SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 419 



have doubled it. On this vineyard I have applied this year 100 pounds of 

 sulphate of ammonia, 325 pounds of muriate of potash, 400 pounds of dis- 

 solved hone black, 75 pounds of sulphate of magnesia and 300 pounds of 

 South Carolina rock phospate. 



This was thoroughly mixed and evenly sown broadcast, and for an experi- 

 ment I sowed one bag of Stockbridge fertilizer for grapes on one-half the 

 vineyard ; the difference is hardly noticeable. The reason for increasing the 

 amount of fertilizer was that the foliage had not always been quite satisfac- 

 tory ; but this year it is all that I could, desire. I keep the ground free from 

 weeds and cultivate thoroughly with an Acme harrow. 



Barren Vines. — P. M. Augur, of Connecticut, corroborates the testi- 

 mony of Prof. Munson, which we have before quoted, concerning barrenness 

 of grapevines: It is very well known that very many wild vines rarely bear 

 fruit, some never. The chief reason is unisexuality of the vine. In some 

 cases the anthers are defective with a good stigma, in which case planting a 

 fertile vine which is perfect in bloom and that is bisexual, like the Concord, 

 will induce full productiveness by cross-fertilization; if, as is sometimes the 

 case, the stigma is defective, the fertile male pollen will be wholly inopera- 

 tive and no influences of culture or pruning will reach the case with any cer- 

 tainty, and the vine had better be abandoned and a better one put in its 

 place. Again, some varieties which are valuable and, under favorable cir- 

 cumstances, productive may have reflex stamens which render fertilizing 

 difficult, in which case the arm of a fertile vine in close proximity may give 

 cross-fertilization and secure fruitfulness. My advice to all growers is to 

 plant those varieties which are free from these defects — the Concord, Wor- 

 den, Ulster, Lady, Martha, Niagara, Pocklington, Empire State, and many 

 others. Let me here suggest to grape-growers and hybridizers that the use 

 of a good magnifying glass to examine the character of a flower of fruit 

 trees, plants and vines will open a world of interest to any student of nature 

 and will enable producers of new seedlings to save much expenditure of time 

 and labor in experiments on absolutely worthless varieties. 



' Whenever a plant has flowers having a weak or imperfect stigma it should 

 at once be rejected as radically worthless. On the other hand, particularly 

 with the strawberry, a pistillate variety having a strong cone is usually 

 exceptionally fertile. The plant spending its energies in forming the female 

 organs is found preternaturally developed and having a strong affinity for 

 the pollen of another; the tendency to great productiveness is intensified 

 and pollenization is even more perfect than in a bisexual variety self-fertil- 

 ized. Here the law of compensation comes in and has its full value. 



PEARS. 



For Family Use. — The following list of pears was prepared by Charles 

 Downing as adapted for succession in family use when the planter has plenty 

 of room: 



