AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 



137 



years' experience in its cultivation ; during 

 which time, the different systems of pruning 

 have all been tried, and many of the vine- 

 yards in France and on the Rhine, in Italy 

 and other countries, have been visited, and 

 and the manner of pruning, the varieties of 

 soil, and the amount of fruit which a vine 

 is permitted to ripen, have been examined 

 and ascertained. 



" The disadvantages we labor under in 

 this countr\', in forcing fruit, from the ex- 

 treme coldnesss of the weather in winter, 

 are counterbalanced, in some degree, by 

 the superior brilliancy of the sun, and con- 

 sequent dryness of the atmosphere at the 

 time of ripening, which give a flavor to the 

 fruit such as it can rarely be made to attain 

 in the moist, dull and cloudy weather of 

 England." 



Mr. Allen's pamphlet, it will be remem- 

 bered, is intended chiefly for the use of 

 those having" viyieries. His directions for 

 for the culture of grapes out of doors are 

 very brief, and of comparatively little mo- 

 ment. But he treats of the culture of grapes 

 under glass sj-stematically, and though with 

 brevity and conciseness throughout, yet in 

 a way best calculated to instruct the novice 

 in vine culture. The construction of the 

 grapery, the preparation of the border, and 

 planting the vines, are first explained ; then 

 the routine of pruning and management in 

 the cold-house, (or vinery without fire-heats,) 

 is considered; this is followed by the details 

 of a forcing vinery, then that of a retarding 

 house, and the work closes with an expla- 

 nation, with cuts, of different modes of 

 pruning and training the vine. 



" For a cold house," Mr. Allen recom- 

 mends the following selection of varieties : 



Black Hamburgh, 

 Rose, or Kcd Chasselas, 

 Chasselas de Bar sur Aube, 

 White Froiitigiian, 

 Grizzly Frontigiiaii, 

 Pjlmasiou While Cluster, 



Golden Chasselas, 

 White Gascoipne, 

 Royal Muscaniue, 

 Wilmoi's New Black liar 

 burgh. 



" For a forcing house :" 

 Vol. II. 



Black Hamburgh, 

 Rose, or Red Chasselas, 

 Chasselas de Bar sur Aube, 

 While FrontiL'iiaii, 

 Grizzly Froiitigiiaii, 

 Black Froiitigiian, 

 Pilmasloii White Cluster, 



Golden Chasselas, 

 White Gnscoigne, 

 Royal Muscadine, 

 Wilmot's New Black Ham- 

 burgh, 

 Muscat of Alexandria, 

 Ziufiiidal. 



Brief descriptions are given of forty or 

 fifty other varieties cultivated by Mr. Allen. 



The author's mode of preventing mildew 

 is to strew sulphur early in July, over the 

 floor of the house, at the rate of one pound 

 to every twenty square feet. This may be 

 repeated twice every summer. The sulphur 

 is by no means allowed to touch the fruit, 

 but if necessary the vines are syringed at 

 evening, and ihe foliage dusted with it. 



As Ave predict that this timely little trea- 

 tise on the grape Avill speedily be in the 

 hands of ever}' cultivator of the foreign vine 

 in the country, we will not do more at pre- 

 sent than cordially recommend it as well 

 worthy their attention. 



Agricultural Botany : ^n ennmeralion arid 

 description of useful plants and weeds, which 

 vierit thenotice, or require the attention of Ameri- 

 can Agriculturists. By William Darlington, 

 M.D. Philadelphia, J. W. Mcore ; New-York, 

 Newinan &. Co. 12mo. 270 pp. 

 Dk. Darlington, already well known as a 

 botanist, has, in this compact little volume, 

 endeavored to widen the interest, and give 

 a higher meaning to the life of the farmer, 

 by adding to his knowledge of that portion 

 of the vegetable kingdom which comes un- 

 der his observation every day of his life. It 

 should, to a reflecting mind, appear singu- 

 lar that most farmers pass their whole lives 

 in comparative ignorance of the names and 

 properties of half the trees and plants that 

 surround them ; yet we fear, such would 

 prove to be the lamentable fact to a curious 

 investigator. 



Dr. Darlington considers some rational 

 knowledge of the vast and multiform vege- 

 table creation around indispensable to a 

 rightly instructed people. He has, there- 

 fore, dedicated this volume to the young 



18 



