198 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



at any previous show, as is shown by the receipts, 

 being upwards ot'iwo thousand dollars more. 



The general disi)lay was fully equal to any for- 

 mer one; indeed, with one or two exce))tions, the 

 departments were better fille<l than they have 

 ever been on any previous ocea.<ion. In the hor- 

 ticultural department, the show was highly credita- 

 ble. Considering that it was held at an earlier 

 time than heretofore, the display of apples and 

 pears was much better than was anticipated. 

 There were no large collections of fruits from 

 states, as at Buffalo and Syracuse; but with the 

 exception of peaches, we think the show of fruits 

 has not been surpassed in any previous year. 



The collections of fruits by H. Vail, Troy, Dr. 

 Wendell. Albany, Elvvanger & Barr}', Rochester, 

 Jona. Battey, Keeseville, Wilson, Thorburn & 

 Teller, Albany, were lar<re and tine; and the less 

 extensive but choice collections of Messrs. Pren- 

 tice, Rathbone, Denniston, Dorr, Dr. March, 

 Goold, Gary, and others, of Albany, Menand of 

 Watervliet, and Pratt of Greenbush, made a good 

 appearance, and were entitled to much credit 



The principal contributor to this part of the ex- 

 hibition, from out the state, was R. L. Colt, Esq., 

 of Paterson, N. J., whose collection received 

 great praise. His specimens of foreign grapes, 

 of several varieties, were uncommonly fine. Dr. 

 J. M. Ward; of New- Jersey, also sent several ex- 

 cellent specimens of peaches and other fruits, 

 which were worthy of special notice. 



How TO GROW Melons. — Mr. Downing — I 

 had the pleasure of eating some very fine musk- 

 melons at Cottage Lawn, the seat of Thomas W. 

 LuDi.ow, Esq., and he kindly gave me the follow- 

 ing account of his method of treating them, which 

 is so much less expensive and more simple than 

 the usual manner of protecting the young plants 

 ■with hand glasses, (which require a small fortune 

 devoted to them alone,) that I think it may be 

 useful to some of your readers: 



After the young plants have been " started" in 

 a frame, they are set out in the melon patch, and 

 each one is enclosed by four common bricks, laid 

 flat on the broadside ; and the space at the top is 

 covered over with a pane of ordinary window 

 glass. This enclosure remains until the plant 

 reaches the glass, when the bricks are turned up 

 on one side, and the glass replaced. By the time 

 they have grown up to this " roof," they are 

 strong enough to do without protection, and the 

 season so far advanced that frost is not feared. 

 The fruit, resulting from this treatment, was un- 

 commonly fine and large, and the vines very 

 healthy and strong. The seeds may be sown at 

 once in the melon-bed, if more convenient, and 

 enclosed with the brick and glass. Very truly 

 yours, A Reader. 



Philadelphia Subscriber impliediv promised to let 

 )"our readers know the cost of a vinery, which he 

 was erecting, on the plan of the Clinton Point 

 Vinery, though on a smaller scale. I believe that 

 gentleman has forgotten his promise ; at any rate, I 

 have not noticed its fulfilment. If he will be pleased 

 to send to you a particular dcscrij)tion of his 

 grapery, with its cost — the depth and extent of 

 his border; and especially, if a drawing of it could 

 be furnished, it would be very useful to many gen- 

 tlemen who are contemplating to erect vineries 

 in New-England. 



Inquiky about Vineries. — In the number of 

 the Horticulturist for Jan'y, 1S50, page 343, a 



Notices of Green-Houses. — While sojourning 

 among my friends in this city. I have for my own 

 pleasure, as well as the satisfaction of others, 

 called at several plant establishments, with a 

 view to ascertain the truth of the reports made in 

 the Horticulturist regarding the progress of plant 

 culture in this vicinity. Among those worthy of 

 introducing to notice, the Messrs. Hoggs share 

 the first rank. Their grounds were clean, plants 

 healthy, and houses well stocked. I saw, of flow- 

 ering in their collection, the new and beautiful 

 Lilium Testaceum, introduced from Japan in 1842, 

 and Combretum Purpureum, very showy — the 

 Drymonia Punctata and Francisia Violacea were 

 also very pretty. There were several fine seed- 

 lings and named Gloxinias in flower. There was 

 another new and rare plant I ought not to over- 

 look, hopin<r it will ere long be found in every am- 

 ateur's collection — it is a large and showy species 

 of Penstemon from Texas, of which he possessed 

 but a single specimen. 



Mr. NiBLo's vineries were also in tolerable or- 

 der, but while I agree with your correspondent 

 "M. C." that a fair representation of Horticultu- 

 ral establishments will greatly influence its inter- 

 ests, I must also say that exaggerating their real 

 merit will have an equally bad efteet. I am con- 

 strained to make these remarks in consequence of 

 the unlimited praises your correspondent "Vitis" 

 heaps upon this place. (I saw this and other pla- 

 ces mentioned in this letter last June, about the 

 time your correspondent "Vitis" writes.) The 

 three span-roofed houses, "Vitis" so much eulo- 

 gises, run parallel, north and south. They bore 

 a tolerable crop, allowing for the many disadvant- 

 ages to which your correspondent says they were 

 subjected. They were making good wood, but 

 were much affected with mildew. I don't men- 

 tion these facts to invalidate the well known rep- 

 utation of Mr. Galbraith — on the contrary, his 

 superior skill is evidently proved in the 5th or 

 lean-to house, with a south aspect. The vines 

 and fruit in this house were such as would do 

 honor to Roberts of England, or Allen of Mass- 

 achusetts ; but when a man is over-powered with 

 business, something is sure to suflicr. I did not 

 see the conservatory. The out-ground was man- 

 tled with weeds, and seemingly altogether for- 

 gotten. This, no doubt, was owing to Mr. Nib- 



