556 ORAPES UNDER OUTSIDE DOORS. 



There nre very few men whose friends huihl so fnir a tnominient to their memory, 

 ns they can raise with their own hiuuis, by i)hinlinj]f an elm or a majjle where it 

 can f^row for a century, to be an ornament to tiie country. 



Don't be afraid to clip hed<res, or cut l)ack yonnp trees, wlien yon are planting: 

 them. Yon cain more {rrowth than you lose, thonf^h you may not be able to 

 comprehend it till you have seen it with your own eyes. 



Never work your f^round in wet weather if yon can avoid it, as it makes it clod- 

 like and compact by forcing: the air out. And ridp:e up your kitchen parden 

 crround before winter, so as to expose as much surface as possii)le to the action of 

 the frost. 



Never lose an opportunity of gettinp^ sods from the corners of old pastures, or 

 the breaking: up of commons or meadows, where they can be spared. Placed in 

 heaps, and rotted, tliey make excellent mould for tender plants or trees ; placed 

 in a pile and burned, they form the best fertilizer for roses and rare flowering 

 plants. 



Send a man about your neighborhood to collect all the bones that are thrown 

 away as useless by persons ignorant of their value. Put them in a large pot and 

 pour sulphuric acid and water over them, and theywill all turn to paste, and finally 

 to powder. This is the best possible manure for pear-trees and grape-vines. 



An Old Digger.' 



GRAPES UNDER OUTSIDE DOORS. 



The Saratoga Connlij Press says, respecting the Vermont Patent Grapery men- 

 tioned in our Septeml)er number : " In reading the notice of a Vermonter's patent 

 for a grapery, we are reminded of a conversation with one of our sul)scril)ers, C. 

 W. Dake, Esq., of Greenfield, last spring. He was telling us of the abundant 

 crop of Isabella Grapes he raised every year, when we made some inquiries in 

 regard to his way of saving them from the early frosts that generally prevented 

 their reaching maturity in this latitude. In answer to this, he said that he set his 

 vine on the south side of his barn, and had the eaves of the barn project over it, 

 or else a sort of projection was made from the side of the barn for a short distance. 

 Then the vines were trained up against the side of the barn, and some wide doors 

 were made like ordinary cheap barn doors, and hung each side of where the vines 

 were trained up. When there was a prospect of a frosty night, the doors were 

 closed and fastened, thus in a single instant protecting them, and when morning 

 came, the doors were opened to let in the sun on them. In this way, with a very 

 little expense and trouble he was enabled to secure the rijiening and protection of 

 his grapes, and enjoy a luxury such as few persons know of hereabouts. Although 

 we have no recollection of speaking about it, we presume he keeps his vines shut 

 np in winter, perhaps protected with straw, which might be done with little trouble, 

 if necessary. If the Horticulturist editor or correspondents can suggest any- 

 thing cheaper or better than this, Mr. Dake and our readers would like to hear 

 of it." 



Undoubtedly, this is a good plan in northern latitudes for grapes which only 

 occasionally are injured by early frost. We have seen something of the kind 

 which was successful, and even for foreign grapes in cities, a simple ])rotection 

 might be sufficient. Black Hamburg Grapes have frequently been thoroughly 

 ripened on walls in the open air in Philadelphia— say one year in four, and under 

 " vorable circumstances; with doors such as described, they would probably-"— 



arly always. 



