuller seen my vine above men- tioned, and a host of little ones not trim- med at all last sprin,';, loaded with fruit, nice, full, compa','t bunches, I think he would have given the Taylor a more favor- able descriijuon. While on this subject, let me impress upon your readers the im- poitance of raising seedlings, as there are improvements jQt to be made. To show what an humble individual can perform, I will state that a man in this neighborhood sold a white seedling lately for $500, which should certainly encourage others to try their hand at it. [Accompanying Mr. Miller's letter was a box containing two bottles, one filled with wine made from the Taylor grape ; and after tasting it several times, we are com- pelled to say that it is a good wine ; in- deed, it is much better than any that we have seen made from the Isabella, Concord, or any of that class of grapes. Out of five vines sent to us for the Taylor's Bullitt, only one proved to be true, and this may have been the case with others. Under ordinary treatment it sheds its blossoms, leaving the bunches very small and thin. An expression of opinion from those who have grown it might be of benefit to the horticultural community. But, friend Mil- ler, what about the other bottle, labeled " wine from the Clinton grape ? " We had j| no idea that wine so transparent and ethe- ' real could be made from the Clintoai. Why, even a babe might drink a gallon of such wine without the slightest apprehension of intoxication. It is like air itself. We even tilted the bottle upside down, and yet the wine glass seemed not to gain or the bottle to lose aught of its contents ! How did you make such wine ? Is it a secret ? — Ed.] A Portrait of a Gardener. 157 A PORTRAIT OF A GARDENER. PAINTED BY HIMSELF. Two years ago I addressed you for a gar- den place, and by your kindness I got the employment at . You had told me that this place was a bad "one ; nothing for encouragement, much hard work, and at a low remuneration. I should try it, and you promised to furnish me at a later time "with a better situation, because jovl had always the best opportunity to accommo- date such a desire of mine. I accepted that place, and found at entering that your description made of it was a true one ; and more than that, the gardener was to be slighted to the lowest laborer. No wonder I felt inclined to leave directly ; yet you had given me this^employ ; you could think me ungrateful if I left ; and, besides, I believed I discovered that my employer took some interest in rural affairs. This seemed to me inducement enough to stay, and to begin my work faithfully. But I had to suffer very much : my employer, pretending to be a cultivator since twenty- five years, and not even knowing the first elements of the matter, bolded to direct every work, naturally enough not to any fixed plan, neither to the settled principles of practical experience, nor to the direc- tions given in good books — in your valua- ble Horticulturist and in the Agricultu- rist— but almost in every case acting per- versely with oblique alterations, casus oUiquus. Thus, to see and to be forced to assist at such things, I suffered much. Thus it was all the time of my being there ; and when T went for another season to such a miserable place, the only reason I had — I confess it to you — was, to see still more, and to collect more of the curiosities of a gentleman who pretended to be a twenty- five years' cultivator ; and this motive gave me pleasure and encouragement to endure till it became quite intolerable to me, and I left. I feel, and never felt to be angry to my employer ; on the contrary, I pitied him always. He had some nice qualities, and I wish him all that wherein he may find pleasure and happiness. I relate to you the above because I feel devoted to you, and I put great confidence in you, and in your judgment, and I know that you un- derstand me. Now, gentlemen, I am out of employ- ment. The last I had, by your recom- mendation, was a bad one. I hope and request you to give me a better place ; a place at a gentleman's of means, who takes pleasure in gardening, and who allows his gardener to work according to a reasona- ble, and agreed plan, without interruption or meddling with the gardener's affairs ; where are green-house and grapery, and so many hot-beds as may be needed, and a remuneration at about $50 per month, and a dwelling-house. Should you get on hand and willing to give me such a place in the course of the present year — T am not in a hurry this— you would much oblige and find me grateful. To show you, gentlemen, my sincere de- votion and confidence, I offer you to read, and I will give your Horticulturist the preference for publishing, if you should like it, my article, " A Gentleman and his Gar- dener,^ ^ in four chapters, and another little piece, " Interview Between an Editor and his Friend. ' ' Both these articles I have given now to be corrected ; they will be found pleasing, interesting, and instructive for every reader who takes an interest in the nu'al affairs, and especially in gardening. [The above is a genuine letter. It is such a life-like portrait, that it carries with it its own commentary, and is too good to be lost. The heading is our own. — Ed.] 158 The Horticulturist. THE COLD GRAPERY— PREPAEATION OF THE BORDER. BY THE EDITOR. We have a great many inquiries as to the best mode of making grape vine borders, &c., and propose to answer some of them here. It will be seen, however, that we have no patented process. After having erected a house, the next important step is to prepare a suitable border. The mate- rials that we prefer consist of sod mould, muck, sand, and old manure, to which may be added ashes, lime, horn shavings, i)one-dust, and charcoal dust, as they may be had. The body of the compost should consist of sod mould, muck, and sand in about equal proportions. Sod mould is usually obtained by taking the top spit of an old pasture lot ; but in some places this can not be had, and then any ordinary good top soil may be used. Sometimes this will be sandy enough without the further addi- tion of sand. There should be sufficient sand to make the compost light and porous. The materials above named should be thor- oughly mixed together, which is best done by spreading on the ground a layer of mould three or four inches thick ; on this put an inch of manure ; next three inches of muck, which may be lightly sprinkled with lime ; next a layer of sand, on which sprinkle the charcoal dust, bone dust, or ashes, charcoal dust being the best, but all may be used. Now put on a layer of mould again, and proceed as before, till the heap is sufficiently large to fill the bor- der. After a day or two the heap should be turned by cutting it down from top to bottom, which will mix the materials to- gether in a very thorough manner. The compost will be veiy much improved by being turned several times at intervals of three or four days. We have sometimes known it to be diffi- cult to procure the materials above named, and we have then suggested the use of the best top soil that could be got, with some scrapings from the barn-yard, and the ad- dition of enough sand to make the compost light. Several good borders have been made in this way, but not, in our opinion equal to that first described. The bone- dust usually sold in the market is not good for much, the best part of the bones hav- ing been removed before the bones were ground. The bones should be fresh. We may follow this article with others, giving a list of the best vines, with direc- tions how to plant them, &c. NEW OR RARE PLANTS, ^. We have no foreign files to look at this month, and our list of new plants is con- sequently small. We have a few notes, however, which we here add. Lychnis Senno. — A hardy, herbaceous perennial shrub, introduced from Japan by Mr. Fortune. There are three distinct va- rieties, one having red flowers, another white ones, and the third red flowers with white stripes. — [Florist and Pomologist, iii., 73.) Grapes. — Graham's Muscat Muscadine, described as having a fine muscat flavor, equal to Chasselas Musque, and not so lia- ble to crack. An abundant bearer , bunches as large as Royal Muscadine, and berries as large as the Dutch Sweetwater. — Royal Vineyard, a late white grape. Bunches hard and well set, sometimes long and ta- pering, and sometimes short ovate. Ber- ries large and roundish ovate, skin white and somewhat transparent. Flesh firm and crackling, with a fine Sweetwater flavor. This is a fine-looking grape, and received a first class certificate from the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticul- tural Society. — [Dr. Hogg's Report.) Arbor ViT^. — Mr. Brinckerhoff, of Fish- Monthly Calendar. 159 kill Landing, has a new Arbor Vitse, else- where described. We do not know what name he proposes to give it. It is a fine plant. Japan Plants. — Messrs. Strong & Spoon- er, of Brighton, Mass., send out some new Japan plants, introduced by Dr. Hull. We have not seen a list of them, but it contains Thuja dolabrata and T. dolabrata variegata. Maples, &c. <««»«» MONTHLY CALBNDAR.--MAT. The season, as was anticipated, is so backward, that most of the observations in last month's Calendar will apply to this. Orchard, Fruit Garden, &c. — Every thing in the way of plowing, pruning, cleaning up, &c., should be finished with- out delay. Grafting may be done up to the middle, or even latter part of the month, if the grafts are in good condition. On grape vines, rub off all eyes that are not wanted, and see that arms, &c., are tied in their places. The planting of vines should not be longer delayed. Provide suitable stakes when they are put in the ground, and cut to three eyes. Cuttings may still be planted in the open ground. Make new Strawberry beds, and clean up old ones. Look over fruit trees of all kinds. TJie Grapery. — ^As soon as the vines in the Gold Grapery are well broken , tie them up. Keep the house rather warm and moist, and ventilate carefully. Rub off such buds as are not needed. Keep the borders loose on the surface, and free from weeds. Be careful not to sodden the bor- ders. In the Hot Grapery, the fii-st crop will now be ready to cut ; too often, how- ever, the bunches are cut when only col- ored, and not ripe. Other crops will be coloring, and some only just set. In these cases, attend to pinching in, thinning out, &c., as before directed. Be on the look- out for mildew at all times, and dust with lime and sulphur. Ventilate carefully, and avoid cold currents blowing on the vines. Green-House. — It will now be time to think of putting plants out of doors, ex- cept such as are to be kept for ornament- ing the house during the summer, such as Fuchsias, Gloxinias, Achimenes, Begonias, Caladiums, &c., the latter of which ought now to be encouraged to grow by repot- ting, &c. For such plants as are to go out, select a sheltered place with a south- eastern or eastern exposure. Many can be turned into the flower border. Azaleas that have been retarded will keep their bloom longer by being lightly shaded. Plants in Rooms. — During this month aU. room plants should be removed to the open air, and sheltered from high winds. Put some boards or coal ashes on the ground, to prevent the worms from enter- ing the pots. Geraniums, Verbenas, and plants of similar kind may be put in the flower border. Callas may be allowed to dry up gradually, as may also Ixias, Bab- ianas, Lachenalias, and similar bulbs. Ornamental Grounds. — It is to be sup- posed that every thing in the way of plant- ing, pruning, raking, &c., has been done, except, it may be, planting evergreens. Bedding plants may now be put in their places. Annuals may be used for bedding purposes, such as Phlox, Candytuft, Alys- sum, Ten Week Stock, &c. Annuals may also be used freely in the borders. They are among the most beautiful of summer blooming plants, and do not receive half the attention they deserve. Dahlias may be planted up to the last of the month. They are all the better for being planted late. A few bedding plants should always be kept in reserve, to fill up any vacancies that may accidentally occur. Vegetable Garden. — There is still much to do in this department ; indeed, the suc- cession of crops required and the battling with weeds make the whole season a very busy one. In addition to the seeds named last month, Corn, Bush Beans, Cucum- 160 The Horticulturist. bers, Melons, Okra, Peppers, &c., may now be sown. Bush Beans and Sweet Corn must be sown at short intervals to keep up a constant supply. Read remarks of last month, which will mostly apply to this. EDITOE'S TABL To Contributors and Others. — Communications, Letters, Catalogues, Periodicals, Remittances, Packages by Express, Advertisements, &c., shoiild be directed to Mead & Woodward, Editors and Proprietors, 37 Park Row, New York. Exchanges should be addressed to " The Horticulturist." " The Right Way."— This is the title of a small volume written by Jeannie Harri- son, which, however, is a nomme de plume. It is a pleasant little story, written in a pleasant way, and will greatly interest the children, for whom it was designed. The authoress seems to have a nice apprecia- tion of the wants of the youthful mindi The style is animated, the narrative well sustained, and the "right waj"^" shown to be a very pleasant one to walk in. We commend the book to children, and espe- cially those who love the Sunday School. Bay Ridge Horticultural, Society. — Un- der this name a club has been formed at Bay Ridge, L. I., which promises to be of great benefit to that locality. It has a spe- cific object, and that is to improve and beautify the place ; for this purpose meet- ings are held semi-monthly to discuss topics having a bearing on this object, reading essays, hearing lectures, &c. The char- acter of the men interested in it is a guar- antee of its usefulness and success. We have attended some of the meetings, and been delighted with the spirit and earnest- ness of the members. We append a list of officers : President, Hon. Henry C. Murphy. Vice- Presidents, Teunis G. Bergen, John Gr. Ber- gen, William C. Langley, George T. Hope, Henry A. Kent. Treasurer, J. A. Perry. Recording Secretary, William A. Perry. Corresponding Secretary, B. C Townsend. A New Arbor Vit^. — Some two years since we saw at Mr. Brinckerhoff''s, Fish- kill Landing, a new Arbor Vitje, which we considered so good, that we advised him to send it out. This he has at last concluded to do. In habit and general appearance it very much resembles the Siberian, but it is tinged with a bright golden yellow, which gives it a most striking and beautiful ap- pearance. It seems to be quite as har- dy as the American, and keeps its color weU during the winter. We regard it as a decided acquisition, and have no doubt that it will become a great favorite in or- namental grounds. Horticultural Association op the Amer- ican Institute. — In our last we announced the formation of this Association. On Wednesday, April 6th, its organization was completed, and officers for the ensuing year elected. The meeting was well at- tended, and graced by the presence of la- dies. A very good feeling prevailed, and a determination was generally expressed to place the society upon a solid foundation. The parties chiefly concerned in the organ- ization of the society are men of energy, deeply imbued with a love of horticulture, who will spare no time or labor to give it a high and permanent character. Its pro- ceedings we shall endeavor to make room for monthly. We must not omit to men- tion that to Mrs. J. W. Barrow belongs the distinction of being not only the first lady Fditor's Table. 161 member, but also the first exhibiter, her flowers atfording us an appropriate subject for remark on the formation of bouquets. We append an abstract of the proceedings furnished by the Secretary, omitting, how- ever, our own remarks for want of room. Horticultural Association of the American Institute. — This new Association met at the rooms of the Institute in the Cooper Union Building, on Wednesday evening, April 6, 1864, for the purpose of completing its or- ganization. Peter B. Mead, Editor of the Horticul- turist, called the meeting to order, and moved that Nathan C. Ely take the chair, which was unanimously adopted. P. T. Quinn, of New Jersey, read the proceedings of the previous meetings, vfhich were approved. Mr. Mead, from the Committee to select a list of officers, said the Committee had attended to the duty confided to them, and had nominated for officers, gentlemen who were well known in the community as tak- ing a deep interest in the cause of Horti- culture, and Avho would attend the meet- ings of the Association, viz.: President, B. C. Townsend, Bay Ridge, L. I. 1st Vice President , Dr. Isaac M. Ward, Newark, N. J. 2d Vice President, J. W. Barrow, New York. Corresponding Secre- tary, James Hogg, New York. Recording Secretary. John W. Chambers, Brooklyn, L. I. Treasurer, Isaac Bachanan, New York. Botanist, Professor J. W. Thurber, New York. Entomologist, Doctor Isaac P. Trimble, Newark, N. J. Committees. 1. Large Fruits, William S. Carpenter, P. T. Qninn, Isaac M. Ward. 2. Small Fruits, Peter B. Mead, R. G. Pardee, Francis Brill. 3. Plants and Flowers, John Henderson, William J. Davidson, William Fitzpatrick. 4. Vegetables, Peter Henderson, Alfred Bridgeman, William Cranstoun. 5. Floral Designs, Ferneries, fyc, Andrew Bridgeman, James Hogg, J. W. Wood. 6. Executive and Premium Committee, The Presidents, Treasurer, Chairman of Committees 1,2,3, 4, 5, and the Committee on Horticulture of the Institute. The Officers and Committees were unan- imously elected. P. B. Mead presented to the Associa- tion, on behalf of Mrs. Barrow, the first bouquet ; and after complimenting the lady for the taste displayed in the selection and arrangement' of the flowers, took occasion to utter a protest against the usual mode of smothering flowers in paper, which he termed the strait jacket system, in which the symmetry of the leaf and flower is lost, and only an arrangement of colors pre- served. Mr. Barrow, one of the Vice-Presidents, followed. His remarks were mainly upon the financial prospects of the Society, and the importance of early making it inde- pendent as to the means required to ac- complish its objects. He alluded to the Massachusetts Horticultural Societ}', which now had funds amounting to more than $100,000. The Philadelphia Society had also been successful, as far as finances were concerned. [Mr. Barrow's remarks had such a marked bearing on the formation of Horticultural Societies, that we shall print them in full. — Ed.] R. Gr. Pardee spoke of the influence of Horticultural Societies in elevating the taste and exciting a generous rivalry among those Avho grow fruits and flowers. These associations are the means of combining and concentrating individual influence and effort, so that the whole may be brought to bear in the collection and diffusion of information. Every one who raises a flower, confers a benefit upon his neigh- bor. He had lately passed a magnificent conservatory, and the thought then occur- red that its owner, instead of gratifying ' his own circle of intimate friends, might be the means of giving delight and instruc- tion to immense numbers had he an organ like this Association, through which he might hold commimication. He hoped this was tlie beginning of a new era. Isaac P. Trimble said he had been hon- 162 The Horticulturist. ored by his appointment as Entomologist, but lie must tell them at the outset that he was acquainted with the peculiarities of comparatively few of the 400,000 insects which are known to exist on our globe. In looking at the beautiful models of fruit which adorn these rooms, he did not see specimens of Plums, Apricots, or Necta- rines. These fruits are gradually dis- appearing from this section of the country. No doubt many of you are aware of the cause. It is the effect of an insect called the cm-culio, of which it takes four to weigh a single grain, and we are cowardly letting it do as it pleases. He was asked by a gentleman what he should do to de- stroy the lady bug ; his garden was full of them. He told him to let them alone until they had eaten aU the plant lice, and then they would die of starvation. He had oc- casion lately to count the eggs of the Dus- ty Vapor Moth, and the average was four hundred, and this is nearly the average of all our moths and butterflies. Arithme- tic will easily tell the story of how long we could live if any one of these was per- mitted to multiply without being checked. Among the insects, nearly half are feeding upon the other half ; and we should have the knowledge to know which half are our friends. The birds are important aids in holding in check our insect enemies. Late- ly, in examining the crop of the Chick-a-dee, (Black-capped Titmouse,) one of the little creeper birds of winter, he found five of the larvae of the apple moth, and the apple moth, next to the curculio, is the most fatal enemy of apples and pears. All animated nature is a cycle of complexity to those who do not study it, but there is a mova- ble harmony in all things. If his friend could have killed all his lady bugs, he would Boon have found his mistake. When the small birds have been shot off, noxious in- sects have increased fearfully. Wm. S. Carpenter said he should fill but a small niche in this Society, but would do all in his power to make it valuable to the country. Pomology had been a sub- ject to which he devoted many years ; in fact, it was a specialty with" him. The celebrated Van Mons, of Belgium, had done much for the cause of Pomology, es- pecially in the improvement of the pear. Mr. Knight, of England, had devoted a lifetime to the improvement of small fruit, also to the apple and pear. Such enthu- siasts deserve well of their fellow-men. There are a great many fine fruits which are unknown outside the orchard in which they grow. He had picked some apples from a tree 100 years old. He had propa- gated trees from it, the fruit of which he sent to England, where it was preferred to the Newtown Pippin. Improvements are being continually made in the quality of our fruits. Many varieties that stood high in favor 20 years ago, have given place to the improved varieties of the present day. These Societies are of incalculable benefit to the country, as a means of encouraging and disseminating information in relation to the various improvements made. The Chairman, Mr. Ely, spoke of the in- fluence of flowers. Their cultivation has a moral and refining effect upon our na- tures. He remembered in his young days those young ladies who cultivated flowers were more refined than others. Painting and the arts have a refining influence, but the flowers have a still higher, because they lead the mind upwards to the Creator. He spoke of his country home at Norwalk, where every house and garden is adorned with flowers and shrubs. He loved the country, and passed all the spare time he had there. He never knew a man or boy but was elevated in mind by the cultiva- tion of flowers, and one that was always ready to do a kind action by his neighbor. A. G. Burgess said he was early advised never to look for a wife in a family who did not cultivate flowers. P. B. Mead. [We omit our ovra remarks, being much crowded. — Ed.] Mr. Nash said it was very important that correct reports of the meetings should be published in the newspapers, and urged that a competent stenographer should be employed for the purpose. This associa- Uditor's Table. 