386 editor's table. 



lonvos, iTiako it a very handsome troe. Tlio juice is a gum n-sin (which it yields abund- 

 antly), at first white, V)ut soou yellow. It may be used as gluo for book-biuding, as the 

 insects never attack it. 



"I now liand you a painting of the flower of tlio Carolinoa-tree, a I'acliira of the Bom- 

 baceaj family. 



'• Any iufonnation you may desire on the natural history or ])otany of Cuba, I shall be 

 glad to transmit. I remain, respectfully, dear sir, your most obedient servant, 



Francisco A. Sauvalle." 



Splphcr and Mildew. — It seems to me, that the remarks on this subject, at page 335, 

 should not pass without a word of qualiCcatiou. "SVith regard to the style of that commu- 

 nication, I would simply repeat the remarks of a celebrated writer, that " every man should 

 aim at eminence, not by jJuUing down others, but by raising up liimself, and enjoy the 

 pleasure of his own fancied superiority, without interrupting others in the same felicity." 



In the communication referred to, it is asserted that the curing of mildew with sulphur 

 was firet published in the American Flower Garden Directory, in the year 1832. That it 

 was kuown in Europe previous to that date, I can well remember, and in Loudon's Encyclo- 

 jtwdia of Ganliiiing (published in 1822), it is noted as a quotation from a previous work ; 

 so that the " savans of Europe" have not the discovery to make now. The recent failures 

 of the grape crop in some parts of the world, have been the means of directing attention 

 more particularly to the subject, and, consequently, these receipts are being published for 

 the benefit of those whom it may concern. 



I claim to having some experience in grape culture, and I have found no more effectual 

 method of applying sulphur than dusting it over the leaves and fruit when attacked by 

 mildew in cloudy weather, unless dusting it on the flue, and applying a gentle heat, which 

 of course is not available where there is no heater. This method of dusting, your corre- 

 spondent terms "filthy in the extreme." A slight syringing washes it off. There is no 

 filthiuess left, which is more than can be said of the lime and sul])hur mixture. Even the 

 "amber colored" water leaves very fltliy marks ou painted wood-work ; on this account, I 

 discontinued its use for the cleanlier method of dusting. 



As to the American way, viz: placing a "few pounds of sulphur on several pieces of 

 boards, and stirring it once a week," you may not have any mildew, if the precautions 

 mentioned are attended to ; that is, " unless you give heavy waterings, and allow cold cur- 

 rents of air.'' As it is generally thought that sudden checks to growth (such as would be 

 occasioned by lieavy waterings) and currents of cold air, are the predisposing causes of 

 mildew, it may be supposed that, in their absence, no mildew will appear ; consequently, 

 the boards without the suli)hur would be equally efficacious. 



The past month has, with us, been wet, with much cloudy weather. In a cold grapery, 

 our usual method of dusting sulphur on the floor, has not been sufficient to ward off the 

 mildew. It requires heat to liberate the fumes of sulphur; hence its inefficiency during 

 sunless, cool weather, 



" In London," they sometimes syringe with a sulphur mixture, to kill red spider (not to 

 eradicate mildew), which is troublesome when much artificial heat is required. But all 

 filthiness is soon removed by clean water, and they do not find any injurious effects from 

 its use in this way. 



My object in writing this was, in the first place, to correct the misstatement of the dis- 

 covery of curing mildew with sulphur ; secondly, to give my opinion upon the merits of 

 dusting it over the plants ; thirdly, to caution the unwary how they bring the sulphur and 

 amber-colored water in contact with paint ; and lastly, to show that the efficiency of 

 ur depends upon heat. Yours, very respectfully, A Gkape Cultivatok 



