SUMMER MEETING. 95 



and has a boy with water to go over and wet the moss occasionally to keep the 

 graft damp. Mr. Butler, of New York, who has a vineyard of 150 acres, also 

 spoke of his success in grafting the grape. The weaker growers are worked on 

 the stronger ones, and the bunches of fruit grapes are thus often increased one- 

 third. A paper from Prof. T. V. Munson, of Texas, was also read on "Ameri- 

 can Grapes." Mr. Scribner, professor of botany, and employed by the agricul- 

 tural department to investigate diseases of fruits, read an interesting paper on 

 the diseases of the grapes. The professor is confident from what has already 

 been learned of this disease, that in a very short time, we will learn to effect- 

 ually prevent this now widespread and fatal disease On the last day (fourth) 

 the delegates were invited to visit the President at the White House, where we 

 all went in a body, and received a cordial welcome by the chief magistrate of 

 the nation. We were all individually introduced by Commissioner Colman. 



The session was then again resumed, when instructive papers were again read 

 and discussed. Mr. Wetmore, of California, the elected president of the asso- 

 ciation, closed the meeting with an appropriate address. During the sessions of 

 the meeting a bill was gotten up to be presented to Congress, prohibiting the 

 adulteration of American wines. A committee was also appointed to memori- 

 alize Congress to create a bureau of viticulture in the department of agricul- 

 ture. The evenings were spent in the Masonic Hall, for the sampling of 

 American wines and raisins. The grape men here had a good opportunity to 

 make personal acquaintance, and to enjoy a good social time. Several hun- 

 dred gentlemen and ladies were thus assembled, and everything went off merry 

 and happy. On the last evening of this occasion, the members of the United 

 States Senate and House of Representatives were invited to attend, and many 

 of the gentlemen responded The society decided to hold its next meeting 

 again in Washington. The organization is destined to grow into a powerful 

 one, and there is every reason to believe that it will accomplish the end in view 

 With the above I will close my report, and wish you abundant success at your 

 meeting. 



The last exercise of the afternoon was the reading of a note upon 



ORNAMENTAL USE OF VINES. 

 OSSIAN C. SIMONDS, WRIGHT'S GROVE, ILLINOIS. 



Vines grow naturally on trees, and in their native wilds are always graceful 

 and beautiful, even though they have outlived their supporting companions 

 and conceal a decaying stub or scramble over the roots and trunks of a fallen 

 monarch of the forest. In cultivated pleasure grounds, however, such as parks 

 about cities and grounds about one's residence, we look for healthfulness and 

 vigor as well as grace and beauty, and it seems to me in poor taste to introduce 

 a stump for vines to climb over, or allow partially dead trees to remain in such 

 grounds, even though they may be covered with a luxurious growth of vines. 



By selecting suitable trees and vines, I believe they will live together for 

 years without interfering with each other's happiness, and furnish us each year 

 with the most charming contrasts of form and color. The soil in this case 

 should be rich enough to support both, and the tree should be vigorous, or have 

 so much the start of the vine, that the latter will not overtop and smother it. 



We see wild grapes covering the banks of streams and lakes in a most 

 attractive manner, and again decorating old fences, and spreading themselves 