163 tion, as I understand it, is for the purpose of bringing forward practical Horticultur- 6^8. The remarks of such persons will be of great value, as they will be the results of experience, and not mere theories. He said he was born and lived in the midst of an orchard of about 20 acres, and was, educated in the midst of good fruit. Many of the trees would yield well for a time, but would soon become diseased. He suggested a Committee on Seeds be appointed, and recommended that an or- chard should be set out where forest trees had been cut down. Mrs. J. W. Barrow exhibited choice cut flowers. Wm. S. Carpenter exhibited eleven varie- ties of apples from his own orchard, viz.. Northern Spy, Newtown Pippin, Swaar, Pennock, R. I. Greening, Seek-no-further, Dominie, Baldwin, Hubbardston Nonsuch, Greenwich, Roxbury Russet. Wm. A. Burgess, Rosevale, Roslyn., L. I., exhibited two varieties of his new seed- ling strawberries, viz., 4 pots of "Garibal- di," and 1 of "General Grant." The plants were in fine condition, and covered with clusters of ripe fruit. Adolphus G. Burgess, East New York, exhibited two new varieties of variegated leaved plants, viz., Ageratum splendens, and Salvia elegans. Mr. Burgess said he was willing to ofi'er a premium of ^15 for the best seedling Rose to be exhibited dur- ing the year 1864. Wm. S. Carpenter moved, that when we adjourn, we adjourn to meet on the 1st Monday in May. Carried. On motion, it was Resolved, that "Flow- ers" be the subject for discussion at the next meeting. Carried. Mr. John Henderson was appointed to open the discussion. On motion, it was Resolved, that the Ladies and others be invited to send writ- ten communications. Adjourned. John W. Chambers, Rec. Sec. work very neatly bound. We have read it with no little interest. The system adopted by Mr. Fuller is that of horizontal arms, with which our readers are by this time pretty familiar. The directions are briefly and plainly given, and finely illus- trated. The concluding chapters are the . least valuable portion of the book. Mr. Fuller's criticisms are by no means felici- tous, being wanting in discrimination, one of the first elements of somad criticism. Some of the systems condemned by Mr. Fuller have for many years been practiced in this country by different individuals, and are not without their merits, though no particular favorites with us. Mr. Knox will no doubt be surprised to see the sys- tem that he has adopted, condemned in unmeasured terms. Mr. Fuller's weak- ness is a morbid desire to ' ' hit somebody. ' ' It makes him unamiable and unjust when he, perhaps, does not mean to be so. The recoil of the blow is often more damaging to himself than to the party aimed at. He might, for example, have spared Guyot, whom he evidently does not comprehend. Notwithstanding these faults, and some anachronisms and historical errors, the book is a useful one, and may be read with profit. Mr. Fuller, we believe, is his own publisher. Fuller's Grape Culturist. — We are in- debted to the author for a copy of this Worcester County (Mass.) Horticultu- ral Society. — We are glad to know that our friends in Worcester have learned that a Horticultural Society has other duties to perform besides holding shows. At a re- cent meeting, after a pretty full discussion, the following lists of fruit were adopted as being the best for that particular locality. The list will be useful to others living there who were not present. It is proposed to add other kinds of fruit at future meetings. Some very interesting remarks in the Tran- script we will try to make room for hereaf- ter, with thanks to the friend who was so kind as to send them. Early. — Red Astrachan, Sweet Boug 164 The Horticulturist. Duchess of Oldenburg, Williams, *Wor- cester Sjjy, *Summer Pippin. Autumn. — Gravenstein, Porter, *Shep- ard's Sweeting, *Leland's Spice, *Fameuse, Hubbardston Nonesuch. Winter and Spring. — Mother, R. I. Green- ing, fYellow Belleflower, fJewett's Red, Baldwin, *Washington Royal, *Ladies' Sweeting, ^Northern Spy, Talman Sweet- ing, Roxbury Russet. PEARS. Early. — Beurre Giffard, Rostiezer, Dear- born's Seedling, Bartlett, St. Ghislain. Autumn. — Belle Lucrative, Paradise d' Automne, Flemish Beauty, Marie Louise, Louise Bonne de Jersey, Seckel, Fulton, Henry IV., Sheldon. CHERRIES. May Duke, Knight's Early Black, Black Tartarean, Black Eagle, Downer's Late, American Amber. GRAPES. Hartford Prolific, Diana, Concord, Dela- ware. STRAWBERRIES. Hovey's Seedling, Jenny's. Seedling, Jen- ny Lind, Wilson's Albany. Sanitary Fairs. — We have received cir- culars announcing the holding of Sanitary Fairs in various parts of the country, from which it may be concluded that the sym- pathies of our people are fully aroused for our suffering brave ones. The St. Louis Fair will embrace a large portion of the Valley of the Mississippi. In the month of June the Philadelphia Sanitary Fair will be held, for which preparations are being made on an extensive scale. On the first of June the Pittsburgh [Pa.) Sanitary Fair will be held. In Baltimore one is now in progress, and in other parts of the coun- try preparations are being made for still more. We appeal to Horticulturists to send to these fairs liberally of their stores. The fact of your having given something to this noble cause, will be talked of proud- ly by your children long after you are dead. At the time of writing, the receipts of the New York Fair have reached nearly one million of dollars. There is no doubt that it wall exceed that sum at the close. We look for corresponding^ great results in Pennsylvania and the Mississippi valley, and wherever such fairs are hereafter held . Correspondence. Friend Mead, — Permit me to occupy a little space in the Horticulturist with a few queries, answers to which may interest more than a few of your readers. I have a young orchard so infested with the ap- ple-tree bores, as to cause me to replace about half the trees within the last six years, notwithstanding my efforts to de- stroy the pests with my knife. I have taken a dozen from one tree four inches in diameter at the base, which leaves it badly scarified, though the worms were yet small. Last spring I applied a few forkfuls of un- fermented hog manure to each tree, piling it around the trunk, but without any appa- * Varieties recommended as " promising ■well." rent benefit. Now I would ask, whether a piece of strong brown paper, immersed in whale oil or kerosene, and bound loosely around the tree with woolen yarn or some such elastic bandage, and the earth drawn up to secure the lower edge of it, would be likely to injure the tree, or to keep off the insect. 2d. By pinching, scalding, drowning, and burying the rose-bugs until the grapes on my vines were about the size of small shot, I managed to save them last year, but to be disappointed of the pleasure of eating ripe grapes, Isabellas at least. My Concords ripened well. My vines have a warm exposure, and a grav- f Varieties recommended for " amateur cultivation." Editor^s Table. 165 elly loam soil, are tolerably well cultivated, but will not ripen their fruit. I notice that mulching is much recommended, which, during the dry, hot season, seems to me a judicious practice ; but would it not facili- tate the ripening to remove the mulch when the weather becomes cool, and, instead, give a light top-dressing of charcoal dust, peat, or some dark colored substance, to in- tensify the solar heat ? Another of my failures has been with asparagus ; and as I esteem it one of the luxuries of the well-supplied board, I would be pleased to learn how it can be success- fully grown, the kind of soil best adapted to it, the depth the roots should be plant- ed, &c., Very respectfully, S. H. Plattekill, 4th Month, 1864. [Your plan of cutting out the borer is a good one, but must be perseveringly done, and the borer looked after twice a year at least. A preventive would be not only a blessing, but better than a cure. The com- mon soap-fat of the kitchen, smeared around the trunk of the tree at its junction with the ground, and for a foot above it, will be found a pretty good preventive ; notwithstanding, the borer will sometimes enter above the point that is greased ; but then he is easily seen before much damage has been done. Give this a trial. We think the paper suggested, or a piece of rag, bound round the tree, would prevent the borer from entering at the usual place, but we are inclined to believe they will enter above it sometimes ; but there is this advantage in having them enter high, that they are more readily seen. We have no doubt that you will be benefited by using either the grease or the paper, and the tree will not be injured in either case. In re- gard to the rose bug, we are of opinion that the only way to abate this nuisance is to form " Bug Societies" for their destruc- tion. A whole neighborhood must unite, and wage a war of extermination against them. Employ boys and girls to kill them, and pay them so much a quart for the dead bodies. In this way they can be got rid of, and in no other, so far as we know. Your soil is good for grapes ; but the Isa- bella and other grapes have ripened their wood imperfectly, and the fruit, conse- quently, has not ripened. In such cases, extra^care is needed in thinning out the branches, pinching in, &c.; but even these will not avail where the vines are much affected with mildew. Mulching has its disadvantages as well as advantages. If you keep your soil loose on the surface, mulching is not needed. The top dresshig you suggest would be a decided advantage. We can hardly give you full particulars here for growing Asparagus, but may say in a general way, that the best soil is a sandy loam, worked a couple of feet deep, and well enriched with old manure. The roots should be planted about three inches deep ; that is, the crown should be three inches beneath the surface. The ground should be kept perfectly clean, and loose on the surface. A spade should never be used on an asparagus bed, but the surface simply forked over without injuring the crown of the plants ; neither should it be trampled on in cutting the "grass," as it is called. We will try to have an article on the sub- ject before long. By-the-by, we may as well state here, that Dr. Bertolet will re- spond to a former article of yours as soon as his engagements with our sick soldiers will permit him to do so. You can well excuse him while he is engaged in such a humane cause. — Ed.] Editor Horticulturist, — There are few articles in your interesting number for Jan- uary, that the reader will peruse with more profit, or dwell upon with kindlier feel- ings of interest, than the manly and ingen- uous one on the gi'ape, emanating from the pen of Dr. Schroeder, of Bloomington. I but echo the desire of many of your read- ers, and the wish of thousands all over the northwest, who, for profit or pleasure, are embarking in the cultivation of the grape, when I express the hope that others will, like the Doctor, when they give us their views and experience on this subject, 166 The Horticulturist, " dip tlieir pens in their own hearts," and not Uke many, whose writings, obscure and speculative, go in for their reputation as scholars, rather than that of pomolo- gists. Some Secretary of a little one-horse town Horticultural Society, who has grape vines of his own to sell, of such "ap- proved sorts" as "King," "Perkins," " Union Village," and " Isabella ;" varie- ties whose day of usefulness has well-nigh gone by, will often, using the awful influ- ence of his " official position," decry, through the columns of the local paper, the merits of all other vines, and in his efforts at detraction frequently descend to abuse whoever presumes to place them in the rank of their merit. In happy con- trast with all this is the unselfish commu- nication of the Doctor ; nor would I now trouble you with this one, but for the grave error into which I think the Doctor has easily and naturally fallen in relation to the fruitfulness of the Delaware. Since Mr. Campbell's first introduction of this grape to the public, its popularity has been so great, that the " peddlers " have resorted to all ' ' stratagems ' ' to supply the demand ; cuttings from green wood, rootlets from immature layers, and feeble little slips from hot-house pots, have been eagerly purchased by many at extravagant rates ; and when, after a feeble life of a few years, the vine either perfected some straggling bunches of thin filled fruit, or utterly re- fused to bear, their disappointment has been so great, that their faith in its merits has given way to admiration of some kind which has, like the Concord, fulfilled, to a certain extent, their expectations. That Doctor Schroeder is one of those victim- ized in this way, is evident from his letter. Responsible and respectable men, engaged in propagating the Delaware, owe it to themselves, and to the "cause," to dis- courage this manner of disseminating, this fine variety, which I place at the head of all the out-door grown grapes in North America. Experience has taught me, with reference to this sort, to do my own propagating. My five-year old vines averaged this sum- mer forty pounds of perfectly matured and ripened grapes, and while my Concords sold for 12)^ cents per pound, the Dela- wares brought me 50 cents per pound. This past summer I have tramped around much, and seen well-nigh all the new vari- eties of grape. The Adriondac is, in my opinion, only a fair grape, inferior to both the Diana and Rebecca, and would never have taken the premium at Cleveland over the Catawba had not the committee, from long familiarity with the last, rather mider- rated its excellence in favor of the untried new comer. There are many of the older varieties superior to the Adirondac ; but as comparisons are odious, and I have no interests to subserve, never having sold a vine in my life, though yearly giving away many, and only anxious to see justice done to all, will not push them further, but close, with a cordial invitation to you, Mr. Edi- tor, to give me a call when you pass this way next summer. I want jou to see my hybridized seedlings ; they will interest you ; though, in point of quality, they are inferior, yet some of them seem to improve a little with age, and I am not without hopes that one or two may yet prove wor- thy of a name. Respectfully yours, Jas. T. Dueant. Chicago, January, 1864. [The Doctor is a hearty, enthusiastic man, and speaks without circumlocution. We hope he will be more fortunate with the Delaware this time. The judges at Cleveland stated that they gave the pre- mium to the Adirondac because Catawbas were not ripe, and not because they thought the Adirondac the best flavored grape. We shall esteem it a great pleasure to call upon you when we go west. — Ed. Editor Horticulturist, — As relating to your article on "Growing Plants in Rooms," I wish to say that, four years ago, I in- closed a piazza, facing the south, in front of the sitting-room, making a room for plants fourteen feet long and three feet wide. The two features in the construe- Editor's Table. 167 tion of this, which add, I think, very greatly to its success, (and it has proved a perfect success,) are, 1st, thick sashes, which have two frames of glass throughout, on the in- side and on the outside of the sashes, al- lowing three quarters of an inch between the panes, answering the purpose of a double sash ; 2d, a double floor, filled in between with six inches of dried sawdust. These sashes are suspended by weights, which allows, of course, any ventilation desired, while the windows, two of them, letting into the sitting-room, make it a very easy matter to let in all tfie heat which may be wanted. It often surprises me, but there are very few days during winter that I have to let in heat from the sitting room during the day. At night I usually open the sitting- room windows, or the top of one and the bottom of the other, and this is all the trouble I have in keeping the plants prop- erly cared for, as far as heat is concerned, except such terrible weather as we had January Isfc, 1864, and the like, vv^hen I moved the plants into the sitting-room. The floor of this little place is covered with oil-cloth carpet, and the plants are showered without trouble. Camellias, Pe- largoniums, &c., flourish with me, and I would not be without it. So you see I en- dorse all you say about ' ' inclosing a Bay Window." I am yours very truly, J. W. Detroit, Mich., April, 1864. [We are happy to hear of your succese, for it will encourage others to put their •piazzas to a similar use, and give them something almost as good as a green-house. The sashes could be so arranged as to be taken out in summer, if thought desirable, and thus make the piazza a pleasant place of resort during the whole year. A hot- air register might be made to open on the piazza, or a small air-tight wood stove used in very cold weather. The air could be kept moist by placing the plants on tables filled in with two or three inches of clean sand, the latter to be kept wet. The plan is worth thinking of. — Ed.] 121 Waverly Place, N. Y., Feb., 1864. To THE EdITOK of THE HORTICULTURIST : Dear Sir, — A few days since I had occa- sion to visit the propagating estabUshment of J. F. Deliot & Co., near Sing Sing. My attention was attracted to the pecuHar structure of the material furnished from a bog-swamp, with which (in connection with sand) they so successfully produce their vines, giving them a vigorous and well-matured wood, and unequaled fibrous and well-ripened roots. The deposit ap- pears to be almost wholly decomposed, or rather decayed, woody material, reduced by a new process to the condition of humus, or what might perhaps be very properly desig- nated as vegetable earth, still retaining even the form and trace of the original growth of timber, which seems to have been of large size. This material, although exhibiting evi- dence of comparatively recent formation, seems exactly adapted to their use, by simply shoveling it into piles, and allowing it thus to remain from summer or early au- tumn, until wanted the next season, without any other preparation or admixture except sand, and thus is unlike any other muck or peat soil that I have met with. An analy- sis might develop valuable facts. Mr. Deliot also called my attention to some specimens of wine, produced from the native grape of this country, and invited me to taste and compare them with him for the purpose of making up an opinion in rela- tion to their relative merits, and report the same by request of the donors, and which we propose now to do through jovlx journal. Mr. Deliot is undoubtedly a very close taster and good judge of the produce of the vine in all of its various stages, from the fruit to the condition of well-ripened wine, having been educated to the busi- ness of vine-dressing and wine-making in France, and for the past seven years ex- clusively devoting his energies and atten- tion to the subject in this country. It is therefore his judgment, rather than my own, that I desire to present, although 168 The Horticulturist, fully concurring with him as far as my limited acquaintance with the subject en- abled me to judge. First Sample. — Concord, pure juice, pro- duced by Geo. Husman, Herman, Mo., 1863. Color, light red ; flavor, slightly foxy, with but slight point, character, or body; in short, flattish, with an acid trace after drinking. The grapes from which it was produccid said not to be fully ripe, or not quite equal to their best specimens produced. Second Sample.— Norton's Virginia, pure juice, by Geo. Husman, Herman, Mo., 1863. Color, deep claret, slightly more brilliant and deep, and coloring the cork like claret, but without sediment. Taste, a distinct, lively vinous, with not a disagreeable though marked acid taste left on the tongue, approaching that of claret, but ranking considerably above the generality of that class, certainly that with which we compared. Its promise is a red wine of a high order. Third Sample. — Catawba, from J. Hart, Nyack, New York. This sample was the product of 1862, and so highly sugared, that to a cultivated wine taste it was offen- sively sweet ; yet it possessed the bright- ness of the Catawba, with its peculiar fla- vor highly developed ; color amber. Fourth Sample. — Delaware, by J. F. De- lict, 1862 ; pure juice, but from rather im- perfect grapes, and must be regarded as only a very ordinary sample ; color, light amber ; taste, a bright, yet soft and agree- able vinous, passing from the tongue with a peculiar and agreeable flavor, leaving no trace of undigested acid, and evincing much body and character. In conclusion, we placed Delaware as No. 1 White Wine; Norton's Virginia as No. 1 Red Wine, over any samples yet met with. Concord we regard as deficient in every essential constituting a first-class wine. Compared with wine made from the native wild summer grape, (of which we had a sample,) its general characteristics were strikingly similar, (except color, which was darker,) and in quality excelling the wild to some extent. I submit the above in the hope that it may elicit further investigations and com- parison of the wine qualities of the Am- erican grape. R. H. Williams. [We may say, in regard to the muck used by j\Ir. DeHot, that he gives it all the preparation that is usually called for. Muck sometimes contains salts that require spe- cial treatment ; but we may say, briefly, after a pretty extensive use of it, that dry- ing and aerating it generally fits it for the purposes of thfl horticulturist. We mean, of course, where it is not full of wiry roots. Your verdict on the wines is proper enough. In good time we think our Missouri friends will place the Concord very far below the Norton as a wine grape, if some of them do not already do so. We can not con- ceive how a good wine can be made from the Concord, and shall be agreeably dis- appointed if it is ever done. We shall not be backward to acknowledge the fact, however, when the evidence is presented. —Ed.] Philadelphia, Feb. 29, 1864. Mr. Editor — Can you inform me. through your "Editor's Table," of any thnig that will destroy "Rose-bugs" except mechan- ically killing or drowning them ? and do you know their origin ? when the eggs are laid, and what way they can be reached before appearing on grape vines and ap- ple trees in the perfect state ? At Mount Holly, N. J., I find them a great nuisance, and, in fact, it is difficult in the neighbor- hood to get a crop of grapes. Respectfully yours, Wm. Proctor, Jr. [We know of no certain way of killing them, except killing them dead. We can stupefy them, but they have more lives than a cat, and always come to. They un- dergo their transformation in the ground, and many may be destroyed by late fall plowing. Raise a fund, and employ chil- dren to kill them. If a neighborhood should unite in this way, the evil would soon be abated. — Ed.] THE HORTICULTURIST. VOL. XIX. JUNE, 18S4 NO. CCXVI. 'hssifiratiaii d J^ntits. In a recent number of the Gardener^s Monthly appeared some very sensible re- marks by the editor on tbe classification of fruit. The subject has been running- through our own mind for some time past, and we would say something to fix the at- tention of pomologists, if possible, on this important point. In common with the ed- itor of the Monthly, we would do some- thing to remove the obscurity that now surrounds the classification of fruit. Ob- scure it is to a most lamentable degree. The novice in fruit culture must often find himself sadly at a loss to identify his fruits ; and even those well versed in pomological technicalities can not always, under pres- ent circumstances, be quite sure that the fruit described and the .one before them are the same. This uncertainty arises from several causes, such as the variations in the same fruit, the mode of describing it, the period of maturity at which it is described, want of uniformity among writers, &c. Some will describe a fruit at full maturity; others, while it is still im- mature. Some will select the largest and finest specimen ; others, any specimen that comes to hand. Some will employ one set of terms ; others, another. In order to avoid some of these difficul- ties, the editor of the Monthly suggests that well-known forms be employed as types. For example, a pear that resem- bles the Bartlett in form shall be desig- nated as Bartlett-shaped. This suggestion is a good one, though it does not meet aU the difficulties of the case. The Bartlett, however, being a generally known variety, the novice, on being told that another pear is Bartlett-shaped, gets a very much better idea of it than if he is told it is "obovate pyriform," or "obtuse pyriform," or "ir- regularly pyriform," or "truncate conic," or "turbinate," though the pyriform is one of the easiest of all forms to recog- nize . The difficulties are greatly increased to the novice when we come to "obovate, inclining to conic, remotely pyriform," or "roundish, obliquely oblate, angular," or "truncate conic, pyramidal, angular," or "trvmcate conic, very obtuse pyriform," &c. In many such cases the description is made obscure by being overdone. There is too much of it. It would not do, of Enteked according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S64, by Mead & 'Woodwakd, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. June, 1864. 