"^' 190 editor's TABLE. 



Secretarv, bo forwarded to our Senators and Representatives in tho General Assembly, at 

 llarrisbiug. 



We cannot bnt reijret this action of our fcUow-mcnibors of a valuabb; Society, and trust 

 their resolutions may not ])rovail. Give us more luni,'s, but do not curtail or destroy wliat 

 can never be replaced. If a greater amount of ground were procured out of tho town, it 

 would be less useful than space within a thickly i)opulated section. 



Powxing's Letteks are closed to-day with regret that they are so few. It must be that 

 some of our readers possess notes and letters from him that are worthy of publication. 



A lady, whose communications we always value, makes the following remarks, wliich are 

 worthy of consideration. She says : — 



" You are favoring the admirers of Downing with a rare treat. We are all a little curious 

 to peep behind the veil which separates the i)ublic life of one wo admire from his private 

 character. Our admiration of i)ublic deeds is enhanced when we find the real life so every 

 way worthy of respect and love. 



'• Is there not a good deal of coutagioiis enthusiasm mingled with our admiration of 

 Downing ? An enthusiasm enhanced by the manner of liis early death. Coinparativplij 

 speaking, we might say there were few who knew his real worth — and how admiralile he 

 ^vas — till he was gone from us forever ? Downing was the pioneer in the broad and beauti- 

 ful field of 'Rural Art and Taste.' Other minds as great and possessed of as varied talent, 

 and, perchance, as capable of imbuing the people with a love of the beautiful, inay come 

 after, but for a time they will appear to follow in his wake, will seem, if not to copy, to 

 gather suggestions and impulses from one ' gone before.' Goethe says, 'that a man should 

 be able to make an epoch in the world's history — two things are essential — that he should 

 have a good head, and a great inheritance, as Frederick the Great inherited the Silesian 

 war, Luther the errors of the Popes,' &:c. So Downing inherited the public's lack of 

 taste in rural architecture and landscape scenery. This want of beauty in the surroundings 

 of our country homes was felt and admitted, but the great mass had no realizing actice 

 sense of the fact. The possessors of rural homes were not wide awake as to the idea that 

 each had individually something to do to better this condition of appearances. 



" I have a friend so well versed in Downing's writings that her husband says his sayings 

 are household words — oracles not to be disputed. I lent her some boiind volumes of the 

 Ilorticulturist, to prove to her that her favorite shade still hovered over it." 



Labels for Trees. — Zinc labels arc prepared in the following manner: Take half a drachm 

 of lampblack, one drachm of verdigris, one drachm of pulverized sal aramoniac,.and dissolve 

 them in ten drachms of water. Tliis will form a permanent ink, which may be used for 

 writing upon strips of zinc, and will last as long as the labels. 



The Muscadine Grape. — Tlie New Lebanon proprietors of the Muscadine grape arc very 

 miTch dissatisfied with the opinion expressed at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society respect- 

 ing this fruit. They think the sample sent was received in bad order ; it is extremely delicate, 

 and will not bear close confinement or long keeping, and in unfavorable seasons it drops 

 from the vino soon after it is fully rij^e, and loses its delicate and d(dicious flavor. In good 

 soils, when the vine is closely and properly trimmed, it will hang, they say, for weeks in 

 good condition. It is popular in the Northern States, and they do not consider that it has had 

 a fair trial here. Next season we shall, perhaps, have a fuller report. The demand for tho 

 vines is declared to be great. Will Messrs. Hawkins & Stewart forward a root or two 

 hitherward for experimental jiurposes ? 



German Experiences. — A friend has translated the following from the Frauendorfcr 

 Blatter. Will he favor us with his present address 1 



The unpleasant odor diftused through water in vases in which cut flowers are kept, it is 

 said, may be prevented by placing a small strip of sheet iron in the vase. 



In Italy, grapes are kept " fresh and fine" during the year, by placing the clusters, after 

 removing all the imperfect, immature, specked, or decaying berries, in a box with alter- 

 nate layers of green peach leaves. The box is to be covered and set in a dry, cool room, 

 free from frost. 



In Germany, plums, prunes, and gages are preserved in a fresh state, in the same manner, 

 only substituting pear leaves for those of the peach. 



Rats are said to have such an antipathy to the odor of the herb houndstongue ( Cijn 



