342 



DOMIISTIC NOTICES. 



foregoing memorandum. They proved to be our 

 well known Dutch Vandcrvcrc — one of the finest 

 apples, wlien in porfection, that this country can 

 boast. The color, hlooni, and csiiecialiy the fla- 

 vor of this fruit are unmixtakcable. We never 

 saw any so largre however as these specimens from 

 Cincinnati — and like most western fruits they are 

 ratiier less regular in form, and more deeply in- 

 dented at the eye anil stalk. 



It is worth while to remark, by the way, that 

 no apple is so scarce at the present moment as the 

 genuine Newtown Spitzeiiber^li- We do not know 

 a bearing tree in this country, and if any of our 

 readers can send us specimens of the fruit, we 

 will consider it an especial favor. 



YcUuw Bdlc Fleur, Pennock, and Winesap, all 

 correct, and of tine size and quality. 



All's Russet, Putnam Russet, miite Pippin, 

 and several other unnamed sorts, completed the 

 collection. 



New or little known Vegetables. — One of 

 the chief benefits to be conferred on the Horticul- 

 tural world by a skilfully conducted Periodical, 

 consists in the introducing- to their notice valuable 

 articles of foreign cultivation. I am gratified to 

 find in the last number of the Horticulturist, that 

 the Portuguese or ribbed Cabbage, (^Brassica cos- 

 tata,) has at last attracted the attention of our en- 

 terprising gardeners. After endeavoring repeated- 

 ly, but in vain, to persuade several of our seeds- 

 men to oraer it from abroad, I am glad to find that 

 it has at length made its own way to us. Is it 

 not remarkable that a vegetable so highly recom- 

 mended, and minutely particularized bj^ Loudon, 

 more than fifteen years ago, in his Gardeners^ 

 Dictionary, should now make its appearance 

 among us a perfect stranger? It will not be unac- 

 ceptable therefore to many of your readers, who 

 may not possess this highly useful work, to re- 

 print here his account of this valuable article. 



" The Couve Tronchuda, Tranxuda, Portugal or 

 large ribbed cabbage, Brassica costata, var De Can. 

 Chou vert a larges cotes, Fr., was introduced (into 

 England) in 1821, and the dwarf varietj-^, known in 

 Portugal by the name of Tunercearice, in 1822. 

 As both are too tender to stand the severity of the 

 British winter, the seeds should be sown in Au- 

 gust, antl the plants kept in a frame till spring, and 

 planted out the same time as cucumbers for an early 

 summer crop, anil the succession must be kept up 

 by spring and summer sowings. The ribs of the 

 outer and large leaves, when divested of their 

 green parts and well boiled, make a good dish, 

 somewhat resembling Sea-kale. The heart or mid- 

 dle part of the plant, is however, the best for use; 

 it is peculiarly delicate, tender and agreeably fla- 

 vored, without any of the coarseness which often 

 belongs to the Cabbage tribe. The dwarf sort is 

 much the earliest, and when the lower leaves are 

 taken off for use, it throws out numerous sprouts 

 from the lower part of the stump, which is not the 

 case with the other sort. Mr. I3oas cultivated the 

 Tranxuda precisely like the summer cabbage, 

 sowing it in the autumn and again early in the 

 spring. He advises a good stiff soil, and procu- 

 ring the seed from Portugal, which he says may 



be done through any wine merchant." Loudon's 

 Enci/c of Hardening, p. Hl.'j. 



Whilst upon this sul)ject, let me express a wish 

 that the enterprise of our seedsmen may also soon 

 furnish us with the seeds of the celebrated Tclson 

 Turnip, and of the superior Spinach of Flanders, 

 for notices of which, see the above work, pages 

 S33, S.3!). 



Another article of luxury to be introduced, is 

 the JJibiscus subdarijfa, for the excellent sherbet 

 alforded by its crimson capsule. In the West In- 

 dies it goes by the name of Red Sorrel, and is 

 not only emi)loyed as in Turkey, for the cooling 

 and acidulous l)o\crage it yields, but as a delicious 

 preserve, rivalling the cranberry for tarts. Being 

 a near relative of the okra (Hibiscus esculentus) it 

 may be cultivated in a similar manner from the 

 seeds; perhaps it would be advisable to start them 

 in a hot bed, transplanting them as soon as all 

 danger from frost has gone by. It would be inval- 

 uable in our southern states. The acid is so strong 

 that the calyncs and capsules, which are the parts 

 used, must be first thrown into water to extract 

 some of its intensity, and this water may then be 

 sweetened and used as an agreeable drink. /. W. 

 K. Fiskkill Landing, N. Y., Dec, 1846. 



Open Culture of Foreign Grapes. — Dear Sir: 

 I am much pleased with the Horticulturist; the 

 contents of either of the numbers are of sufficient 

 value for the whole year's subscription. 



The article on "Mildew in Grapes," in your 

 September number, for instance, is invaluable to 

 me, should the wood ashes therein recommended 

 prove a remedy for that troublesome disease. 



I have many hundred vines of ilifTerent foreign 

 varieties; hitherto I have succeeded in open culture 

 in preserving theni from mildew to any great ex- 

 tent, by constant application of sulphur water. 

 Should the wood ashes succeed, and I will give it 

 a fair trial, it will save a great deal of time and 

 labor. 



I find the climate and soil here, very suitable for 

 the culture of foreign grapes. In fact some of the 

 kinds are a much surer crop, and more certain of 

 ripening well with me, than the Isabella and Ca- 

 tawba. 



The kinds I cultivate principally, are the Golden 

 Chasselas, White Sweetwater, White Muscadel, 

 Green Swiss, and Black Cluster. I have also a few 

 of the Black Hamburgh, but have been deterred 

 from cultivating it to any extent, owing to its lia- 

 bility to mildew. If that can be prevented, it 

 would be one of the best for open culture, as the 

 bunches are loose, which is an indispensible requi- 

 site in case of heavj' or continued rains at the pe- 

 riod of ripening. Where the bunches are close, 

 like the Black Cluster, they are very liable to rot 

 during wet weather, unless severely thinned out, 

 which is too troublesome and expensive, when so 

 many better kinds can be cultivated that do not 

 need it. 



The Esperione, I think, will prove a valuable 

 grape. One which I got from you last fall, fruited 

 this year, and though surrounded by Black Ham- 

 burghs, which were nearly destroyed by mildew, it 

 was not in the least attacked. It appears to be very 