11 170 Tlie Horticulturist. course, to ignore scientific description, but it might at least be made precise and clear. If the idea of types be used in ad- dition to a brief but precise scientific de- scription, there can be no doubt that a greater degree of clearness would be at- tained. If, for example, we say, "irregu- larly pyriform, or Bar tie tt- shaped," or "roundish obovate, or Bergamotte-shaped," the novice apprehends our meaning much more readily than if we say "irregularly pyriform" or "roundish obovate." Then, again, more clearness would be attained if aU writers on pomology would agree to use the same terms and the same manner of description. Much of the ob- scurity complained of arises from this want of agreement. We think this is a matter that justly comes within the province of the American Pomological Society. If the Society would set forth a clear and precise mode for describing fruits, we have no doubt that all would adopt it. We com- mend the subject to their serious consid- eration. If we can be present, as we ex- pect to, we shall bring it before the next meeting. In the mean time, we shall re- cur to it again, and give some illustrations. ■<* o ^ t ^ MILDEW ON THE GRAPE-VINE.— I. BY HORTICOLA. A FEW days ago I received a very inter- esting letter from Mr. L. A. Neubert, the celebrated vibe-grower at Leipzic, in Sax- ony. He commenced as an amateur, collecting as many varieties of the vine as he was able to obtain from reliable sources, and tested them critically, until he was, at last, persuaded to sell them. The King of Saxony visited his establishment re- peatedly, and honored him with a gold medal for his well-conducted nursery. Mr. Neubert is a scientific chemist ; and for this reason I attach the more weight to his experience in the treatment of the grape-vine disease. About two years ago he expressed, in a letter to me, his belief, that what we used to call mildew, is nothing but the Oidium Tuckeri, so widely spread in the vine- growing countries of Europe. In this be- lief all vine-dressers share whom I have had an opportunity of seeing, and who had left Europe after that disease had broken out there. Be this as it may, I hasten to translate that part of Ivlr. Neu- bert's letter which relates to the oidium, hoping that it will be read by many with interest, and that it will be a benefit to such as wish to combat so cruel an ememy in good earnest. The letter is dated Leipzic, March 6, 1864. It reads : " Now I come to a matter most import- ant to you ; it is that pernicious disease called mildew by you. I have struggled with it for four or five years, and have had many a sleepless night on account of the grapes lost by it. Now, however, I am confident that all the cares arising from that disease are at an end. "I. Treatment of the vines before the leaves appear. Syringe them thoroughly, also the walls, posts, stakes, trellises, etc., with the following mixture. Take 8}^ ounces of common salt, 4 ounces of salt- petre, and 36 ounces of water, and add 10 drops of Oleum Anthos and 10 drops of Oleum Lavendulse to the solution, shaking it well. Take one part of the solution, and from 100 to 120 parts of water. Im- mediately before using it, it must be vig- orously shaken, on account of the oils, which, of course, easily separate from it. ' ' II. When they are in leaf. Sprinkle them thoroughly with flour of sulphur, " 1. As soon as the leaves begin to ap- pear. "2. As soon as they are in blossom. "3. As soon as the berries are of the size of peas. • "4. As soon as they commence color- ing. " Afterwards aU diseased berries are to Mildew on the Grape-Vhie. 171 be removed, or the dusting with iiour of sulphur is once more to be applied. " You know, no doubt, that certain in- struments for that purpose have been in- vented. The one is a bellows ; the other, for dusting the upper surface of the leaves, is called the grape-vine torch. "My eldest son saw, last year, in Botzen, (Tyrol,) vineyards treated with sulphur, in the greatest possible luxu- riance and vigor, while others adjoining them, and not so treated, were totally af- fected by the disease. " Last summer I found but a few ber- ries showing the disease, in my vineyard." Mr. Neubert's directions are clear and to the point. They do not differ from those of Duhreuil in his " Culture Perfec- tionee du Vigiioble," p. 173, except that he does not require the syringing before the vines are in leaf. Besides, he wants but three sprinklings with sulphur ; yet, which is very important, when the vines are perfectly dry, in fine, calm weather ; for the sulphur is much more efficacious when neither dew nor rain is on the vines, than when they are wet or even moist. The sprinkling must, therefore, be immediately repeated, should it soon rain after the ap- plication. This has been proved beyond a doubt in France. In his Cours d' Arboriculture, published in 1857, the same author is less explicit and circumstantial than in the " Culture Per- fectionee," published in 1863. But while he maintains, in the latter work, that pow- dered sulphur is as good as flour of sulphur, he says, in the former, that flour of sul- phur is very much better than pulverized sulphur. Guyot's plan differs very much from that of Dubreuil. The second edition of his Culture de la Vigne was published in 1861. He says on p. 16, that every year, from the 15th of April to the 30th of May, pul- verized sidphate of iron must be thrown broadcast in the proportion of 40 kilo- grams to each hectare of vineyard, and among vines affected by the disease, 20 kilograms of flour of sulphur besides. On p. 151, he advises to sprinkle 20 kilograms of sulphur broadcast along the rows of the vines, and to place two grams of sul- phate of iron at the base of each vine, if the vineyard is situated in a region infested by the disease. This is to be performed after the first hoeing or plowing. Duhreuil asserts somewhere in his works that sprinkling the vines, during the time they are in blossom, with sulphur, pre- vents entirely the rot. A French hectare is about two acres, a kilogram two pounds three ounces, and a gram \b% grains. In another article we will describe the implements used for syringing in France. Oleum Anthos is oil (essence) of Rose- mary ; Oleum Lavendul^ is oil (essence) of Lavender. [Last month we published an article treating of the supposed causes or condi- tions which produce mildew. This month we publish one treating of the cure of the disease. Sulphur, as a remedy, has long- been recognized. It was found, in Portu- gal, to be most efficacious when mixed with lime. The disease, however, when it becomes constitutional, is, in our opin- ion, beyond cure. The reader will notice some peculiarities in the remedy of Mr. Neilibert. We hope our readers will give it a faithful trial ; for Mr. Neubert's name carries much weight with it. We thank Horticola for bringing the subject before our readers. — Ed.] 172 Tlie Horticulturist. THE WATER APPLE. BY CHARLES DOWNING, NEWBURGH, N. T. Origin, Bucks Co., Perm. Tree, vigor- Fruit, medium, roundish conical, some- ous, wood very dark. Very^ productive times oblong conic, inclining to cylindriac, every other year. angular. Skin, greenish white, shaded Fig. 2. — Section. with purplish crimson in the sun, and thickly sprinkled with brown dote. Stalk, me- Market Gardening. 173 dium or variable, slender, inserted in a narrow cavity, sometimes slightly russeted. Calyx, closed ; segments long, slender, re- curved ; basin abrupt, deep, slightly cor- rugated. Flesh, white, crisp, very tender, juicy, with a refreshing, pleasant sub-acid flavor, "Very good," or "best." An excellent amateur fruit, but probably too tender for ma*ket purposes. [We have not seen much of this apple, but we agree with Mr. Downing that it is a very good one. The flesh is very tender. It is in season from October to December. —Ed.] -<-•-«"•-►»- MARKET GARDENING. BY A JERSEY MARKET GARDENER. In your last issue I am taken sharply to task by "A Jerseyman," for my opinions in relation to "Market Gardening," given in your journal over a year ago. Why this Rip Van Winkle of a Jerseyman did not take his exceptions at the time I do not know ; possibly it took him these twelve long months to prepare the pon- derous arguments he uses to annihilate mine. "A Jerseyman" is at a loss to know what I seek to prove.- I do not think I pre- sumed to prove any thing ; I only tendered the public that "advice" through the col- umns of a widely-read journal, that I am too often called upon to give privately. The "advice" was intended only for such as I suppose "A Jerseyman" to be, men who are engaged in other pursuits, and who now and then see illiterate men make a small fortune in this business, and who, pluming themselves on their superior in- telligence, and smattering of horticultural theories from "the books," think Hndiithey can easily, by engaging in the business, make a large one. I am certain, by the style of "A Jersey- man's" communication, that he is not, nor ever has been, a market gardener, but, in case he intends to become so, (as one may judge by the high estimate he has of the business,) if he will allow me, I will again tender him a little more of that cheap com- modity— advice. He must be under 30 years of age ; for much older than that few men can stand long the tear and wear necessary for the market gardener. He must ever put his own shoulder first to the wheel, and make up his mind to rough it through heat and cold, summer and winter, for at least 15 hours a day. He must have a cash capi- tal of not less (in present times) than $400 per acre, for every acre he intends to till. His private expenses, for the first three years, must not exceed those of a common day laborer. Then, if he can secure a fa- vorable site, he may succeed. Our Jerseyman thinks it a first-rate re- sult that 25 per cent, of all those engaged in the business make money. I do not think so, if we take into account the un- usual sacrifices made to obtain it. Me- chanics, who are my next neighbors, (car- penters and masons,) complain, that their business is less profitable than mine. At the same time , these knights of the hatch- et and trowel, with all their assistants, come soberly to work at seven in the morning, and quit at the first stroke of the bell at six at night, no matter what their hurry may be ; while we in summer, with aU our force, are out at four (4) in the morning, or as soon as daylight, and leave ofi" again only at sunset ; and besides all this, Mr. Jerseyman — to our shame be it told — six days of the week even do not content us, but we must encroach on the Sabbath ; for be it known to you, that the fresh vegetables that you purchase in New York for Monday's dinner, are got up ear- ly in the morning of Simday by the market gardeners in the suburbs. The wonder then is, that, with all these sacrifices, it is not more profitable than it is. Our Jerseyman argues that, from our in- 174 The Horticulturist, crease in population, market gardening, from the increased consumption of its pro- ducts, must of necessity be one of the sure roads to wealth. Any one having common sense knows that there must be the same consumption of the products of shoe- makers or tailors, or of butchers or ba- kers ; then why not say that their occupa- tions also are "sure roads to wealth." It requires but little knowledge of the sci- ence of political economy to know that the law of supply and demand will ever quickly regulate itself; and in the case of market gardeners, quicker than in many other occupations ; for it does not require either skilled or educated labor to be suc- cessful in the business. Any sensible man may succeed, after twelve months' routine, if he keeps his eyes open and lays his mind to the work, being perfectly com- petent ; hence knowledge thus easily ob- tained produces its legitimate results, plen- ty of competition. So you see, Mr. Jer- seyman, if we have millions of consumers in prospective, we have thousands of mar- ket gardeners in embryo. Your correspondent closes with the re- mark, that "The question, whether a cap- italist, a lawyer, merchant, or business man, can attend to his business in town and farm or garden profitably in the couc- ixj, we propose to discuss at some future time." Now if he will read my article a "fourth" time — he says he has read it thrice — and ponder over it for twelve months more, it will, perhaps, begin to dawn on him that to such, and such only, I volmiteered my advice ; and my argu- ments were meant to show that they could not. I have a pretty extensive acquaint- ance with those engaged in the business in the vicinity of New York, and I have yet to know of the first one from among that class that has "made it paj^" [Merchants and others, who intend to turn market gardeners, wiU have to thank our correspondents for "both sides of the question." — Ed.] — ^M"0--^ ♦»— PLANT HOUSES.— XIII. BY THE EDITOR. Our example this month is a plant-house heretofore given. Its form was determ- of larger dimensions than any we have ined by its location. Ffg. 1 is a perspective. Fig. 1. — Perspective. The principal building runs east and two unequal parts, that facing the south west. This is divided by a brick wall into being the largest, as shown in i^ig-. 2. On The Currant. . 175 the north side we have first, at the west end, a small Camellia house. It would be Fig. 2. — Section. still better adapted to Orchids, or Cala- diums, Begonias, &c. Next we have a mod- erate sized bed-room for the man who at- tends to the boilers, one of which is in the next room. These two rooms are covered with battened boards instead of glass. On the south of these three rooms is a hot grapery, to be used as a "second" house. Next, on the east, is a house designated "Forcing House" in the plan. (See Fig. 3.) It should be "Hot House," as this room is not adapted to forcing purposes. It is intended for plants that require a high Fig;. 3. — Ground Plan. temperature to keep them in good health. East of this is a room designated "potting shed." Being covered with glass, it is well adapted to growing Mushrooms, pro- pagating plants, &c., all the room not be- ing needed for potting purposes. By the side of this room is another boiler room, and on the south another Hot Grapery, to be used as a "first" house. Then, on the east, is the Cold Grapery, of goodly di- mensions. Last of all we have a Green- house of large size south of the Hot-house. Thus, under one roof, we have all that is needed on a place of some size and pre- tension. We'do not wish to be under- stood as saying that it is always best to put these houses in this particular shape. We certainly should not build them in this way for our own use ; but where money is no particular object, and architectural ef- fect is sought for, this form, or some mod- ification of it, may be adopted. THE CURRANT, BY WILLIAM BACON, EICHMOND, MASS. The culture of the currant, or, rather, the planting out of currant bushes in the garden, and allowing them to stand there, has been a custom all over the country from its early history. When this labor of setting out was once performed, if we take common practice as evidence, the whole work was done, and nothing re- mained but to gather the fruit in its sea- son, or such portions of it as were left un- consumed by birds, and the matter went on imtil the next season of fruit gathering. 176 Tlw Horticulturist. Planted in fresh soils, their growth was liberal enough for a few years, and the fruit was of satisfactory size. As the bushes showed an ability to take a sort of care of themselves, no pruning system was adopted, except such as was given by the browsing of animals, that in winter had the liberty of trampling the garden grounds, "because they could not do much hurt there." Indeed, even this miserable sys- tem of pruning was, thanks to the hardi- ness of the plants, found to be somewhat beneficial in its way, for it kept the growth restricted, thus enabling it to produce more fruit. The row of currant bushes was usually set "by the fence" around the garden, and the roots were so closely placed that the plants formed a perfect mass of shrubbery. In winter, huge snow-drifts, in snowy re- gions, were found over this mass. These drifts gave a very good protection to both root and branch ; but when the spring came, and they melted away, they devel- oped a very tangled mass. Many of the shoots, from the weight that had been lying over them, were bowed to the earth, never to rise again by their own strength. Other shoots were half recumbent, and so they might be seen in all parts, in all shapes and conditions. Those which suffered most, in many instances died out, thus in- troducing a system, thou^ not a very ju- dicious one, of pruning. As a matter sure to follow where such a course was toler- ated, the stalks grew more and more feeble, the leaves prematurely fell from them, while the fruit, from exhaustion of the stalk, diminished in size and flavor, and the old bushes were pronounced "used up." They now stood a very good chance of being abandoned to any fate that might follow. Sometimes, it was probably the case that new plantations were formed from the old ; and then the new, in its turn, was left to work out for itself a similar destiny of ruin. The roots were left wholly un- cared for. If the grass matted around them, it was thought of little consequence. It would have been thought a waste of ma- nure to apply it to a currant bush, and a very great waste of time to have raked leaves and placed around them. As fond as the masses are of currants, and as useful and necessary as they can be made in household economy, and as easily as they are grown and perfected, we are reluctant to believe that a course simi- lar to the one we have described is tolera- ted by any one in the present age of fruit culture. Indeed, we would not suppose the thing possible, had we not, in our ram- bles a few days since, seen just such a mass of tangled material as the one we have above alluded to. We fear, then, that they may still be found too common every where. But why shall we speak of it, or try to point out a better way through the HoKTicuLTURiST ? People who raise such currant bushes do not take the Hor- ticulturist. We know that fact as well without asking, as we should if they said so under oath. Not only the currant bushes, but every thing about the garden, testify that they do not take that paper, or any other one devoted to rural improve- ment. They may take a story paper or a political one, because the children like to read stories, &c. It is there that we find the difficulty of reaching such people, when we wish to tell them how this rough, tangled mass of ill-looking brush can be renovated and made very beautiful, and produce fruit so improved in size and flavor, that when they see it laid side by side with the old product, they would never believe that both came from the same garden, if they did not know the fact. Yet, we hope something wiU throw what we have to say before them, and they will try "just one bush," if no more, to see if we tell the truth. The reader who has experience in horti- culture will observe that we are not speak- ing now of setting out new plantations of the currant, or of their after management. The whole topic lies in the renovation of the old one ; a plantation that perhaps somebody's grandfather or great-grand- father put out, away back towards "the Table Decoration. 177 days of the Revolution. ' ' A precious relic of by-gone days, and one worthy /to be preserved and made valuable. The course of management is very sim- ple, and can be soon told. The first re- quisites are a sharp knife, and an indus- trious hand to use it. With these, cut out all old and straggling shoots, and re- duce the mass so that at most not more than four or five are left in what con- stituted what was called a bush at the time of planting. Let the shoots that are al- lowed to grow be young shoots, and straight, erect ones. Then, if any grass is matted around them, dig it up and de- stroy it. If weeds have sprung up there, annihilate them entirely. Spade or fork up the ground as best it can be done ; and if manure is applied, it will pay good in- terest. But if manure is too valuable or too scarce, a coat of chip dung will do well, or what is better, gather up leaves from forest trees, and place them liberally around the roots. Many can do this, and accomplish the double object of getting them out of the way and into a place where they become available. The leaves are a good mulch, such as the currant loves, keeping the earth clean, light, and moist. They in due time become a valuable nat- ural manure to the plant. The first season an improvement in the fruit, both in its size and flavor, will be evident ; but the matter must not stop so. In each suc- cessive spring the thinning-out process must be gone through with, and the mulch- ing with leaves, the oftener the greater success. We have seen this course pur- sued with ample and astonishing success ; and yet it is so cheap and so simple, that any one can raise improved fruit on old bushes, or bushes springing from old roots, by adopting it. [Mr. Bacon has very truthfully described what is still too common a sight all through our farming districts. The neglect that currant bushes and other inmates of the farmer's garden meet with is not owing altogether to want of time to care for them, but to a kind of self-admitted conviction that these things can take care of them- selves. They have no conception of the difference between currant bushes well- cared for and those not cared for at all. We hope Mr. Bacon's article may meet the eye of some of them, and produce its le- gitimate fruits. — Ed.] ■<««♦«► TABLE DECORATION. BY THE EDITOR. A LATE number of the Florist and Pomol- ogist (iii., p. 49) contains an article on "Table Decoration," accompanied by an illustration that we like so well that we copy it. The article is written by Mr. Fleming, and is mostly of local interest ; yet there are some suggestions in it that may be of interest to us. We may state that the Royal Horticultural Society, dur- ing the past two years, has ofiered liberal prizes for original designs for table deco- ration, which has had the effect of produ- cing some which, in our estimation, are very beautiful and chaste. We should be glad to see a similar practice inaugurated here. Mr. Fleming, in the course of his article, says : " It is, besides, on many tables neces- sary to have more than a center, according to the size of the table. We have always, in the a la Russe way, had five and some- times seven plants and designs with flow- ers— that is, three centers and four small plants at the corners to balance. Now I think, as the March type is evidently ex- hausted, it would have been a wise regu- lation if the Horticultural Society had made arrangements to have a few small separate tables for the first prize, to be ornamented with five or seven, as the exhibitor might 178 The Horticulturist. think proper. There is also one consid- eration that has been overlooked in this — the tables should be the same height as an ordinary dining-table, and the judges should be seated in judging ; for, although one design may look well when looked down upon from a standing point of view, its appearance is very poor when seen by the parties seated at a dining-table . The March vase is not free from this fault, although its lightness prevents any ob- struction to the sight ; yet the principal parts of the flowers in the top tier are not seen, particularly in the clumsy imitations now made and sold for these, and which are mostly two feet in height, with a top tier as wide as the bottom, and the eye, in looking up, catches only the bottom and top dish. "It is not a little surprising to find how far we are behind in this, if we compare our modern forms with the old Venetian contrivances. None of the designs that have been exhibited come up to the old- fashioned but elegant tripod candelabra." Mr. Fleming closes as follows, and in- • troduces his illustration : "To add to the interest of this subject, we find Mr. Kelk offering a prize of £10 for a handsome, well-grown plant. Here, again, if the tables were separate, the ex- hibitor could be allowed to use his own discretion ; that is, say for the first prize, one table would still be sufiicient for the arrangement of the single designs. There are only a very few plants adapted for table decoration, and among these at that season perhaps the Azalea is the best. Roses can only be got sufficiently perfect for this purpose with great difficulty. The most of them are besides inclined to rise, and can scarcely be trained to make suita- ble plants, with a good balance of bloom, sufficient for all sides. Not so with the Azalea, and perhaps nothing tells so well in the center of a large table as a good standard." There is a slight mistake here, for the illustration is a standard Rose, and not an Azalea, though we agree with Mr. Flem- ing that the Azalea is probably the best of all plants for the purpose. There are others, however, that may be used in this way very effectively, such as Roses, Scar- let Geraniums, Cinerarias, Pelargoniums, or any plant, indeed, that can be grown with a stem and a low head, for a high plant is inadmissible on a dining table. The illustration explains itself. Our di- ning tables are in two or more parts, and the pot is placed under the table where the parts meet. This, of course, leaves an open space of about an inch, which is easily filled by a piece made for the pur- Design for Stable and Coach House. 