bOMESTIC NOTICES. 



291 



but at each succeeding exhibition arc proniptly 

 ready with fair ofTcrings to Flora ami Pomona. 



With such a sjiirit as this, and with the conti- 

 nued assistance of our Ladies, whose aid has proved 

 so efficient during; the i)ast year, we may reasonably 

 look for the time, and that not far itistant, when 

 Fruit and Flowers of the finest and most choice 

 kinds shall be no rarity in our private gardens, and 

 our markets be stocked with as fine specimens of 

 Fruits antl Vegetables as that of any other quarter 

 of the Union. 



At an early day the proceedings of the society 

 for the past year will be published, together with 

 an outline of the plan of proceedings for the next 

 season. An important change in our proceedings 

 is contemplated, which, if carried into eflfect, will 

 probably add materially to the efficiency of our 



C. F. S. THOMAS, Rec. Sec'y. 



Salt for Mildew. — Grapes have been much in- 

 jured in this vicinity for several seasons past by 

 the Mildew. Sulphur has been profusely useil 

 without any beneficial effect; and the best remedy 

 that has been applied as yet. is a weak solution of 

 salt. Those who have tried it with caution, have 

 met with almost entire success. It should be care- 

 fully used, or the remedy will be as fatal as the 

 disease. The quantity of salt should be barelj^ 

 sufficient to be tastjd in the water in which it is 

 dissolved. The solution is applied by a syring<», 

 over the fruit and foliage, as frequently as there is 

 the least appearance of the disease. 



A correspondent of yours speaks of using salt 

 hay to prevent mildew upon the gooseberry. In 

 this section of the state, the gooseberr}' is so much 

 injured by this disease, whatever pains may have 

 been taken to guard against it, that it is but little 

 cultivated for the table; but in Newport and its 

 vicinity, it is raised without any care in perfection. 

 That place, as you well know, is much exposed to 

 the winds from the ocean, and fogs are of very 

 frequent occurrence. We have often heard it sta- 

 ted that grapes cultivated near the sea, are more 

 free from the disease than elsewhere. 



We are inclined to believe that salt proi)erly 

 applied, may be a specific for the disease. Spread 

 upon the soil it may not produce any beneficial 

 effect, unless «sed in such quantity ami so often as 

 to endanger the life of the plant. Heat and mois- 

 ture operating upon salt hay, gradually causing its 

 decomposition, gives to the salt a continued and 

 durable operation, protecting the plant from the 

 dangers of injury to which it is constantly liable. 

 It may act "as a stimulant," or "a shield to pro- 

 tect the roots," but we believe that syringing the 

 fruit and foliage repeatedly with a weak solution 

 of salt and water, would produce as much effect. 

 We intend to try this experiment, whether salt 

 hay may not act equally as well, when the roots 

 are entirely protected from its operation, i. C. 

 E. Providence, Aug. 25. 



Improvement in Glazing. — I practice what I 

 conceive to be an improvement in glazing green- 

 house sashes. 



In the lapping of the glass, instead of using put- 



ty, as is usual, which soon falls out and crumbles 

 from the continual moisture, &c., I substitute white 

 lead, thus: Take ground lead, as sold in kegs, of 

 gooil consistency, and spread with a knife on the 

 edge of each plate of glass a line of about three- 

 eights of an inch in breadth. Lay the i)anes in 

 their place on the sash, gently press thern together 

 till they are solid, and tin them firmly down as 

 usual. When all are thus laid, a chisel run on the 

 two edges takes off' what may have been expressed, 

 leaving a solid joint impervious to either air or 

 moisture, and gives a neat appearance. The great- 

 est evil we have to contend with in mid-wJntcr is 

 wind, and this method entirely excludes that, be- 

 sides strengthening materially the glass itself. I 

 have tested this method for seven winters, and feel 

 assured both of its utility and economy. Yours, 

 truly, W. R.C. Buffalo, Oct. 13th. 



The Locust. — In that most excellent work, the 

 Horticulturist, opinions have been advanced, which 

 however true and applicable to the banks of the • 

 Hudson, might lead to error here. 



At the risk of being thought presumptuous in 

 differing from such high authority, I would ask — 

 are there really two distinct varieties of Locust 

 (Robinia pseudacacia) or may not locality pro- 

 duce all the existing variety ? 



It is common in this section of country to hear 

 persons speak of the White Locust and the Yellow 

 Locust; but I have invariably found that locality, 

 and i)articularly age, make the difTerence. I have 

 never seen a tree of large size felled that had not 

 yellow and apparently durable timber. If, on the 

 contrary, they be felled while young (especially if 

 grown in rich soil) the annual layer of albumen 

 being much greater, the wood is porous, light 

 colored, and much less durable. So well aware of 

 this fact are our farmers that they will not pay for 

 such half price. The Locust cultivated here for 

 the beauty of its foliage and inflorescence, bears 

 the greatest abundance of seed, aud now within 

 sight, are trees literally black with seed pods; and 

 when they attain to the age of thirty years, they 

 present precisely the appearance described by your- 

 self as had by the seed locust, and yet they are cul- 

 tivated for the known value of their timber. 



My father, who, in advance of his compeers, 

 nearly forty years since, foresaw the advantage of 

 their cultivation in this region, carried out his 

 utililaiian habit, by raising hundreds from seed, 

 and planting groves, in whose shade and delightful 

 fragrance many of my youthful hours were spent. 

 These groves have lost none of their beamy, unless 

 perchance by the storm which sometimes over- 

 threw a mouse-encircled tree. Of these the color 

 of the wood (and I presume durability) might be 

 anticipated by the spot where they grew.* 



If those noble trees at Clermont were cut, the 

 wood would (unless I greatly err) be yellow, com- 

 pact, and more durable than any other except 



locust. 



The opinion prevails here that two varieties of 



* These jrroves were mostly planted on kiiolls where the 

 cropping out of limestone preveuteU the use of the plow, or 

 by the road-side. 



