DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 109 



Hemlock spruces have all been much injured. Not one escaped, althougli 

 Ave had quite a large number in various situations. Two out of six in a bed of 

 rliododcndrons wore killed by a cold snow-storm, followed by a bright sun and 

 thaw in March of this year. They were covered with a lattice screen. 



Among deciduous trees the chestnuts continue to do well, with the exception 

 to one side of the trunk of some of them. This year the first ripe nuts were 

 raised. Horse-chestnuts do poorly, mountain ash also, and all the willows Avhich 

 liave been budded or grafted in the top. Birches all thrive. 



Some trees arc very desirable on a place planted in groups, not too near tlie 

 l)uildings, flowers and foliage plants are attractive, Init none of them excel a 

 well kept lawn on ground which lias been well prepared and properly seeded. 



SMALL FRUITS. 



Tlie rows of currants have been extended. The crop this year was excellent. 

 We keep the bushes well mulclied with straw and other coarse stuff, a? tomato 

 vines and cornstalks. 



The strawberry crop has also been good. A new l^ed larger than the old one 

 was set this spring. We have about thirty of the best sorts, including some of 

 recent origin. These are planted in small beds. What few raspberry bushes 

 we had bore well. Blackberries were not a good crop. A good-sized })lat of 

 gooseberries has been set. 



Our new plat of raspberries of some 1, TOO vines did very poorly, many of the 

 plants dying. I think the plants of many of tliem were injured before wo got 

 them by alternately freezing and thawing during the open winter. 



XnE YIXEYAIID 



has been extended further east along the river bank sloping to the south. Five 

 rows now extend twenty rods long. 



Posts of swam}) oak have been set between every two plants in the rows. 

 Three wires are stretched for support of the vines. 



They are held to the post Ijy a single eight-penny wrought nail to each wire 

 on each post. The nail is driven below the Avire till it only projects about an 

 inch, then the head is bent over the wire. This is better than a staple, and 

 cheajwr. The wires are about ten rods long, passing through holes in the end 

 posts, whicli are well braced. 



At one end the wires are fastened to the post, at tlie other end they pass through 

 the post and then through a two by four scantling, Avhicli is pried off from tlie 

 post several inches and kept there by blocks to keep the wares tight and straight 

 in summer. When we trim and lay the vines down the blocks are I'onioved 

 between the scantling and posts, letting tlie wires slack up during the cold 

 weather to prevent them from breaking. 



There are about 300 vines set, wdth space for new sorts which avc may want to 

 test. Last spring the terraces were well graded and nicely sodded on the south 

 edge. The soil is mostly fine gravel and sand, though some of it to the east end 

 has clay bottom. 



Most of the vines arc Concords, tliough some are Delawares. We have one or 

 more vines of Ives' seedlhig, Hartford Prolific, Clinton, Kebecca, Taylor's Bul- 

 let, Cottage, Eogers' 19 perfected by Brad Held, Rogers' 1. 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 15, 19, 

 30, 33, 39, 43, 44, 45, Croton, MaxataAvney, 3Iartha, Othello (dead), CreA"eling, 

 Brant, Eumelan, Norton's Virginia, lona, Adirondac (dead), Concord seedling 

 by Bradfield, DelaAvare seedling by Bradfield, Cynthiana, Allen's, Diana, Lady 