179 pose. A friend, on looking at the figure, wanted to know liow the plant was to be got through the table-cloth. The same thing may occur to others, and with it the remedy. The table-cloth must be adapted to the purpose by the fair hands of the houseAvife. If the cloth is in two or three pieces, the laps can come where the plants stand. Those who indulge in this luxury will easily find a means of overcoming this little inconvenience. In conclusion, may we not hope that some of our horticultu- ral societies will offer inducements for the exliibition of table ornaments ? We think it is a fit subject for the Massachusetts Society. THE JAPANESE SILK WORM. BY L. V. D0VILLIER3, NEWPORT, K. I. Dear Sir, — I send you an extract of some experiments made on the raising of the Japanese Silk Worm, Yara Mai, (mountain worm,) at the Bois de Boulogne, near Par- is, France, being about the same temper- ature as that of Maryland. The hatching began on the 22d of March, and ended on the 16th of April. The co- coons were made from the 1st to the 25th of June. The worms were fed with the common oak leaves, (Quercus pedunculata.) Twelve cocoons gave, after winding, two grammes of silk, (1 gramme 15.434 grains.) They wind with as much facil- ity as those of the mulberry tree. Their product is the same ; that is, 24 or 28 pounds of cocoons yield 2 pounds of silk. The silk is not quite as brilliant, but much stronger, and a little coarser. The raising of the Japanese SiUc Worm lasts from 50 to 60 days, from their hatch- ing to the time when they begin to spin, which lasts 8 days more. The butterfly oomes out about 30 days after. I hope that these few lines will find a place in your vahiable paper, and that they may prove acceptable to your numerous readers. [We are obliged to you for this in- teresting extract. It may not be known to our readers that experiments have been conducted for a couple of years past in this vicinity, but under the auspices of some French society, the subject being a worm indigenous to our western country. The worms were fed upon the leaves of Plum trees, about a dozen of which were inclosed in netting. The worm resembles very much, in size and appearance, that found upon the Tomato plant. In the same inclosure were a number of Black Currant bushes, which happened to be growing around the Plum trees. At the time we saw them, some of the worms were feeding freely on the currant bushes. We afterward learned, that the silk pro- dueed by the worms that fed on the cur- rant was stronger than that produced by the worms that fed on the Plum, but the fiber was coarser and less lustrous. How far the experiments have proved to be sat- isfactory we do not know, as they have been conducted with much secresy. In the present condition of our country, how- ever, it may be worth while to give some attention to the subject. — Ed.] DESIGN FOR STONE STABLE AND COACH HOUSE. BY WOODWARD AND ATWOOD, ARCHITECTS, 37 PARK ROW, N. Y. This design was erected on the Hudson, during the past year, of the beautiful rock faced stone so abundant between the Spuy- ten Duyvil and the Highlands, and is a good example of such a building as will meet the requirements of a moderately exten- 180 The Horticulturist. sive establishment. It is conveniently ar- with the most ease, and gives thorough ranged, enabling all the work to be done light and ventilation, so essential to the Fig. 1. — Peispechve. health and comfort of animals. The time has gone by to give prospective prices for any thing, but we have seen the day when this building ijiight have been erected for Fig. 2. — Ground Plan. about §4000'. A room for coachman may easil}^ be made on the second floor, and the plan increased or decreased to suit the wants of any one. ^ ♦ a^^ 0 ^ PLUM KNOT. BY T. T. S., N. Y. I LOOK with great anxiety on the rapid and wide spread of the black knot on the Plum. At present there are localities where this foul disease is unknown ; but unless some means to stop its ravages are speedily found, the day is not far distant when this country will be deprived of one of its most valuable fruits. I think the subject is worthy of far more attention than it receives. In many sections of the country the Plum trees are hopelessly used up, while many others are quite free from it. Can not something be found to stop, if not to cure ? Is it impossible to find out for a certainty what the cause is ? For un- til we know the cause we can not apply a remedy, unless we do so by chance. Un- less the question has been lately settled, it is not agreed upon by those in authority what the cause of the knot is. Being interested in the subject, I have paid it considerable study and attention ; and for myself, I can come to but one con- clusion, and that is, that the knot is caused by the sting of the Curculio. This fact I think I know, that seasons following those that have produced an abundance of fruit free from the sting of the Curculio , have al- ways been noted for a large increase of the knot on the trees. In proof of this, I will cite one instance that has come under my notice. The spring of 1862 was late, or, rather, it was late before the earth got well warmed up, for we had a good deal of cold rain. That season we had an abundant crop of Plums, Apricots, and Nectarines, and e«- tirely free from the sting of the Curculio, a thing quite unusual with us. The following summer, (1863,) the rava- ges of the black knot were greater by a hundred-fold than they had ever been be- fore. In my own and other nurseries I had a fine chance to make observations. Doyen Dillen Pear. 181 Trees that were yearlings, (in the summer of 1862,) and then entirely free, were, at two years old last fall, more terribly in- vested with the knot than any I had ever seen before. This was true not only in my own, but in other nurseries. Trees that 'were coming tlu-ee years old last fall, were not so badly affected ; four years old still less ; yearlings not at all. Some varieties more than others. Lombard was by far the worst, more than two-thirds of the trees being spoiled, and Columbia next, Monroe being about the freest. German Prune was also quite free. J^ot only were trees in the nursery rows examples, but garden trees. Never have so many knots been seen as during the past summer. Now the theory I draw from all this is, that the spring of 1862 was particularly unfavorable to the early exit from the earth of the Gurculio ; that they did not make their appearance until after the fruit became too far advanced to sting ; and that, finding itself unable to deposit its eggs in the usual manner, but still im- pelled by an irresistible instinct to per- form the functions of its nature — to con- tinue its kind — it seeks a substitute, and finds it in the young growing shoot of the Plum tree, seeking those kinds that grow tlie quickest, and therefore the softest wood, as Lombard, &c., and seeking young trees because of their greater soft- ness, in preference to older ones, but stiU stinging them also to some degree. This is an accurate statement of facts as they have existed under my observation ; and while they may not prot;e any thing, they may help lead to prove, on the part of some one else, which is the impelling desire that has caused this statement. I last summer tried the experiment of putting spirits of turpentine on the wound made by cutting out the black knot, and it seemed to prevent its reappearance, and to help heal the wound. Shall try it again to be sure. As I fear I have already exceeded bounds, I will only say that I hope the question re- lating to the black knot may receive more attention than it has, and that we may soon free ourselves from the dominion of the Little Turk. [It has not yet been settled whether the black knot is caused by an insect, or whether it is a disease of the sap. Some believe that it is caused by an insect, and that insect the Curculio. The advocates of the insect theory point to the Locust, Gall-fly, and similar insects, for confirma- tion ; while the advocates of the sap theo- ry affirm that the Curculio is incaj)able of producing any such results, and will tell you that the skin of the fruit is always more tender than the bark of jthe tree. It is a question, however, which any intelli- gentlman of leisure can settle in one year's time , and it is a great pity that a few such men will not devote themselves to the task. The question is one of great importance, aflecting, as it does, the successful growth of one of our most valuable fruits. If the knot is caused by the Curculio, and not some other insect, then jarring the trees is the best remedy that can be applied with our present knowledge ; but the knot should always be cut out on its first ap- pearance. We shall be glad to hear from others on this subject. — Ed.] -«<♦ ♦ » «»i DOYEN DILLEN PEAR. BY THE EDITOR. This pear is not yet much known, though it can not be called a new one. The tree is a vigorous grower, and ^oductive, and it may prove to have some merit as a mar- ket fruit, though it comes in at a time when good pears are abundant. It is a fruit, however, that the amateur may safely add to his collection. 182 The Horticulturist. Fruit, medium, pyriform, with a stout russet dots. Calyx, small, open, in a neck. Skin, yellow, thickly covered with small, moderately shallow, and slightly wrinkled basin, surrounded with russet ; Flesh, melting, juicy, pleasantly sub-acid, segments short. Stalk, short, stout, ob- slightly vinous. Quality, very good. It liquely set, with a depression on one side, is in season in October and November. WAYSIDE THOUGHTS UPON ARCHITECTURE.- VI. BY ARTIFICER. Dmg-n. — The prevailing, uppermost it is wholly speculative; that its fruits thought of architectural design is, that grow from chance ; a fancy, it may be. Wayside Thoughts upon Architecture. 183 fickle or fixed, without any jjarticular adaptation of means to the end in view, or, as modernly expressed, "mere matter of taste." Now that design is not this, but has a far higher, nobler meaning, as being analo- gous with nature herself, and regulated, in every department of it, by principles fuU of force and beauty, I shall attempt to show, as well as I can, in the course of a brief chapter or two. We all know, doubtless, that design, in a literal sense, would embrace a vast field, not only of industrial and artistic pursuit, but provide, in one comprehensive and justly balanced range, for the sixpenny plaster cast and the nobly sculptured and painted art. Design in architecture, how- ever, is not so general in its application, since it is represented by distinct char- acteristics, defining, in a measure, its ex- tent and power, and these involve, as chief elements of design, first. Fitness ; second, Proportion; third. Beauty. From the dis- covery of these , with their natural acces- sory qualities, we infer design, and design is perfect in proportion as their require- ments are obeyed. Aside from the charm which nature lends. Architecture is dependant for its substantive sources of power and pleas- ure, upon simple matter or some of its qualities. This matter comes to us in a variety of unsvorked forms, denominated by common acceptation. Materials, as earth, wood, and stone, and in some of its qualities by chemical action or compara- tive worth. But matter is in itself inca- pable of producing emotions or exciting affection in the human mind ; but the mo- ment we begin to associate the qualities of matter with other qualities, or to represent the signs of skill, utility, or convenience, and so discover the relation between the symbol and the thing symbolized, we have those elements productive of emotions, &c., and also most naturally productive of the expressions of dignity, subhmity, or beauty, and, therefore, we have fitness. Fitness, then, is the thought or intention which adapts means to the end, and is chiefest of the elements of design. Next to matter is the subject of form, as determined by fitness. I have stated, in a former chapter, that form in architect- ure is the sign or signs of skill, utility, convenience, &c., but neglected to say, farther, what has special bearing upon our subject now, that form is of four kinds or classes. First, natural or imitative ; Second, simple or independent ; Third, compound or dependent; and. Fourth, conventional. Natural forms represent leaves, flowers, birds, animals, and man, and are most beautiful in which fidelity of representa- tion is preserved. Simple forms are those in which the character may be transferred or disposed at the architect's pleasure, so as to cause a form to assume lightness or weight, gloom or gladness, beauty or sublimity. Compound forms, on the contrary, are designed for particular scenes or situa- tions, which determine and fix their char- acters, and are most fitting where there is strict obedience to the general character. Conventional forms are those established by the concurrent usages of a society or st)cieties within the jurisdiction of a com- monwealth or nation. Although in forms distinguished by the elements of fitness we discover an end suggesting intuition, and, therefore, de- sign, no perfect design is yet attained, since other natural accessory qualities ex- pressive of it remain to be used and con- sidered, including the other elements of proportion and beauty. Uniformity and variety, when connected with design, are beautiful. Uniformity be- ing also expressive of design, and variety of embellished design, it is evident they will be perfect in proportion as they ex- press unity or congruity of form, propor- tion, and embellishment, or ornament. To illustrate, suppose a wall is built and supported with columns and pillars square, polygonal, and round, separately and diiferently ornamented, the proper- 184 The Horticulturist. tions being unlike each other. It is evi- dent, here, we should have variety, but not uniformity, and very little beauty. Now take the proportions, and reduce them all to the same unit of measure for the height ; let the style of ornament be the same on all, and the forms of capital and column, if they cannot be all alike, let them be equally disposed or placed in balance, as many forms on one side of the center of the subject as on the other, and so be productive of unity of design. In buildings of any kind, for the above reason, it is wrong to destroy their beauty or uniformity by lavishing all the wealth of design, and a large share of the purse, upon the fagade or front, leaving side sand rear wall naked and rough, or to place em- bellishment upon a front, and deny it to other and similar parts of the building. Therefore I conclude that when uniformity and variety are proportionate, or duly pro- portioned to each other, the beauty of their forms will be in proportion to their embelUshments and unity respectively. THE FOREIGN GRAPE IN OPAQUE HOUSES. BY JAMES WEED, MUSCATINE, IOWA. It has long been understood that ex- otic grapes can not be successfully grown in the climate of the United States, except under glass ; and it may be regarded as useless to attempt their production by any other means than the employment of glazed structures. In the early attempts to introduce their culture in this country, the causes of fail- ure in the open air were not well under- stood, and it was confidently believed that protection against the severity of our win- ters, by laying down and covering, would insure success ; but experience and ob- servation soon recognized the effects of mildew. Whatever views may be enter- tained of the recent origin or development of the parasitic fungus, it is now known to be the principal drawback in their culture. Assuming that climatic changes, occur- ring suddenly, and embracing great ex- tremes, affecting the vital functions of the vine, are at least the proximate cause of mildew, why may not this malady be ob- viated by means of artificial irrigation, combined with the use of shutters in the form of movable roofs ? The vines being planted in rows suited to the purpose, and the shutters composing the roofs being of substantial character, may be closed over them for protection in winter, in cold nights in spring, and on any occasion in summer when more rain is falling than may be conducive to a perfectly healthy vine growth ; and the excess of water con- ducted into small cisterns placed at short intervals along the ranges, from which the vines may easily have a daily sprinkling, or a substantial watering, whenever pro- tracted dry weather may render it desira- ble. Is the confined atmosphere and an increased temperature over that of the open air in our bright climate, which may be attained by the use of glass, essentially necessary to prevent mildew or ripen the fruit ? If not, then the luxuiy of Muscats and Hamburghs may yet be enjoyed by many an industrious and enterprising ruralist who can not afford glass houses. [It may be accepted as a fact, that the foreign vine will not thrive in the open air here, not because the vines will not stand our winters, but because they soon become so affected by mildew as to impair their vitality, and render the ripening of a crop an impossibility. No fact in grape culture has been more thoroughly tested than this. There can be as little doubt, we suppose, that mildew is primarily owing to sudden Neio or Rare Plants, &c. 185 and extreme atmospheric changes. The protection of a glass house, consequently, has become a necessity for the successful growth of the foreign grape. The ques- tions of Mr. Weed, therefore, assume con- siderable importance. Our own opinion is, that protection, such as Mr. Weed proposes, might be found, under some cir- cumstances, to answer a good purpose. We should be glad to hear the opinion of our readers. — Ed.] -^-•-♦-»-»*- NEW OR RARE PLANTS, &c. We glean the following from foreign publications. We hear of nothing new among home productions, except a fine Geranium and a collection of Phloxes raised by the Messrs. Cranstouii, but not yet named. We shall announce a new Strawberry in our next. Helichrysum Mannii, (Mr. Mann's He- lichrysum.) — Nat. ord., Composita3. Linn., Syngenesia superflua. Who does not even in his nursery days remember the "Yellow Everlasting" on the mantel-shelf ? and Sir W. Hooker says that "the present noble species, if it can be retained in our gar- dens and increased, may revive the taste for the genus." It is a native of Fernan- do Po, and the Cameroon Mountains, at heights from 4,000 to 13,000 feet above the sea's level. The numerous globose flowers, each an inch in diameter, are in a large corymb; the involucre or "ever- lasting" partis white tinged with green. —{Bot. Mag., i. 5431.) QuamoclitNationis, (Mr. Nation's Quam- oclit.) — Nat. ord., Convolvulaceee. Linn., Pentandria Monogynia. A tuberous-rooted perennial. A native of the Peruvian Cor- dillera. Flowers scarlet, stems run the whole length of the rafters of a green- house. "It may possibly bear our sum- mers in the open air." — [Ibid., t. 5432.) Saccolabium Haerisonianum, (Mr. Har- rison's Saccolabium.) — Nat. ord., Orchi- dacege. Lmn., GynandriaMonandria. Na- tive of Pulo Penang, in the Chinese seas ; imported by Messrs. Stuart & Low, of the Clapton Nursery. Flowers white. — {Ibid., t. 5433.) Begonia Mannii, (Mr. Mann's Begonia.) Nat. ord., Begoniacese. Linn., Monsecia June, 1864. Polyandria. One of the Begonias with wingless flowers. Native of Fernando Po, at an elevation of about 1300 feet. Flow- ers rose-colored. — {lbid.,t. 5434.) Ada aurantiaca, (Deep-oranged-flow- ered Ada.) — Nat. ord., OrchidaceJB. Linn., GjTiandria Monogynia. Native of New Granada, at an elevation of 8500 feet. Flowered in January. — {Ibid., t. 5435.) Barkeeia Skinneri superba, a cool-house Orchid.— (F/oraZ 3Iag.,pl. 185.) Pompon Chrysanthemums — Firefly, Anem- one-flowered, bright orange scarlet. Viola, very double, violet lilac. Lizzie Holmes, very double, canary-colored. All raised by Mr. Salter.— {Ibid., pi. 186.) CoccosYPSiLON DISCOLOR. — Nat. ord., Ru- biaceaa. Linn., Tetrandria Monogynia, Introduced as long since as 1793, but now re-introduced to notice as a very effective plant for hanging baskets. It is so em- ployed at Farnham Castle and Dangstein. It is a native of the tempei-ate mountains of St. Domingo and Jamaica. Its blue, berry-like flowers are in clusters on its creeping stems. We recommend it as a basket plant, and quote the following from the "Floral Magazine:" "We have been suppHed, through the kindness of the Bishop of Winchester, with the following directions as to its cultivation, by Mr. LaAvrence, his lordship's intelligent 'gar- dener : 'It is,' writes Mr. Lawrence, 'as most of our beautiful things are, very ea- sily cultivated. I find from experience that during the summer months it will do better in a close green-house, near the glass, and fully exposed to the light and sun's rays, than in a stove, as might be supposed from its being a native of the 12 186 The Horticulturist. West Indies ; but on the approach of au- tumn it requires more heat, both to bring its flowers and its beautiful ultramarine berries to perfection, the latter lasting in their brilliancy during the whole winter. It will thrive during the winter in any house where heat is used, such as a cu- cumber or pine-pit, or intermediate house. The propagation, also, is very easy, as it grows equally freely by seeds or cuttings. When planting it in the basket, I first line it with moss, then fill it up with an ordina- ry compost of loam, leaf mould, and sand ; when the plant begins to grow freely, I peg the shoots over the surface until it is thor- oughly covered ; then it will throw enough shoots over the edges to make a fine mass, otherwise it will look straggling and ^oor:''— [Ibid., pi. 187.) Hybrid Pinks. — Striatiflorus , crimson flakes on rosy crimson ground. Marie Pare, white. Rosette, salmon pink. — [Ibid, pi. 188.) Chrysanthemums. — Prince Alfred, pearly white tinged at the base with peach blos- som. Pnncesso/ TFate, rosy purple. Both first-class flowers, brought out by Mr. Sal- ter.— [Florist and Pomologist, ii., p. 49.) MONTHLY CALENDAR.— JUNE. Orchard, Fruit Garden, ^c. — This is a good time to thin out fruit where it is too thickly set, especially pears. Destroy caterpillar nests in the morning or at night, when they are "at home." Fresh cut grass or clean litter may be placed around Strawberry plants, to keep the fruit clean. Cut off runners, except where they are wanted for new beds. Hoe off all suckers of Raspberries and Blackberries, except those immediately around the stool, and of these retain only three or four of the strongest. Pinch out the tops of the new canes when four or five feet high, ac- cording to the kinds. Spread out the fruiting canes, to facilitate the ripening and gathering of the fruit. Tie up Grape vines as they grow, and keep a sharp look out for the Rose Bug and Steel-blue Beetle. The last appears first, and eats up the buds as they swell. The treatment for both is the same : knock them into a basin of wa- ter, and then kill them. This is better than any kind of washes. Thin out the bunches of fruit when too thick, especially on young vines. Pinch in the laterals to a single leaf, and do it before they get large. Summer pruning or pinching may now be practiced on all fruit trees. ■The Grapery The first crop in the Hot ■Grapery will now be mostly cut ; in some, altogether so, and water must be gradually withheld to favor the ripening of the wood. The fruit will gain in sweetness by long hanging, but sometimes loses in flavor by being left on too long. More air may be admitted as the fruit ripens. In the Cold Grapery thinning out will need attention. Novices generally do not thin out enough. The size of the berries left is increased in proportion to the number removed, as a rule. Attend to pinching in laterals, and ventilate as before directed, avoiding cold currents of air. The chief care now is to prevent all sudden changes of tempera- ture. Green House. — There will be little to do here, most of the plants being now out of doors, where they must be carefully looked after. If Fuchsias, Caladiums, &c., are kept inside, the house should be lightly shaded. Plants in Rooms. — The plants should now be all out of doors, as directed last month. Ornamental Grounds. — Lawns should be frequently cut and rolled. Any bedding plants. Dahlias, &c., left over, should now be put in. The sowing of flower seeds should also be finished. The principal work will now consist in weeding, and keeping every thing neat and clean. Plants that need it should be tied to stakes, which should be concealed as much as possible by the foliage of the plants. Edgings of Editor's Table. 