116 



HORTICULTURAL SUGGESTIONS AND MEMORANDA. 



culture. And if this rot could be stopped 

 or cured, we could grow grapes spontane- 

 ously, to any considerable extent ; and I 

 fancy I see your readers look very queer, 

 in view of this said "if," — "If the sky 

 falls," &c. But "try again," should be 

 the motto of the pomologist. 



Books, Seeds, Cuttings, &c. — Your 

 package of books, seeds and cuttings, I 

 considered invaluable in the west, though 

 they were so long delayed by the state 

 of the spring transportation that the latter 

 all perished, though sent through by ex- 

 press. 



The Bassano beets are splendid — so ear- 

 ly and so sweet. Why, the good house- 

 wife can sow the seed when she feeds the 

 chickens in the morning, and have fine 

 greens and beets for dinner, if not the same 

 dav, at least in a very few days after. 



The Prince Albert peas were ripe in five 

 weeks from planting. 



The English Prize cucumbers in our soil 

 are long enough for fishpoles, fine growers, 

 and of good flavor. 



The Ispahan melon grew finely; but 

 unfortunately, all the vines were destroyed 

 by the maggot but one, and that was so 

 injured that I fear I shall not save the 

 seed. 



The Cedars of Lebanon came up, and 

 still grow, but I fear the climate will not 

 suit them. 



None of the Arbor Vita seed came, and 

 few of the Junipers, as yet. 



I planted all my vine seeds in a frame, 

 as recommended in the Horticulturist, on 

 blue grass sod, covered with cotton cloth, 

 without oiling the latter; and I think it 

 saved me one-half of my usual labor, with- 



out the loss of a single vine from bugs 

 through the season. This fact alone is 

 worth more to me and my neighbors than 

 the Horticulturist will cost for years. 



My watermelons, planted where toma- 

 toes had grown two seasons before, are of 

 twice the size and vigor of growth of those 

 planted in the same way, at the same 

 time, and on the same soil, side by side. 

 Is this a general result ? I have just eaten 

 specimens of pears, now fully ripe, (July 

 20j presented me by Elihu Wolcott, 

 Esq., and described by him last year in 

 the Prairie Farmer. The season is two 

 or three weeks later than common ; but 

 they are now, indeed, a fine ripe pear, 

 of good flavor for the season. More anon. 

 Respectfully yours, J. B. Turner. 



Illinois College, July 31, 1849. 



[Thanks, for the above interesting sug- 

 gestions ; we trust they will call out still 

 more light on the very interesting topics 

 touched upon. 



The rot in Catawba and Isabella grapes, 

 is very little known at the east ; and in- 

 deed, until last season, never appeared to 

 any serious extent. This year, we believe, 

 there is much less of it than last season. 



We hope careful investigation will lead 

 to some accurate knowledge of the nature 

 of the disease. From some experiments of 

 our own, we are inclined to believe that 

 covering the surface of the soil over the 

 roots with two or three inches of straw or 

 litter, to preserve the ground in an uniform 

 condition of moisture and heat, and never 

 pruning the vines at all in summer, (de- 

 pending solely on severe autumn or winter 

 pruning,) will greatly lessen, and, perhaps, 

 entirely remove this disease. Ed.] 