187 Box or grass should be neatly trimmed, and new walks and roads should be fre- quently rolled, especially after rains. Vegetable Garden. — Seeds of Snap Beans, Sweet Corn, Radishes, Lettuce, &c., should be sown at short intervals for a success- ion. Melons, Cucumbers, &c., should be put in without further delay. Keep the weeds down, and the soil mellow. It may as well be understood that we discounte- nance the practice of drawing earth up to Peas, Beans, Corn, Potatoes, &c., and those who follow our advice will forego this practice. The thoughtful gardener will study how he may best keep up a suc- cession of crops, and look about here and there for a vacancy to put in a few seeds, so that the ground may not be idle at any time. ia nKi '»»-»- xiaii 1 1 1 i» ^ >#««B< fc» EDITOR'S TABLE. To Contributors and Others. — Communications, Letters, Catalogues, Periodicals, Remittances, Packages by Express, Advertisements, &c., should be directed to Mead & Woodward, Editors aad Proprietors, 37 Park Row, New York. Exchanges should be addressed to "The Horticulturist." Plants, etc., received. — To Mr. Hunts- man we are indebted for a Seedling Rasp- berry, and to Mr. Brill for the Lindsley Raspberry, the latter very dry after some circumambulation. We shall take good care of both these. To Mr. Clark we are also indebted for a few more plants of the Clark Raspberry, which proves to be hardy and good. These and some others we shall report on after a season's trial. To Messrs. McBlwain & Brothers we are in- debted for some choice flower seeds, and also to Messrs. Thorburn & Co., and A. Bridgeman. These gentlemen will please accept our thanks. stored before the session opens, that we may enjoy the benefits of his wisdom and large experience. American Pomological Society. — We learn from President Wilder, that the tenth session of the American Pomological Society will open at Rochester on the thirteenth of September next. Held in the midst of a noted fruit-growing district, we may fairly anticipate a display of unusual interest. The numerous friends of Mr. Wilder will be glad to learn that his health is improving. We hope that, in the good- ness of Providence, he may be fuUy re- "Ten Acres Enough." — This is the title of a work just published by James Miller, New York, which we have read with much interest. The author's business in the city being much broken up by the embar- rassments which preceded the crisis of '57, he determined to gratify a long-cherished desire for rural life, and accordingly pur- chased ten acres between Philadelphia and New York. The present volume gives the results of his experience, and presents the proofs that ten acres, judiciously managed, are enough to afford a good living to a man who is ambitious rather to make his family comfortable than to lord it over many acres. His mistakes are as apparent as the wise application of means which gave him per- manent success. The work is well written, and may be read profitably by all, but es- pecially by those who propose to turn their attention to gardening for the first time. It will help them to determine whether they will act wisely in so doing. The au- 188 The Horticulturist. thor, without mentioning names, acknowl- edges Ms indebtedness to the labors of other writers ; and he has thus no doubt added much to the interest and value of his own. The close of the volume would seem to invite criticism, owing to the prominence given to a certain land enter- prise, which, it strikes us, is not in good taste in a work of this kind, though it may all be right. The work itself, however, is well calculated to be useful. Meramac (Mo.) Horticultueal Society. — We are indebted to Secretary Muir for a list of the officers for 1864. as follows : President, Dr. J. B. H. Beale, Eureka P. 0. Vice-Presidents, Wm. Harris, Allenton P. 0., L. D. Votaw, Eureka P. 0. Recording Secretary and Ti-easurer, Wm. Muir, Fox Creek P. 0. Corresponding Secretary and Librarian, T. R. Allen, Allentown P. 0. All of St. Louis Co., Mo. Model Reports. — A correspondent in New Jersey writes as follows in regard to "Model Reports." His suggestions are eminently to the point. He says : "While writing, permit me to remark that I have read with interest the 'model' reports on the new grapes, &c., but, with all due consideration, would say that those of but one writer appear to me to de- serve that epithet. I allude to those of F. C. Brehm, of Waterloo, N. Y. I have found the others of small value compared with Brehm's. Let me ask you to recom- mend to your correspondents to give day and date of leafing, flowering, coloring, ripening, &,c., elevation of location above the sea, place of residence or of vineyard, exposure, soil, protection, drainage, geological position or composition of sup)erficial cover- ing, and especially, in every instance, to give the locality and name of the ivriter, with his Post-office address. ''Of what use are 'model' reports if we do not know whether the writer resides in Massachusetts, Western New York, on Lake Erie, in Illinois or Missouri ? "Ask 'Pratiquer' to notice each of the above particulars in his next report. So good an observer should give us some- thing reliable. He tells us he is cultiva- ting grapes in the mountains of the Hud- son, latitude 41 deg. 30 min. Where ? How high above the sea ? The periods of flowering and ripening in connection with locality, &c., if properly studied, may lead to some useful result ; but notes of ripening standin;^; alone are like the words in a dictionary, very useful if properly as- sociated ; disjoined, useless. l^EMARKS OF Mr. Barrow. — The follow- ing are the remarks made by Mr. BaiTow before the Horticultural Association of the American Institute. They are brief and to the point, and will interest all engaged in similar enterprises : I will detain you only a few moments with some remarks on a dry subject ; one, however, which has a direct interest for a Horticultural Association, as it is based upon that which is now, unhappily for us all, a purely vegetable production, limited in extent only by the quantity of fibers fit for the manufacture of paper, now known and yet to be discovered. The subject is Finance, its basis Mr. Chase's pets, Green- backs. We are engaged in establishing a socie- ty, the objects of which we all appre- ciate ; the success of which will be useful to the science of which we are all votaries, and creditable to our city, our State, and ourselves. It ought to succeed. We have all the advantages we could desire. If we fail, our failure will be a disgrace to us ; and we must therefore place failure be- yond the bounds of possibility. To en- sure success, however, something more is wanting besides enthusiasm for the sci- ence and a love of the beautiful. We desire to found a lasting institution, one which shall outlive ourselves, and prove a benefit to future generations. We should aim at nothing less than the collec- tion of the best Botanical Library on the continent, the ownership of a model Gar- Editor's Table. 189 den and Glass houses, and the establish- ment of a Society whose approval shall be a stamp of sterling merit. How is this to be done ? Not by outbursts of spasmodic enthusiasm, but by quiet, continued, pro- longed, increasing efforts ; by taking such measures as shall ensure us a permanent and increasing income. We must not rely upon the generosity of individuals, but upon a widespread basis of small subscrip- tions. We must increase our numbers to such an extent that the falling away of a few will be more than compensated by the accession of others. We must render our- selves independent, and we shall then merit the public support. All this will re- quire much time, but it can certainly be effected. Look to what has been done at Boston, and then say whether we ought to fail. I have not the figures before me, but I believe that I understate the case when I say that the Massachusetts Horticultural Society is possessed of real and other property worth not less than $100,000. Part of this is certainly the result of lib- eral donations and bequests, and of judi- cious investments ; but the donations and bequests came after the Society had shown itself worthy of liberality. "Heaven helps those who help. themselves." Let independence and self-support be the watchword of this Association. We shall have scientific and practical men among us well worthy to vie with those of all other cities and countries. They will support the credit of the Association in the fields of scientific Botany and practi- cal Horticulture. Let those among us who have not the same qualifications remember that there is work for us to do, less dis- tinguished, but not less practically useful. It is for us to set the machine going, and to keep it steadily at work by supplying it with the necessary motive power in the shape of subscriptions. Each one of us can bring in at least one more member. Let him do so, and our numbers will soon increase in a geometrical ratio. Those who take an interest in horticultural pur- suits are much more numerous than we may think at first. Every one who occu- pies a respectable room may grow a flow- ering plant in it, and we all must know, from our own experience, that the posses- sion of a single plant gives us the desire to collect more, and to procure all the in- formation we can about their culture. Finally, as a compiencement of the good work, I beg leave to hand to the Secretary the names of some candidates for member- ship ; and I trust that each one of us vsdll consider himself a Special Committee of one on recruiting service. Death of Col. Wilson. — The death of this brave young man, who fell in the bat- tle of the Wilderness, calls for a few re- marks. He was a son of the well-known horticulturist, the late James Wilson, of Albany. His father died when he was only 15 years old ; but even at that early age he managed the extensive nursery business with great ability ; and when he left it, to turn the pruning hook into the sword, and battle for his coimtry, the business was highly remunerative. At the beginning of the war, young Wilson took command of a company of the New York 43d Volunteers, but soon became Major. He was promoted for ability and good conduct, and when he fell in the battle of the Wilderness, he was acting Colonel of his regiment. Mr. Wil- son was a young man of fine personal ap- pearance and decided gallantry, and was greatly beloved by his comrades. He fell at the early age of twenty-five. Had he lived to follow his profession of horticul- turist, there can be no doubt that he would have attained to a distinguished position. HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. The second meeting of tUis Association was held at the rooms of the Institute on Wednes- day evening, May 4, 1864, at 8 o'clock. Mr. Peter B. Mead called the meeting to or- der, and, after a few remarks, introduced the newly elected President, Mr. B. C. Townsend, who, on taking the chair, said : Ladies and Gentlemen, — I rise with feelings 190 The Horticulturist. of great embarrassment to thank you for the honor which you have seen fit to confer upon me ; an honor the more highly appreciated, as it was unsolicited and unexpected. At the time of your last meeting I was out of the city, and knew nothing of your action until my return. I feel embarrassed from the con- sciousness of my inability to worthily fill the position to which you have elected me. You will therefore permit me to occupy it only temporarily, until another more capable of discharging its duties can be found. At the same time, allow me to say that I take a great interest in the art of horticulture, and feel mor- tified, as a citizen of this city, in being so long without a society like this. With the influences and advantages around us, of our Central Park, and many other public and private parks and gardens, it is not very creditable to us to be without a well-organized Horticultural Society. The salutary effect on the occupants, of em- bellishing the surroundings of houses, is well known, and surely those who do not cultivate a taste for this art, lose much enjoyment. It should, therefore, be our aim to awaken an in- terest in this matter. See the innumerable gifts of God that crowd our pathway, which he has made common to us all. Our endeavors should be to foster a love for the simple pleas- ures of the garden ; and, as far as I am con- cerned, my aid shall be cheerfully given. I will not take up any more of your valuable time from the discussion of the subject for the evening, but merely tender to you again the expression of esteem and ardent good wishes. Mr. John W. Chambers, the Recording Sec- retary, read the minutes of the last meeting, which were adopted. Mr. Mead reported from the Committee ap- pointed to prepare By-Laws for the Society, that they had not fully accomplished their labors, and on motion further time was granted to them. Mr. Mead suggested holding a horticultural exhibition in the month cf June, when a fine display of flowers, and some of the early fruits, could be had. This matter was favora- bly received, and. after a brief discussion, the, subject was postponed for action to the next meeting. The subjectfor the evening, "Flowers," was then taken up, when Mr. John Henderson read the following Essay : Subject, Flowers. Why I proposed it. Be- cause the culture of flowers is the highest at- tainment of horticulture ; consequently they ought and do take precedence in all Horticul- tural Societies. For this reason, I considered it the most fitting subject for its first discus- sion ; but in proposing it, I did not expect to be called upon to speak of it myself, for I am well aware there are not only among my own profession, but also among amateur florists, many more capable of doing so, more espe- cially at this season of the year, when, so dis- tracted with business, I have no time to think the subject over, although dwelling, as it were, among flowers. But it is a subject so intimate- ly connected with our future existence as a so- ciety, and of so great a scope, that I trust it will afford us very many more discussions, when others more able will favor us with their views. Flowers have been more or less connected with man from the very earliest period. In- deed, the opening chapters of the Bible inform us that when God had created man, he planted a garden in Eden, and caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, and therein he placed Adam, our first parent, thus typifing what is necessary for man's most perfect happiness. Nor has this changed in our day. Although man has so de- generated, yet, when he emerges from his sunken state, and strives to regain his original lofty nature, he does it in the garden ; for here he finds in the cultivation of flowers, that true happiness which the highest honors of the world can not give him. Let us take man in his most degenerate con- dition, and we shall find that, when he arrives at the highest point of civilization, it centers, as in our first parents, in a garden. For in- stance, the savage, when emerging from his wild state, commences with agriculture ; that is, growing corn and cereals, and getting to- gether herds of animals. Then, in order to fa- cilitate the more easy culture of the earth, he fashions rude instruments of husbandry, thus bringing the mechanical arts into use. This very soon leads him to barter and ex- change, when commerce begins, and commerce we all know by its wealth ; when ambition shows itself in building splendid mansions, and adorning them with the most costly paint- ings, and beautiful pieces of sculpture, art and science can bestow. When these are all obtained, horticulture Editor's Table. 191 asserts its sway. He surrounds his mansion with magnificent groves of trees ; he plants an orchard, and makes a vegetable garden ; but yet it is not perfect. He still feels a want, and that want is only supplied by flowers. He" adds these to his otherwise beautiful dwelling, and his Eden is perfect. As I before observed, Flowers have been more or less associated with man in all ages. The ancients paid great attention to their cul- ture. Flower markets existed in ancient Ath- ens. India, China, and Mexico have been famous for the cultivation of flowers from the earliest periods to which their history can be accurately traced. They were in great request by the ancients at all their entertainments. They scattered them before the triumphal cars of returning conquerors. They adorned the brows of their gods with wreaths, of flowers. They constituted the mystical language of poe- try, and in our day, they are the testimonials of our gratitude. They add brilliancy and luster to our festivals. We present them to those whom we love. We place them on the coffins and graves of our departed friends. We use them in decorating our churches on all joyful and religious occasions. But, above all, we use them to adorn our homes ; and who has not felt their softening influence on his spirits? What pleasure they afi'ord us when placed in our dwelling rooms, and how grate- ful and pleasant their odor. And who is there when ^ going to a strange house, and perhaps not knowing any of its inmates, when ushered into the parlor, has not felt a load, as it were, taken from off his shoulder, as his eyes glance on a little vase of flowers ? for his heart tells him that here a genial spirit dwells. We read that the celebrated Lord Bacon, while com- posing his sublime philosophy, used to have a vase of fresh flowers placed on his table every day. And what is their so lovely, after the cold blasts of winter, as the flowers springing from their earthy beds. With what delight do we not welcome the Primrose and modest Vio- let, gently telling us of the more gorgeous flowers that are following in their steps as summer advances. But there is a pleasure at- tached to the culture of flowers that never tires. They soothe our mind, and cause us to forget the cares and toils of life. Many of the most celebrated men the world has ever pro- duced, have ended their days in the quiet and happy pursuit of horticulture. And this is easily accounted for, as flowers are ever chang- ing, and showing us new beauties. We sow the seed, and after a few days or weeks are gratified in seeing the young plants springing from the ground, and then observing them from day to day increase and develop their growth until they arrive at perfection in blos- som. Indeed, they are as it were our second children. They require constant care and at- tention, and that care and attention are so pleasing to us that we never tire of it. Look at that masterpiece of painting or of sculpture. It is beautiful ; it is every thing desirable as a painting or as a piece of sculp- ture ; but it is the same to-day as yesterday, and will be years hence. But not so with flowers. They each have their season of flow- ering, and each year, as the returning season advances, we look forward to it with as much delight to see a particular flower as though we had never seen it before. But let us turn for a moment to the commer- cial value of flowers. Few are aware how im- portant a part the products of flowers assume in our every-day life. Whence come all the delicious perfumes of the toilet table ? What would be the manufacture of pomades and soaps without the extracts from the fragrant flowers to destroy the rancid and disagreeable odors inseparable from all articles made from fatty substances? In Italy and France, in Asia and Africa, and more recently in Ameri- ca, thousands of acres are wholly used for the culture of flowers for their perfume. But at present France and Italy take the precedence over all other nations in this particular branch of manufacture ; and in order to give you some idea of the extent to which this art is carried, I will give you the amount of flowers that one manufacturer of perfumes at Grasse, in the south of France, annually makes use of. This house alone consumes over 80,000 pounds weight of orange blossoms, 60,000 pounds of Cassia, 60,000 of Rose-flowers, 30,000 pounds of Jasmine flowers, 40,000 pounds of Violets, 30,000 pounds of Tuberose flowers, besides thousands of pounds of Lilac, Mint, Thyme, Rosemary, and other fragrant plants. In giv- ing this estimate, you must understand it is for the flowers free from stalls, leaves, or wood ; and this is the consumption of only one out of the hundreds of manufactures in France and Italy. Have you ever been in a city noted for any 192 The Horticulturist. particular branch of manufacture ? If so, you will have observed that every other house ap- pears to be a factory. Chimneys are sending up their volumes of smoke. The rattling and hum of machinery surround you on every side. If you go to Grasse, in the south of France, there every one appears to be em- ploj'ed in the manufacture, or, rather, the art of extracting the odors from flowers. The whole town smells of flowers ! Walk in the country, and almost every wagon you meet, or every peasant girl or boy, is carrying baskets of flowers to the different laboratories in the town. Indeed, the whole air is so impregnated with their fragrance, that for miles before you come to their vicinity you can smell their de- licious fragrance, as it is wafted along by the breeze. But it is not my intention of here giving in detail a full statistical account of the quantities and value of flowers used for this purpose, but only to observe that the remarks I have just made are from personal knowledge, from having resided for many years in the im- mediate vicinity of Grasse and Nice. But this is a branch of commerce only just opening up in America ; and who can foretell to what an ■ extent it will not some day arrive at ; for America possesses every degree of climate necessary for the production of flowers, the same as Italy and France. Already there are hundreds of acres under the cultivation of Lavender, Peppermint, and Wiutergreen, which are extensively exported to Europe. But I will not detain you longer on this sub- ject, for it is of so much importance as a branch of commerce to this country, that I feel the growth of flowers in America for the manu- facture of perfumes, to be a fitting subject for another discussion. I will therefore turn to the cultivation of flowers for the decoration of our dwellings, either as plants or as cut flowers. Perhaps there is no city in the world where cut flowers are so extensively used as in New York. I say this from a personal knowl- edge of the consumption of London and Paris, the former a city with more than double the population of New York ; yet I think I am correct when I say the consumption of cut flowers for bouquets is nearly double in New York to what it is in London. And in order that you may judge somewhat of that con- sumption, I will give you the quantity of flow- ers I have myself cut for that purpose during the past season,- say since September last. Of that beautiful Carnation called La Purit6, of which there is a specimen on the table, I have cut 50,000 blossoms ; of Bouvardia, 30,000 ; of the double Chinese Primrose, 70,000 ; of Tube- roses, 30,000 ; besides about 50,000 of other flowers, such as Roses, Camellias, Heliotropes, &c. ; and yet I am only one of the many en- gaged in the cultivation of flowers for the bouquet makers of New York. I may here observe, that although New York takes the precedence over the cities of the old world in the matter of cut flowers, it is not so in regard to plants in pots ; for there the con- sumption is far greater than here. In the vi- cinity of London, almost every house has its garden belonging to it, and almost always filled with flowers. Flowering plants are also much more extensively used for the decoration of rooms, and especially for windows ; a system I hope to see more extensively adopted in New York ; for window gardening adds a charm even to the abode of the wealthy, and also the poor have the delight of tending a few choice plants, and of becoming acquainted with their habits and flowers. Horticultural Societies have also done much for the encouragement of the cultivation of flowers, and particularly a^iong the humbler classes, with an evident increase of amenity within and around the dwellings, as well as an unquestionable ten- dency to refinement of habits and feelings. In almost all European cities there were floral markets specially devoted to the sale of plants and cut flowers. Who has not heard of the March e'e aux fleurs, or flower markets of Paris, or of Covent Garden in London ? These mar- kets have become world renowned, solely from their being the great depots for flowers, whether grown in pots or cut for bouquets and for the table. But let us turn for an instant to artificial flowers. It may be said, what have they to do with the present subject ? I answer, very much. We are so constituted that we will have flowers at all times and seasons if possi- ble ; for what greater adornment for the per- son ? How would a lady's hat or bonnet look without them ? but as we know natural flowers would fade too soon for this purpose, art has imitated nature, and there is not a new flower, or a new shade of color introduced by the florist, but the artist in flowei'S is ready to im- itate it ; and to give you some idea of the ex- tent to which they are used, I have only to Editor's Table. 193 mention that France annually exports over $200,000, over and above what is consumed in the country itself. Then, again, the colors of flowers. What more varied or beautifully brilliant ? Art has never attained to them, but must ever be an imitator. The painter attempts to portray their brilliancy on the canvass ; but how feeble the attempt. Let any one take the most beautiful painting of flowers by a Van Huysen, or a Cuyp, and let him compare the flower on the canvass with the natural one, and he will at once perceive how great a dif- ference there is. Indeed, in many instances we have no means of describing a color ex- cept by naming the plant. For instance, the Rose, Lilac, Peach, Lavender, Violet, and many others. The manufacturer of silks for dresses or for ribbons, studies the colors of flowers, in order to imitate them as near as possible in his manufactures, so that no lady can adorn her- self in the most costly dress or the most lovely ribbon, but its coloring is derived or imitated from the humble and lovely flowers. In the year 1636 a flower mania prevailed in Holland, chiefly in reference to the Tulip, in which people speculated as in stocks and rail- way shares in our day. At that time a single Tulip called the Semper Augustus, sold for 13,000 florins, about, I believe, $6,000 of our money, the ownership of a Tulip being often divided into shares. Artificial means have been employed for the produce and rearing of flowers far more gen- erally than for the cultivation of fruits and veg- etables. Those who can only afi'ord a small green-house, almost always devote it to flow- ers ; and those who can not attain this have often favored plants under a frame or in a win- dow of a room. I need scarcely mention what the amateur and florist have done for flowers, in the production of new ones, or the improve- ment given to the form and shape of old va- rieties. We have before us some beautiful new Verbenas, raised by Mr. Peter Henderson, who has become somewhat identified with this flower. There are also some pretty Pansies raised by myself ; also a Heliotrope, which I call the Belle of Jersey ; and also the Double Chinese Primrose, raised by me 25 years since. It will perhaps be interesting to you, sir, to see the silver medal awarded to me by the Horticultural Society of London, as I was not much more than a boy then. In conclusion, there is one other flower I would call your attention to. It is the Lily, or Calla ^thiopica. This is probably the flow- er alluded to by our Saviour, when he com- pared it to Solomon — Solomon, the greatest jirotentate the worldeverknew, whose wisdom has never been equaled, living in a superb palace, surrounded and adorned by the famous hanging gardens ; and yet, with all these at- tributes of royalty, our Lord said he was not arrayed as one of these little lilies of the field. And who can look at it without feeling the full force of the remark ! What more ar- tistically beautiful, whether we consider the chasteness of the form of the flower or its gen- eral appearance, taking blossom and foliage together. I will only further add, that flowers are so associated with us in our every day ex- istence, that life would be monotonous with- out them. On motion of Mr. R. G. Pardee, a vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Henderson, for the very interesting and instructive manner in which he treated the subject. Mr. Isaac Buchanan exhibited a choice col- lection of rare flowers. Among them were several very choice Camellias, Cacti, Rhodo- dendrons, an Australian plant, called the bottle washer. Lilies, Lcelia, &c. The President said that the Rhododendron is a plant that has been singularly neglected in this country. In England it is called the American plant, and much attention is paid to it there ; yet, strange to say, we know very little of it here. It is a wonder that we have neglected such a beautiful ornament even for our city residences. It is a plant that is well adapted to stand the heat of our summers and the cold of our winters. Mr. Buchanan said that it was an evergreen, and would grow in almost any soil ; but in a stiff soil it would stand the heat better than in a light one. Alderman Ely spoke of the profuse display of flowers that were on the tables. The mas- sive bouquets presented by Mr. Wm. R. Prince, of Flushing, L. I., was worthy of particular no- tice. He called upon Mr. Mead for some re- marks upon them. Mr. Mead said that he hoped that those who had favored them with such a floral display would be present and give an account of them ; but as this time of the year was their busiest season, they could not, perhaps, well attend this meeting. He would therefore, in complL 194 The Horticulturist. ance with the flattering request of Alderman Ely. say something in relation to a few of them. We have here some fine specimens of the Pansy. This plant exhibits in a peculiar man- ner the advancement of horticulture in this country. He well remembered when it was called the Johnny Jumper. It then stood up something like the ladies' bonnets did about a year ago. The florist has improved them very much. He had seen some that were almost per- fectly round, so that, if laid upon a circle, they would exactly fit the whole circumference. In flowers of this class, the border color should be pure and distinct, and go entirely round the plant. In this respect this flower is a little imperfect. The great trouble in our country is that it is too hot and dry. The Pan- sy can only be brought to perfection here by ar- tificial means, except in the early spring. If a cool place in the garden is selected, Pansies can be grown with a good deal of perfection ; that is, if good seed is obtained. Good seed is hard to be got. That usually sold at the stores will give only some 15 per cent, of good flowers. He spoke somewhat doubtingly, as latterly they gave him good seeds. AVith good seed there was little doubt that they would yield 75 per cent. If we desire to propagate it, the best way is by cuttings. The amateur will tell you this is difficult, and can be done best by the florist, who is surrounded with all the appliances necessary. Now this is not ex- actly so ; for here is a cutting, and if always cut in this way, there will generally be good plants. (Mr. Mead here took a slip and cut it in the proper way.) After this is done, if the plant is placed in a cool, shady part of the garden in the month of September, and cov- ered with a newspaper, or if the plant is put into a box with some sand and a glass placed over it, it will generally take root. Mr. Bu- chanan would say that 49 out of 50 would be raised, with all his facilities for propagating this plant ; in fact, it is the only way to per- petuate a choice kind, for we can not depend upon the seed to reproduce it. It is a great satisfaction to a person to be able to say that he raised such a plant from a cutting, and it greatly enhances his pleasure ; but, notwith- standing this pleasure, it is cheaper to buy the plants from the florist. For about 25 cents we can buy such fine plants as we have here. The Pansy is a free blooming plant, and comes early into flower. I have seen flowers on them be- fore the leaves had attained the size of a ten cent piece. This flower is not only intrinsical- ly beautiful, but it is prized by the ladies quite as much as the Pink is by the men. The large bouquet which we have here he supposed was made up in accordance with a suggestion that he made at a previous meet- ing. He took occasion then to say that our professional men made a great mistake in the formation of their bouquets ; they are simply an arrangement of color, without form or good taste. He well remembered, many years ago, being on a committee with the late A. 3^. Down- ing and some ladies, at the Lyceum of Natural History, where an occasional exhibition was held. On this occasion Mr. Downing said he did not like the style in which the bouquets were put up, and the ladies entirely agreed with him ; but one of the ladies picked out a bouquet which she said was well arranged. Mr. Downing looked at it, and said that it was so ; and turning to another placed at the other end of the table, said, "Here is a mate to it. I wonder if it was put up by the same person." But as there was no name to either of them, we could not tell ; we therefore gave to those two simple bouquets the first prize. But he had not since seen any done up in that way. He had ever since declared war upon them. What have those innocent flowers done that they should be bound together like criminals? Which is the most beautiful, this or that? (holding up examples of each.) He would al- ways condemn this strait-jacket mode. If any exhibition is got up as suggested, he would request that a set of prizes be given for bou- quets made up in the natural way, and in this manner we would do away with the strait laced style. The flowers should not be crushed to- gether like a crowd in the street, but they should be arranged in their individual beauty, so as to be seen under as well as on the Sur- face. Here are some two or three kinds of the Magnolia ; one of them is the M. Soulangiana, slightly striped ; another, 31. obovata, pur- ple ; and M. Alexandria, deep crimson, striped. The trees on which these grow are of the Chi- nese variety, and are generally of medium height, but he has seen some of our native ^ species, macrophylla and others, nearly 100 feet high. The great fault with the Chinese Magnolia is, that its flowers appear before the leaves. If it could be made to flower when EditoT^s Table. 195 the tree is in leaf, it would be magnificent ; but it is very beautiful as it is. The next flower in the bouquet is the Ma- honia aquifolia, from the Eocky Mountains. The seeds of this plant were originally brought home by Lewis & Clark. It is a very beauti- ful evergreen plant. This is a double white flowering Peach from China, one of the best of recent introductions. .There are also double crimson, double Rose, and double carnation striped varieties of the Peach, all of them handsome objects for the lawn. Here is a species of Ilex, the English holly, which is very pretty to look at, but very bad to handle, as its leaves are armed with sharp spikes. It is a splendid evergreen, but usually needs win- ter protection with us. This is the Dielytra spedabilis, sometimes called the bleeding heart, a name which he hoped would be discarded. He asked if there was any thing pleasant in the idea of a bleeding heart, yet the flower is exceedingly pretty. It is a hardy herbaceous plant from China. Here is the Cydonia Ja- ponica, or Japan quince, a beautiful scarlet flower that opens early in the spring. It is perfectly hardy, and every way desirable. He wished to speak of the Orchids. This is a Laelia. It is a common notion with many that orchids can only flourish in a high temper- ature, but he had seen Lycastes, Oncidiums, &c., blooming finely where the temperature was allowed to go down to 45 degrees every night in winter. If this can be done, consid- erable fuel can be saved at least. One great drawback to the advancement of Horticulture in this country, is that plants, to sell well, must have a foreign name and repu- tation. If Mr. Henderson, who raised this beautiful Heliotrope, the Belle of Jersey, had imported it from Europe under the name of the Belle of Lancaster, he would have sold five thousand where he has now sold one. He had seen a great deal of this. He had seen fine flowers in the hands of our florists year after year that could not be sold for want of a proper endorsement. The late George Thorburn was forced once to resort to the expedient of exporting and import- ing the same flowers to make them saleable here ; and where he could not sell a few dozen before at 50 cents, he then sold hundreds of the same plant at a dollar ! and now this is done over and over again. We must raise our own seedlings, and seek some means to beget public confidence in them. The best Verbenas, Heliotropes, &c., now in cultivation have been raised in this country. On motion of Mr. Jireh Bull, a vote of thanks was tendered to the gentlemen who so kindly favored the Society with such a tasteful dis- play of flowers. The subject of "Early Fruits" was selected for discussion at the next meeting, and Mr. R. G. Pardee was appointed to open it. Adjourned to Tuesday evening. May 31st, at 8 o'clock. JOHN W. CHAMBERS, Rec. Sec. -»♦-» ♦ «» Correspondence. Mr. Editor, — I wish to gain some infor- mation in regard to two of the new kinds of grapes, which I am unable to obtain from those who have them for sale. Can you, and if so, will you, enlighten me ? Ist. Creveling. — Is it a wine grape ? I have cultivated it, and have fruited it for two seasons. I am so much pleased with its early ripening and its flavor, that I shall plant out all the roots that I can procure this spring. I intend to raise the fruit for market ; but there is always a quantity of fruit which must be worked up into wdne. Before I lost my Isabella vines by mildew, I sold the fruit readily, and made the re- mainder into wine with sugar, an article that is now too expensive to be used for wine-making, especially as we can make better wine with other grapes. If, as I be- lieve, jve can make wine of the Creveling, the fruit can be raised to a great profit, as fruit ripening from the Ist to lOth Sep- tember is sure to bring a large price, say 20 to 25 cents per pound in New York, and the wine will pay a considerable portion of the expenses. 2. Adirondac. — I can get no satisfactory replies to my inquiries. Is it hardy? 196 Tlie - Horticulturist. Mr. Bailey, who propagates it, and has it for sale, may be considered an interested wit- ness ; but he says Mr. Witherbee "found an old grape vine," which he (Witherbee) ^^ supposed to be a wild vine," and "dug it out." "The next season he discovered a vine near the same place." "The next winter it killed back," "and since that time he has given it the same treatment as his Isabellas, i. e., pruning, laying down, and covering every winter." Now will Mr. Witherbee give us more particulars ? Having sold his interest, he can be admitted as a competent witness. Will he inform us whether, in his opinion, this new vine that killed back is really the product of the wild vine ? or did he or some of his family set out any vines on that "strip of ground which he inclosed to en- large his garden?" We want light, and must have it before we plant extensively. I have examined the leaf of the plant sent out by Mr. Bailey, and must say that, to me, it has the appearance of the Vitis vinifera; and until we have Mr. Wither- bee's statement, I am inclined to think it a foreign seedling, which "killed back the following winter." Why did not the sup- posed wild vine kill back 1 and if it did, what value has it over any other vine, even if grown in a northern climate ? Peatiquer. [We have no doubt that the Creveling will make a better wine than the Isabella, for it contains more spirit and grape su- gar ; still we are not yet prepared to rank it among wine-making grapes. Mr. Merceron and others can perhaps throw some light on this point. In regard to the origin of the Adirondac, we heard lately from a rel- ative of the family, that Mrs. Witherbee raised it in a pot from seed taken from a raisin. If this be so, it will readily ac- count for the tendency to mildew which we hear from many quarters has akeady de- veloped Itself, though this may be owing to other causes. It will also account for the Hamburgh flavor which so much pleases those accustomed to eating foreign grapes. If, however, it originated from a foreign grape in the manner stated by Mr. With- erbee and other members of his family, it can have but little value for general culti- vation, and must take its place with the Brinckle, Montgomery, Child's Superb, and similar grapes. We further learn that these facts have been known from the be- ginning to those interested. It is quite im- portant that they should be made publix;, and some notice taken of them. — Ed.] East Abington, Mass. Mr. Mead, — Sir, — Through the kind- ness of a friend, I have had the privilege of looking through nearly a year's numbers of the Horticulturist, and must say I have been much pleased with it. There is a certain freshness and adaptedness in its columns that makes it very interesting ; and though thejre are not many more sea- sons of bud, fruit, and flower for me, be- ing an old man, I yet anticipate much en- joyment from the cultivation of the Vear, the Grape, the Peach, and some of the smaller fruits. The Vear and Grape are my hobbies, if any thing is. How can any one forego the pleasure of their company. Perhaps an apology is needed, not being a subscriber, but presume j'^ou will excuse me, as I am an inquirer, and it seems to be your pleas- ure to give information. I want to ask a few questions, and per- iiaps criticise a little, but you will let that go for what it is worth, all well meant. Will you in your next, or as soon as con- venient, give a plain description of the different kinds of houses for fruits and flowers , saying wherein they differ ? I have but a few kinds of grapes as yet, say the Concord, Diana, Hartford Prolific, Delaware, and Rogers's Hybrid No. 15, the last not fruited yet, but looks very promis- ing. I wish to add some three or four kinds, best for the table and market, and accord- ing to best accounts, I think Dr. Grant's two new seedlings, the lona and Israella, with the Creveling, might suit me, but should like your opinion in regard to them and others. Editor's Table. 197 I have read somewliere lately, that it is a good plau, in priming vines, to cut out the tendrils ; is it so ? In your July number was an account of the Leon le Clerc (De Laval) Pear, giving so good an account of it that I marked it for a desirable fruit for eating from the hand, as well as for cooking ; and as the long keepers that are good, and will ripen well, are scarce, I said I must have it ; but in the next No. behold it was good for nothing but cooking ; so "my bread was all dough." Then your correspondents make the Brinckle's Orange Raspberry a very tender plant. My experience for 6 or 7 years makes it a hardy kind, and I have never known it to be hurt by the winter yet, and they are very exposed, never having been protected in the least. It is one of the best. Again, one or two recipes for making grafting wax in the Horticulturist, might as well be a little more simplified. In- stead of five or six ingredients, three are all that are required. I have made and used a great deal of it, and recommend it for using witli the hand or with a brush, warm. Say two parts rosin, one beeswax, tempered with lard. I think I shall have to have your journal this winter, and I want to recommend greater attention to the king of fruits, the Pear. Respectfully yours. Inquirer, Jr. [We are very much gratified with your good opinion, and hope you may live to enjoy many seasons yet of "bud, fruit, and flower." We will soon give you the in- formation you desire. You can not do better than add to your list the grapes you have named. It is a good plan to cut off the tendrils of the vine. Many of our cor- respondents will not agree with you in re- gard to the hardiness of the Brinckle's Or- ange, but all will agree with you in regard to its goodness. It is the best flavored Raspberry we have. We shall be very glad to hear from you again. — Ed.] Bloomington, 111., Feb. 2d, 1864. Editor of the Horticulturist : Dear Sir: "Remember the 1st of Jan- uary, '64." "Trim and cover the vines in Novem- ber." This shall be the inscription of a large sign over the main avenues of my vine- yards. I wish every vineyardist would do the same, as this inscription will always bring the great destruction before his mind^ Yes, Mr. Editor, we ought to be whipped, because almost every one of us knew, almost by instinct, that we would have a hard winter, for not covering cm- vines. I have 10,000 vines for fruiting, mostly on "lath trellises," such as Mr. Knox speaks of. Now all those vines coidd have been covered with earth, say 4 shovels full each, in one week's time by three men, at a cost of ^20. Yes, if I only had knocked the trellises down on the beginning of the storm, (which I could have done with my gardener in the course of five or six hours,) and let the vines be covered with the trellises, to which they were fastened, I would have saved all the crop and several thousand dollars in mon- ey, besides the most mortifying feeling that I could have prevented this loss. The wood alone of my vines to be trim- med off was worth 1,000 dollars. Some 50,000 No. 1. layers of the best varieties would have been made, and most all the fruit for 2 or 3,000 gallons of wine gone, and the form of many vines destroyed for years. That is the picture of my so-called "Model Vineyard." As I do always for "experiment," I covered with a few fork- fuls of litter the most of my Herbemonts, (you know a very tender vine,) but they are all good to-day. I covered, also, some Blood's Black, Diana, Traminer, Lincoln, Bird's Eye, Louisa, Mary, Anna, Hartford, North Carolina Seedling, Brinckle, Rog- ers's Hybrids, some 8 numbers, Allen's, Maxatawny, Baxter, Perkins, and about 30 other sorts, (I have over 160 varieties of vines,) and not one of them is injured. They also stood all the coM weather before 198 The Horticulturist. Christmas. Catawbas I trimmed Dec. 23d, and threw the wood ou the ground. I found them last week uninjured. As this little report is written in haste, I will only speak ramblingly, but will give you, if you or your readers desire, a full statement of the case, with some practical hints. Taylor's Bullitt, a white grape, is the hardiest of all my vines. The wood ex- posed to the weather, even the wood on the many hundred of layers I rais«d, is perfectly sound. Next may come Con- cord, a very rambling grower, but wood hard as iron ; beats Hartford Prolific in hardiness. I have 1,000 of Concord vines for. bearing, and they have done well in fruiting ; besides, I raised from almost every vine from 10 to 50 strong old wood layers, and it did not hurt the vine at all, as far as I can see now. Therefore, Mr. Editor, I call the Concord a good acquisi- tion. Delaware is very tender, but Allen's Hy- brid and Rogers's Hybrid more so. Ca- tawba and Isabella are all gone ; but Clin- ton stands very well. In a short time I will give you a correct list. From Her- man we have bad news ; from southern Illinois very bad news ; and so from Nauvo, 111. In all, this winter has done more harm than any winter before, and more than the most of us think yet. Dr. H. Schroder. [This, on the whole, is the most deplor- able picture that we have yet seen. We sympathize with you most sincerely. Those who live in localities subject to such trying changes would act wisely in cover- ing their vines ; or, if this be inconven- ient or too much trouble, let them, as we have often suggested, cut their vines loose, and simply lay them on the ground. We shall be very glad to have the full state- ment and practical hints. — Ed.] State of Minnesota, Falls of St. Anthony, Mch. 4, '64. Editor Horticulturist, — There are three early grapes (besides the Delaware) that would seem, from the descriptions given of them, to be adapted to the extreme north- ern limit of the grape zone, viz., the Adi- rondac, the Israella, and the Creveling. All are said to be good. I want your judgment as to how they compare with each other in respect to flavor, size, ear- liness, hardiness, and productiveness, es- pecially flavor. In speaking of hardiness, I do not re- fer to exemption from mildew or rot, which, as far as my observation goes, never affect any grape in this dry climate ; but capacity to endure cold. Some va- rieties winter-kill here, even when pro- tected. Is there any good early variety that you would add to the above list ? H. [We have hardly seen enough of these grapes to say whether they are sufficiently hardy to endure the climate of Minnesota. We have known the Israella and Creve- ling longest. They are perfectly hardy with us, but we are not prepared to say that they would be so with you, though we think they may be. We are still less prepared to speak of the Adirondac, the buds on our own vine being winter killed, the vine showing no signs of life up to the present time, while all our other vines have shoots from one to two inches long, with the single exception of the Yed- do, which we think is also winter killed, as it is in several other places. The Adi- rondac, Israella, and Creveling are not high-flavored grapes. The Israella is the sweetest and the Creveling the most spir- ited, the Adirondac, in this respect, taking its place between them. The Israella and Adirondac are the most tender fleshed. They are all of them about the same size. We have no reliable data for knowing how early the Adirondac is, but the Israella is earlier than the Creveling. In regard to productiveness, there is little difference between the Israella and Creveling, as we have thus far seen them. The Adirondac we have not seen in fruit. In regard to Editor^s Table. 199 fhese grapes, it may be safely said, that their exact earliness and hardiness remain to be proved. You ought to try them to prove these points. We know of no other early grape that we would add to the list. ^Ed.] Editor Horticulturist, — The Horticul- turist has often explained how to prune young pear trees, but has not, I think, taught us concerning large ones. I have a number that are about 15 to 25 feet in height, and have always been carefully pruned into perfect pyramids ; but now, from their size and growth, it is almost impossible to go over them as formerly. Will it do to leave them now to take care of themselves ? Or what is the true course ? Truly yours, ^stivalis. New Bedford, Feb. 15, 1864. [You do not say whether your trees are now well furnished with fruit spurs, or whether they are making too much wo"Od. Pear trees that have been pruned as pyra- mids tiy they are 15 to 25 feet high, should be in condition to need but little pruning. We will suppose they are in good shape and condition, and well furnished with fruit spurs. In that case, the knife is mainly to be withheld, except to cut out some misplaced shoots, or to shorten in some leading shoot that has made too ram- pant a growth. Any laterals that take a notion to become leaders should be pinched in during the month of June. On the whole, trees such as we take yours to be, require but little pruning, and that mostly with the thumb nail in the month of June. —Ed.] Bibudling, a plant propagated from 2 buds. Cutling, a plant propagated from a cutting. Suckerling, a plant propagated from a root- bud. Graftling, a plant propagated from a graft. Shootling, a plant propagated from a shoot. In describing grape vines, this last is usually called a Layer, which I would drop. Yours ever, Royce. [While it must be admitted that some of the -phrases now in use are indefinite enough, innovations are looked upon with distrust, even where they are felt to be needed. Some of the names presented by our correspondent are definite enough. But we lay the subject before our readers for the purpose of eliciting criticism, and will not forestall it by remarks of our own at present. — Ed.] Editor Horticulturist, — What say you to this bit of nomenclature ? I think much convenience, confusion, and disappoint- ment, indicate the propriety of special terms in speaking and writing about grape and other plants. Here is the attempt to substitute a name in lieu of a phrase, like, Seedling, a plant propagated from seed. Budling, a plant propagated from a bud. Columbus, 0. Peter B. Mead, Esq. Dear Sir: Please name the best four va- rieties of foreign Grapes for a warm vine- ry, and much oblige a friend. Buckeye. [For our own use we should plant Bo- wood Muscat, Chasselas Musque, Grizzly Frontignan, and Black Hamburgh. We prefer to plant chiefly grapes that are high flavored, which all the above are except the Hamburgh. — Ed.] Editor Horticulturist, — I have, during the last two years, succeeded tolerably well in raising plums, by pursuing the well-known method of jarring the trees, and collecting the curculios on a sheet, and then killing them. Recently a gen- tleman, whose statements I usually credit, has informrd me that it is only necessary to jar the trees every morning about sunrise, and allow the insects to fall on the ground. He says they will remain on the ground all the day, and will not ascend to the trees until night, and that they will not sting the plums during the night. He says he has pursued this method for some years, and has never failed to raise a large crop of fruit. 200 The Hortictdturist. If this plan will do, it requires but a small amount of labor to preserve this fruit. What is your opinion of it ? Very respectfully, Indianapolis. [This presents the Little Turk in an as- pect new to us, and we must award to your friend the credit of being a close observer. Though it be perfectly true that the Cur- culio will not ascend the tree again till night, still your method of using the sheet is much the safer one ; for you have the satisfaction of knowing, that when you have once knocked his Turkship down, he will not get up the tree again, even at night. What is the use of knocking him down twenty times, when you can do it once for all ? In regard to the Curculio, Rose Bug, et omne genus, thorough is the word. "Kill 'em dead." — Ed.] should be cut smooth, and covered with the preparation described by Horticola in a former number. They will soon heal over. — Ed.] MusKEGO Center, Wis., Feb. 5, 1864. I wish to ask you a question in regard to some Dwarf Pear trees which I pur- chased last April. What will prevent rabbits from eating or gnawing the bark ? I heated some tar, and while soft, applied it on the parts injured. Have I injured them in so doing ? Will their growth be thrown back or hindered in consequence of injuries received ? In some places they have eaten the new growth ; in others the bark completely around the body of the tree. Hoping to receive an answer from you soon, I remain. Yours respectfully, F. Haeeison. [If you have used common tar, the risk to the trees is not much. It would be bet- ter to tar mushn, and tie it around the trees during the winter. Banking the trunks with earth is a good protection, and easily applied. If we were much troubled with rabbits, we should go to the trouble of preparing protection for all our trees ; and tarred muslin is one of the sim- plest you can use. Do not put the tarred side next the tree, and avoid gas tar, which is very hurtful. The gnawed parts Dedham, Mass. Peter B. Mead, Esq., Dear Sir: — As a subscriber to your val- uable Journal for several years past, I take the liberty of asking you where I can get the different Magnolias grafted or budded on the Acuminata stock, as I recollect reading in some journal of their much greater hardiness and vigor so worked, but have not seem them so advertised in cata- logues. Do you think the Magnolia ma- croijhylla and the Halesia Diptera hardy in the vicinity of Boston? and where can I get the last-mentioned shrub true to name ? By answering these questions you will greatly obUge a constant reader. W. L. F. [The Messrs. Parsons used to have the Magnolia so worked, and we presume oth- ers have. They ought to advertise them. We think the Magnolia macrophylla and Halesia hardy in the vicinity of Boston. Any reliable nurseryman ought to be able to furnish the Halesia true to name, and scarcely any nursery is without it. — Ed.] EditobHoeticulturist, — The cold weath- er of the 1st instant has killed all of our peaches and fine cherries. The only va- riety I have been able to find live buds on is the common Morello, and they are part- ly killed. It has also injured young cher- ry trees in the nui-sery rows, and I fear our grape vines are very much injured, so that it will about spoil the crop. How much more damage it has done I can not tell, as I have not examined other things, but the opening of spring will tell a sad tale. Lewis Nicholson. East Rockport, 111. [So it is from all our western and noith- western country ; but, fortunately, around us the damage has been comparatively small. — Ed.] THE HOUTIGULTUUIST. VOL. XIX JULY, 1864. .NO. CCXVII. Cast^ hrsHs J|as^i0n, In Mr. John Henderson's very interest- ing essay on "Flowers," read before the Horticultural Association of the American Institute, and printed in our last number, there are some curious statistics in rela- tion to the sale of. cut flowers and plants in the principal cities of this country and Europe. Mr. Henderson shows, from his personal knowledge, that the sale of cut flowers in New York exceeds that of any other city; for example, London, Paris, Boston, Philadelphia, &c. We have no doubt that this is really so. He also shows that, in the matter of pot plants, the reverse of this is true. We have just as little doubt that this is also the fact. Now we are very much inclined to suspect that Mr. Henderson's facts and iigures will lead some people to false conclusions, how- ever illogical the statement may seem . For example, some will reason thus : The num- ber of cut flowers sold indicates the taste for them ; the number sold in New York exceeds that of any other city : therefore, the taste for flowers in New York exceeds that of any other city. The syllogism would seem to be perfect, and we are will- ing to admit that it ought to be ; but the truth is, it is very weak in its major prem- ise. It is not, alas! a fact, that the sale of bouquets and cut flowers forms a true exponent of the taste for flowers, at least in large and wealthy cities. The sale points to something in that direction, no doubt, but it is not a true exponent upon which deductions may be safely based. A very little investigation that penetrates beneath the surface of things will discover, that the purchase of bouquets and cut flowers is governed a good deal by the love of dis- play ; the same motive, in fact, which causes one man to build his house a few inches higher than that of his neighbor. In a large proportion of cases, it is the ambition to excel one's neighbors in dis- play. A gives a party, and spends a hun- dred dollars for bouquets and cut flowers. B determines to outdo A, and spends two hundred; and so the thing goes on. Hence, at large parties in New York, the chief thing talked of is the wealth of flowers that decorate the rooms. It has become fashionable to make an imposing display of flowers ; and while the fashion Knterf.d according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864, by Geo. E. & F. W. Woodward, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, ior the Southern District of New York. I July, 1864. 13 202 The Horticulturist. continues, bouquets and cut flowers will be in great demand. We readily concede that the fashion is an elegant and innocent one, but we can not admit that it is an ex- ponent of a taste or love for flowers. The majority of those who indulge in these im- posing floral displays do not belong to our Horticultural Societies, and are quite inno- cent of any knowledge of horticultural literature, which could not be said of them if they were imbued with a true love of flowers. Indirectly, they do encourage horticultural pursuits in their lavish ex- penditures for flowers ; but a wiser use of the same means would alFord horticul- ture infinitely more encouragement, be- sides intensifying their own sense of per- sonal enjoyment. The sale of plants, on the contrary, we accept as a truer exponent of a love for flowers. In this particular. New York is behind London, Paris, Boston, &c., in all which places we find a refinement of taste in horticulture, which, to our shame be it said, we have not yet attained to. New York ought to lead in horticultural taste, as it does in many other important mat- ters. We have made some progress within the past few years ; but we move too slow. We are hopeful, however, that a finer de- velopment will take place within the next five years. We have said that the sale of plants is a truer exponent of taste than the sale of flowers. By taste here we mean that nice appreciation which can only result from a deep love of an object. Now who shows the most love of flowers, he who buys a bouquet to decorate an evening party, and then throws it aside, or he who buys a plant, ministers daily to its wants, studies its development of leaf, bud, and flower, and in all things cares for it "as the apple of his eye ?" To our apprehension, there can be but one answer to such a question. There is just as much difference between the man who ' ' keeps up a country seat ' ' simply because it is fashionable to do so, and the man who adorns his grounds be- cause he finds health and enjoyment in it. The one is pervaded with a love of hor- ticulture, the other with a love of show. The example of the one is a shining light ; the example of the other, the glitter of a toy. The influences growing out of this con- dition of things we reserve for another occasion. — ^■♦-^"^ »^ ' HEALTH AND DISEASE OF PLANTS. BY J. STAYMAN, LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS. Health of plants is the harmonious de- velopment of all their parts in such a man- ner as to preserve and prolong their state of being for the purpose of fulfilling the objects of their existence. Therefore, whatever is done for the purpose of per- petuating that condition in a harmonious manner will produce the best possible re- sults. As long as this state continues in equilibrium, one part can not be built up to the injury of another, and plants will have a strong vital action, and will be healthy. But whenever tliis state is suddenly interrupted or long continued in active by any cause, they will lose their vital action and become diseased, and are then susceptible to deleterious influences, and are subject to be preyed iipon by va- rious obnoxious insects, which soon set up a secondary disease, which still hastens them more rapidly to destruction. Species of plants, like races of animals, have their peculiar characteristits of quality and hereditary tendencies, by which they are known ; consequently health is a marh- ed state of existence, with peculiarities common to all vegetation, and disease must be directly the opposite. By these unerring rules of health and disease before us, we can tell with absolute certaintj^ the Health and Disease of Plants. 203 result of the 6um total of any number of given cases in sti'ong contrast with an equal number of other cases belonging to the same species. The question may be asked, what are the visible signs of health and disease, and how can we ascertain them ? In the first place, we shall endeavor to give some of the strongest marks of health, vigor, and endurance. In the second place, we shall give the strongest mai'ks of those of oppo- site tendencies. To fully describe these two states to the satisfaction of every per- son will be very difficult, unless we take two extreme cases, which we wiU do, and then leave it partially to the judgment of each person to arrive at any particular medium case. For instance, there is no person but knows a living plant from one that is not living ; likewise we all know when a plant is dying for the want of being placed in proper conditions to live. But how many of us know, by the peculia- rities of the plant itself, that it has a strong vital principle, and has a constitution ca- pable of resisting deleterious influences, and is not subject to hereditary disease ? When we see plants with robust, short- jointed, stocky form, and well matured wood, with dark-colored bark, twigs, and buds, with thick, strong, dark green leaves, and brilliant, high-colored, and beautiful opening flowers, and evenly developed, dark-colored fruit and very dark seed, we then behold the most perfect examples of health, and plants just sufficiently supplied with electricity, etc. Every plant has certain natural habits in a state of health or disease. The formation and growth of their roots, the inclination of their limbs and twigs, the shape of their buds, the Tinfolding of their leaves, the expansion and color of their flowers, the development and peculiarities of their fruit, the color of their bark, buds, and leaves, are all true marks of their condition, constitution, and health, which may be read and under- stood by any close observer. Though they have not locomotion of body, the symmetry of form, pulsation of heart. sensation of nerves, or so complete an or- ganization, or instinct of animals, yet they grow, seek nourishment in the direction in which it is to be obtained, perform the functions of life, unfold and perfect their fruit, make ample provision for the conti- nuation and progression of their species, and have as marked signs of health and disease as they have. From the above remarks we make the following deductions. The darker the color of the bark, foliage, flower, and fruit, all other things being equal, the more hardy and healthy plants are, and the greater will be their capabilities to with- stand the various vicissitudes of climate, whether it is the sudden and extreme change of temperature, unfavorable lo- cations, or the direct rays of the sun. High, brilliant colored flowers do not fade as soon as others, and all kinds keep longer in perfection by excluding the light. Upon the same principle, perishable articles will remain in a better condition and keep longer in the dark ; consequently, all vege- tation is susceptible of undergoing greater changes in that state without securing injury. Accordingly, plants will remove and transplant better in the dark, or by excluding the light from them a short time, which would give the dark of the moon the preference, (not from any in- fluence she has, but from the light she reflects) . The reason given for vegetation being more capable of resisting deleterious influences, and being susceptible of under- going greater changes, when in the above relations, is, it is in a positive state to the surrounding object, and has a surplus to give out, like a positive conductor to an electrical machine. Dark color is not only the best to accumulate, but the best to re- tain electricity, which can be illustrated in the dark, in a cool, dry atmosphere, upon a black cat, compared with a white one, by rubbing them on the back quickly with the hand ; the black one will give out sparks more abundantly, which can be seen and heard ; accordingly, it must be positive compared with the other. If our 204 The Horticulturist. theory is true, dark soil contains more of the essential principles of life, and will support vegetable growth the best, it being in a positive state, and has a surplus to spare. ■ We shall, in the next place, endeavor to give some of the signs of a deficient con- stitution. When we see plants with a feeble, delicate growth, immature wood, thin and very light-colored foliage and bark, fruit nearly colorless, (this being their natural condition, we then see de- fective constitutions, and deficient organi- zations, and examples of hereditary disease, which are incapable of withstanding the ' various changes of climate, and the nume- rous external influences operating upon them. Now as high color is a representation of hardiness, health, and vigor, so very light color is characteristic of tenderness, debil- ity, and disease ; consequently, the lighter the color of the leaves, flowers, bark, and fruit, all other things being the same, the less vitahty they have, and the more feeble their growth, and the more subject they are to the various vicissitudes of climate. White is so delicate a color, that Nature has concealed it almost from view, and protected it by a darker covering, as the bones, teeth, wood, and fruit. The beauti- ful pearl, the bright, glistening diamond, the rich treasures of platinum, silver, and gold, are all obscured from view by a darker color. Even the twinkling stars and the bright shining sun have their white rays partially shaded by red rays. The silvery moon, that gives her light by reflection, has her dark side ; likewise the earth has its day and night ; it can not endure the bright rays of the sun too long. The earth is wrapped in her gray mantle, and all nature at times is shrouded in somber hue, an emblem of stability and durability, as it were, to bid defiance to the surrounding elements. How delicate, feeble, and sensitive must the coldr be that nature has so universally protected and partially concealed from our view. If our theory is true, then we have as mark-ed a state of deficiency in the vege- table kingdom as in the animal. It is for us to make the improvement in the one case as well as in the other. Who has not observed the law of progress in the animal race in the symmetry of form, harmony of proportion, beauty of locomotion, and fineness of quality ? So, in the vegetable kingdom, we have a similar law of progress. We have made improvement in the growth and color of the flowers, in the quality of the fruit, but in many cases to the injury of the constitution. As in the animal race, we have overlooked one of the primary laws of progress, namely, color; conse- quently we have not made the improve- ment we should have done. Now as color is as essential to the constitution as stur- diup-ss of growth, symmetry of form, or fineness of quality, we should use the same judgment and discrimination in the color as in the other qualities. It is reasonable to suppose that the constitution is as sus- ceptible of improvement as the products of it are, if long enough continued in a proper manner. If so, it is the duty of the vegetable physiologist to point out the way and the laws to be observed in per- fecting the constitution and its products. It is a physiological fact, that a hereditary deficiency in an individual constitution can not be very easily and completely reme- died ; yet by hybridization with hardy healthy sorts and their seedlings, continued through several generations, and adhering strictly to the primary laws of vitality and color, we not only improve the products, but the constitution also. If the above deductions are true, we need never expect to make permanent im- provements in the constitution of plants by hybridizing with light-colored flowers or fruit, neither from their seedlings. It must be by selecting the darkest colored bark, foliage, flower, and fruit, and hybrid- izing with similar sorts and their seed- lings, where we must look for a rapid ad- vancement in the vegetable kingdom. We have now given you the two con- ditions of plants, the positive and nega- Residence of T. Allen. 205 tive. The dark represents the former, and the light color the latter. The positive leads to health, vigor, and progress ; the negative to debility, disease, and degene- racy ; yet it may lead to exquisite beauty. the finest quality, but in the end to disap- pointment ; while the positive has all the essential principles of life, health vig- or, durability, beauty, and quality, with the certainty of ultimate success. ■< » ^ ^ * »— RESIDENCE OF TRISTRAM ALLEN, ESQ., RAVENSWOOD, N. T. The accompanying view of Mr. Allen's adding to a dwelling which has ceased to house is a good example of the method of be of suflScient capacity for the require- Fig. 1. — Perspective . ments of the family. By reference to the basement or cellar plan, the outline "of the old house and the foundation of the new will be distinctly seen. The addition trans- forms the cottage to a villa, and in a man- ner which preserves the proportions as harmoniously as if the whole had been erected at one time and from one plan, thus illustrating a prominent advantage in this style of architecture, which admits more freely than any other successive ad- ditions, which, when properly designed, m Fig. 2. — Basement. add to the variety of outline, and its beauty of light and shade. The different floor plans show the arrangements of rooms and Fig. 3.— 1st Floor. their connection with the original building, which, it will be seen, are convenient and compact. 206 The Horticulturist. Ravenswood is one of the most elegant of the suburbs of New York, being near at hand, and having frequent and rapid communication with the city. Situated on Fig. 4.— 2d Floor. Gate Ferry, amid all the refinement of fine gardens, polished landscape scenery, and architectural taste, it presents at once all the Long Island shore, opposite the centre of Manhattan Island, overlooking the great metropolis and its outlying cities, of easy access to the Central Park by the Hell — Attic. the enjoyments that a combination of city and country life can afford. COMPARATIVE HARDINESS OF THE DELAWARE AND CONCORD GRAPE VINES. BY REV. LUTHER DODD, TOLEDO, IOWA. In the June number of the Horticul- turist is an article over the signature of Dr. H. Schroder, of Bloomington, Illinois. There is a single item in that article which I wish to notice. After commending the Concord very highly for its hardiness, he says : " The Delaware is very tender." I wish simply to state a few facts which came immediately under my own observa- tion, and your readers may each make his own inference. My residence is in Cen- tral Iowa, over a degree north of Bloom- ington, Illinois ; my garden on high prai- rie, facing- north, and without scarcely any protection. I have a Delaware vine, a large layer, bought of Dr. Grant, and planted in its present locality, two years ago last spring. Last season it bore ten fine bunches of grapes. The middle of November, I pruned and covered it lightly with soil. It was in a locality so entirely exposed to the northwest winds that I Boon observed that most of the covering was blown off; but I thought that I would let it be to try its hardiness. It had pleased me well in growing and bearing fruit ; now for a trial of its hardiness. The place was so completely exposed to the wind that very little snow lodged on it during the winter. There it lay, pinned down with forked sticks to the ground, exposed to the peltings of the wind all winter. As I saw it, from time to time, I feared that the test would be too severe ; but, highly as I valued it, I let it alone until time to take it up in April. I had let two shoots grow, of which I have made arms this season. These arms have each five shoots now (Ith of June) which have made from fifteen to twenty inches growth each, and each show from one to three, generally three, bunch- es of grapes. The vine shows every sign of perfect health. Now for the Concord. I have a Concord vine planted four years last spring — a good plant — which has made good growth, and borne fruit for the last three seasons. Its locality is further down the slope, and so Hardiness of the Delaivare and Concord Grape Vines. 207 near the fence that it was much better pro- tected than the Delaware by snow. It was pruned and laid down at the same time with the Delaware, and covered in the same manner. Its protection was in every way equal, and in many respects better than that of the Delaware. The arms had been made two years ago, and the shoots or cordons were cut back last fall to three buds. When taken up this spring, the primary buds were nearly all destroyed. It was late before it showed any signs of life, and the few shoots which have at length grown have made but very feeble progress ; the vine is about as good as dead. Of the eight Concords which I planted a year ago last spring, not one lived over winter. They were all covered with earth; but all killed, root and branch. Delawares, planted at the same time, and treated in the same way, are mostly alive and growing finely. Some very feeble plants, which made but little growth last summer, died. Isabella, Diana, Allen's and Rogers' Hybrids, Tokalon, York Ma- deira, Rebecca, Ontario, Cuyahoga, and Golden Clinton, all treated just as the Delaware, were killed. Of the forty va- rieties I have none stood the test of last winter, except the Clinton, equal to the Delaware. Next to the Delaware, the Creveling ; then the Anna ; next Concord , or the Hartford Prolific^it is about a tie. Two Concords, set out a year ago last spring, were found dead this spring, and a Creveling between them alive to the last bud, and now growing finely. They had all been set out at the same time, and treated alike, and made about equal growth last season. Now, Mr. Editor, all I desire is fair play. I have no interest in crying down either the Concord or the Delaware. Of the hardiness and general value of the Concord I have no doubt. But my expe- rience is that the Delaware is not relatively tender, and consequently of little worth. They are both valuable in their place. In ordinary seasons either of them are hardy enough, with a little protection, to stand the winters of Illinois or Iowa. I hope that we shall have but few such trying winters as the last was. I have no dispo- sition to engage in a controversy with Dr. Schroder. He gives his views honestly ; I tell my experience faithfully. Facts must decide questions of this kind, and facts I have stated. Much depends on the way a vine is treated. Neither unripe wood or unripe roots will stand the rigors of an Iowa winter. ^« <»-<►-»>- A NEW MODE OF TRAINING AND PROTECTING VINES. TRANSLATED FROM DU BREUIL BY C. MARIE. Mr. Marie sends us the following trans- lation, describing a new mode of training and protecting the vine. It is not calcu- lated for the vineyard, but has some merit when protection is desirable from whatev- er cause. Let the reader compare this with Mr. Weed's, in our last, and say which is the simplest and best. "The vines are to be planted en cordon vertical, the height ranging from 0. 16 inch- es to 40 inches, according to the vigor of the vines. {Figs. 1,2, and 3.) This form is perfectly well suited to the preservation or renewal of one or more long canes, as is shown by the figures. These canes, which can be renewed every year by a shoot reserved at their base, are more or less numerous, and are pruned shorter or longer, according to the vigor of the vines. These vines are supported in the following manner : for vines of little vigor or trained low, {Fig. 1,) place on each row of vines two wires arranged as in a trellis. The first wire. A, is placed at 12 inches from the ground ; the second, B, at 24 inches. For stronger growers, {Fig. 2,) where the canes are trained 28 inches, three wires are to be used ; the first. A, at 12 inches 208 The Horticulturist. from the ground ; the second, B, at 26 the wind will not move them, place at inches ; and the third, C, at 40 inches, every twenty feet, on each of the double Fig. 1. For the very strongest growers, [Fig. 3,) four wires are to be used, the first. A, at 12 inches from the ground ; the second, B, at 14 inches from the first wire ; the third , Fig. 2. C, 14 inches above the second ; and the 4th, D, at 56 inches from the ground. Each vine, during its formation, will be fastened to a stake, which is to be fast- ened to the wires, and no higher than the top wire. These stakes are only to be used until the vines have attained their full height. After this, the vines are to be fastened to the wires. One of the up- per wires of the two double lines, the one placed on the north or west, (A, Fig. 4,) must be 5 inches lower than the wire B of the opposite side. "In order to stiffen these trellises, so that Fig. 3. lines or rows, a strong post, (C,) soaked in sulphate of copper, and reaching to the height of the vines A and B, the top one of each row, as seen in the figure. Stakes D, to stiffen and steady the post C and C, are fastened together with wire at the point where they cross each other, (E.) Fig. 4. "This plan facilitates the use of shelter, to prevent the vines from late frosts and prolonged dampness in the summer. All that is necessary to be done is to place a straw mat, F, [Fig. 4,) 32 inches wide, on top of the double line of wires. The straw Monuments. 209 mat will naturally be inclined towards the north or west, in consequence of the dif- ference of level of the wires, the result of which will be, that the rays of the sun will have free access from the south or east ; that it will afford better protection against the cold winds, and offer less re- sistance to them." MONUMENTS.— NO. III. BY A PARISH MINISTER. It is natural and becoming that we should follow the friends we have lost with deep and affectionate regrets, that we should treasure up in our memories all the proofs of their love and kindness towards us, and that in the fulness of our overflowing hearts we should endeavor to demonstrate, by all acts of reverential tenderness still in our power, how much we mourn their loss, how much we desire to preserve their be- loved remains from being disturbed, and to keep up the remembrance of them in the minds of those who survive, and who were once their neighbors and familiar friends. It is for these purposes that we mark the places where we have committed their bodies to the ground, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, with memorial stones. This is not only natural, but becoming and right in itself, supposing that no feelings of vanity or ostentation interfere to vitiate the amiable and sacred sentiments of reverence and affectionate remembrance. And, although these memorials can in no way benefit the departed, they may be a christian act, and one that may profit the living. It is a comforting christian doctrine that there is communion still between those who are living in the faith and fear of God on earth, and those who are resting from their labors in the repose of Paradise. Of the nature of this communion and fellowship we know, indeed, but little; but one of its practical results is to produce in us a deep feeling of reverence towards the departed — not only reverence for their sa- cred dust and for the graves which hold their crumbling bodies in trust, but a reve- rence which would make us careful and even sensitive of speaking of them in any manner which would imply exaggeration or boasting. It is the natural impulse of strong affec- tion to remember the good qualities of the dead, and to forget the imperfections and infirmities of which we were more or less conscious while they were living. If we speak of them at all, it is as if they had been almost faultless. We shrink from the con- templation of their failings, and our mem- ory loves to dwell on the good qualities which made them dear to us. But, as respects our deepest feelings for those who are gone before, we are altogether silent. Our thoughts of them are too sacred for us to allow a stranger to intermeddle with them. We would hide them from the gaze of the thoughtless and indifferent, in some secret corner of our hearts, even as the green earth hides their fading forms. Such feelings of delicate and pious re- serve ought to incline us to be equally careful with regard to the inscriptions we place upon their tombstones. If we are so sensitive in the one case, we should not be less so in the other; we should allow no inscriptions or epitaphs which would be likely to provoke unfeeling comments from strangers, or which could in any way expose their lives and characters to the criticisms of the rude and unsympathizing world. Monumental inscriptions should, there- fore be free from all expression of ex- aggerated personal feeling or affection, and from all praise of the deceased, except, of course, in those instances of eminent pub- lic worth where moderate praise could not 210 Tlie Horticulturist. be withheld, and even in such cases, the simpler and briefer the inscription, the better. In ancient times the tombs of the departed were frequently left without even the names of their occupants being ins- cribed thereon, their surviving friends being content that these resting-places should be simply marked with some chris- tian symbol, like the cross, to protect them from disturbance. And when inscriptions were introduced, they were made as short and worded as humbly as possible. It is a good thing that we now have, in the neighborhood of nearly all our large cities and considerable towns, permanent and decent cemeteries which are never likely to be d-isturbed and desecrated by "the spirit of improvement," as it is oddly enough called. This new interest and at- tention to the places of burial has created new interest and attention to the subject of monuments and inscriptions. As res- pects the latter, there are too many instan- ces of bad taste. Without going into details, we cannot avoid alluding to a species of sentimentalism which is very common and which ought to be avoided. We mean such inscriptions as these : "Our Dear Little Willie , " " Our Darling Fannie , ' ' etc., etc. These children may have been, and doubtless were, inexpressibly dear, and their departure felt as a great affliction. But the careless stranger does not sympa- thise with these feelings. It does not concern him that this affection and grief should be paraded, perhaps in gilded letters, and with an affected orthography of familiar names. A head-stone has recently been ordered from one of the drawings presented in our article in the May number of the Horti- culturist. We copy the inscription, with change of names, as illustrative of our idea of what is suitable in such cases. JOHN THOMAS CHRISTIAN, THIRD SON OF EDWARD AND MARY HOPE. BORN, JULY 1, A. D. 1860. DIED, JULY 1, A. D. 1862. "he GIVETH his BELOVED SLEEP." This is to be cut in the plain Roman letter, without any flourish or ornamen- tation. For the text from Scripture the old English letter, to which we are partial, might be used. But as a general rule, inscriptions should be so plain that they may be easily read by children and persons partially instructed. Texts of Scripture, expressive of chris- tian humility and hope are always appro- priate. But poetr}'^ should be avoided as offensive to good taste. If we were not writing upon a serious subject, we might present many examples of poetic inscrip- tions which are painfully ridiculous. But we forbear, leaving the suggestions we have offered, at this point, to be taken up again, perhaps, in a future number. ^ 6 ^ <^-»{ft^- A New Grape District. — Standing on the lake shore at Cleveland and looking westward, at the distance of sixteen miles we see a high point of land putting out into the lake, known as Avon Point. , This point is not very pointed in fact, though it looks so to the spectator on the shore at Cleveland, but is a wide projection of land, ten miles wide in the waist, with a rather abrupt corner on the northeast which faces this city, and contains an area of a thou- sand acres. This land on Avon Point, being high and of a firm clay composition, has been judged just the thing for grapes, and as the Point is encircled on three sides by the lake it is thought to be as well protected as the Islands. In view of these facts, several gentlemen of Elyria and vicinity have com- menced the planting of grapes on Avon Point, and have already put in some fifty acres of vines. This auspicious beginning has had the effect to run up the price of land almost to the fancy figures which it bears in the grape regions of Sandusky and the Islands. — Ohio Farmer. Colmar Des Invalides Pear. 211 COLMAR DES INVALIDES PEAR. Fruit, very large, pyriform. Skin, rus- Calyx, small, open, segments stiff, in a setty yellow, sprinkled with russet dots, small, shallow basin. Stott, stout, long, set at an angle in a one-sided depression, with a fleshy protuberance . Flesh, white , coarse , somewhat gritty at core, moderately juicy, sweet, half melting, with a good flavor. Our specimens ripened during the first week in May. It may be classed as a good late winter Dear. 212 The Horticulturist. MOUNT LEBANON AND ITS PEAR ORCHARD. BY WILLIAM BACON, RICHMOND, MASS. To THOSE familiar with the location of the village of the "United Society" at New Lebanon, or, as the post-office dis- tinguishes it, Mount Lebanon, any de- scription will be needless ; but, as our remarks will probably fall under the notice of many who have never visited their neat and pleasant village, and as we may at future times allude to their successful hor- ticulture, it may be proper to enter more minutely into the details of their locality than would be necessary if we gave their operations only a passing notice. Geographically, this village is in lat. 42 deg. 30 min. north, a;nd in long. 73 deg. 25 min. west. It is located on the western slope of the Taconic mountain, which forms an angle in its course at or near the south family, towards the east, and then stretches off in a direction north by east, towards Vermont. The mountain here rises some seven or eight hundred feet above "Lebanon Flat," and about two hundred feet up its side, and at an eleva- tion of near one thousand feet above tide water, the village a,nd gardens are located. Here, high in the air, and with a full ex- posure to northerly and westerly winds, this persevering and industrious people have attained a success in horticulture, which ought to be imitated by all, and may well raise the blush of shame on those who have failed of success in more favored localities. It may reasonably be supposed, that with so extensive and abrupt a slope as is shown by the western face of this moun- tain, the heavy rains would wash the muck oflf the surface ; but their judicious man- agement appears to have, to a great extent, remedied this evil. In October last, we were invited to visit a pear orchard, located east of the village, on the side hill, having a full exposure to the northwest. The trees were mainly standards, and apparently about a dozen years old, and at the time of this visit they exhibited such a burden of fruit as we had never before seen on trees of similar age and size. There were, no barren trees among them, and not an inferior or sickly tree in the whole orchard ; and, what was more and far better, the pears were all large and exceeding fair for their several varieties. The question now comes up, how did they attain so desirable success in so un- promising a locality ? The answer lies as follows : It is a principle with this people to be thorough in whatever they under- take. Thorough draining and deep tillage are, with them, synonymous with success- ful cultivation ; and this land was, of course, well drained and thoroughly cul- tivated. In preparing the holes for the reception of the trees, ample space was allowed to give the roots years of exten- sion before they reached the earth that had not been removed ; and then, good and thrifty trees were set, and the finely pulverized soil, intermixed with a liberal proportion of compost, was placed around them. We are not informed of the general after-culture of these trees, but their thriftiness, both in growth and bearing, showed conclusively that ample justice had been done them. Last fall the ground was in gi-ass, but the trees, for some dis- tance from the trunk, were heavily littered with refuse coarse grass. This kept the soil loose over and around them, and en- abled them to retain a more equal degree of moisture than would otherwise have been the case. It also tends to equalize the temperature of the soil, shielding it from the scorching heats of summer and the severe cold of winter — two considera- tions of great importance in successful fruit-growing. Mount Lebanon and its Pear Orchard. 213 Another feature in this orchard, prob- ably connected with thrift and fertility, was, that the trunk of each tree was pro- tected by a straw covering, extending from the ground to the lowest branches. Here was labor expended beyond that usually given to pear, or, indeed, any other fruit trees ; for the advantages of which, it is claimed that it is injurious to the trunk of any fruit tree to be exposed to the scorching rays of the summer's sun, or the equally destructive influence of the severe frosts of winter. Perhaps we may well say it saves the tree from the fre- quent freezings and thawings to which fruit trees are so subject. It also protects the trunk from the depredations of insects, such as the bark louse, that has been so formidable an enemy to many young fruit trees, especially those of the careless cul- tivator, for a few years past. We found in this orchard, one of the beet specimens of successful pear culture that has ever fallen under our observation, and we have alluded to it to show the faint-hearted and careless pear grower how high a success may be attained where nat- ural causes are somewhat deficient, by adopting a thorough and sj'stematic course of cultivation. Some will no doubt say, that they cannot bestow the amount of labor on their trees, which appears to have been expended on those under considera- tion. But to the Shakers, it has been "the labor that profiteth," and this is the ulti- mate object and end of all labors, in some way or another. In pear-growing, one of the great hin- drances lies in the lack of labor and watch- fulness. To do right things, in the right way, and at the right time, is important in any business, and becomes more import- ant in proportion to the obstacles to be surmounted and the end to be attained. Good pears are healthful, and are a favorite fruit with all. Yet but a small proportion of the population are furnished with even a meagre supply. There is no reasonable cause why they are not. There may be, and sometimes are, failures in the growth of trees, and in their productive- ness, which the cultivator cannot prevent ; unpropitious seasons may bring blight, or new and unheard-of insects may make pro- gress in the work of destruction, " while, men sleep," and before their existence is known ; but nine-tenths of the want of success lies in the carelessness of the cul- tivator. It is a pleasure to look upon a tree we have planted, and see it expand in propor- tions of symmetrical beauty. It invigo- rates the whole man to see such a tree awake from the lethargy of winter and deck itself with the flowery beauty of spring, or put on the more sober verdure of summer. It is a luxury, a health-giving luxury, to sit under its shade in autumn, and feast the taste upon its ripe, falling fruit, blush- ing in gratitude for labor bestowed upon the parent tree to give it health and strength to hold it until maturity had done its work of softening it to delicious jjulp and painting it for a festal destiny. Haj^py are they, and sure of abundant success, who labor faithfully and unremittingly to secure such pleasure. FORCING STRAWBERRIES. BY RICHMOND. Although the culture of the strawberry in the open air has been brought to great perfection in this country', its culture un- der glass has not generally received the attention it merits. This results, no doubt, from the ill success attending the forcing of the finer varieties, without reference to their sexual character, which, strange to say, is often overlooked by those who, in the out-door culture of the Strawberry, are 214 The Horticulturist. great sticklers for the proper quantity of staminates for their pistillates. This modern discovery, which has been 60 successful, and is now so well under- stood, can be adapted to forcing as well as to out-door culture, and it is to be credited to the discernment of American horticul- turists. The person to whom the honor of its discovery is due is unknown to me, but it is conceded to be one of the greatest improvements in the culture of