CULTURE OF GRAPE-VINES. 



dition, and comprising the greatest variety, may be seen at Dr. Batne's, of which some 

 8,000 are peach trees, which exhibit a vigorous growth and health which would do honor 

 to Delaware, or Western New-York. His crop of peaches this year must be immense, 

 and his income from them very large. 



I noticed, also, a very large stock of pears, comprising a great variety. The pear blight 

 has done him great damage in the low grounds and hill sides, while all on the crown of 

 the hills have for years e.scaped. 



The cherry trees seem to be in fine growth and bearing, but I do not think that the no- 

 blest of all our fruits, the apple, in all its fine varieties, has yet received that peculiar care 

 in this region, we are accustomed to give it in this vicinity. 



The strawberry is most successfully cultivated here, and proves to be a fine source of 

 revenue. Dr. B. has several acres in bearing, comprising the Early Virginia, the Large 

 Early Scarlet, Princess Alice Maud, [and this sort is very fine about Washington. Ed.] 

 and Ilovey's Seedling. 



The first named is cultivated mainly because it is the earliest, but is evidentl}^ very dif- 

 ferent and inferior to the large Early Scarlet which is a little later. The Alice Maud is a 

 great favorite in this region, being almost as earl}'' as the preceding kinds, and much lar- 

 ger and more productive; for the late varieties, Hovey's Seedling is preferred. 



It is a great object in that region to obtain the earliest variety, for on the 17th May, in 

 Washington, strawberries brought 01 per quart. Four daj's later they had fallen to 50 

 cents, and four days later still, the price had receded to 25 cents. 



I noticed in all that region, the almost universal error prevalent in the cultivation of this 

 fine fruit, viz: an over-feeding of the vines, but a scanty supply of the essential elements 

 which go to compose the fruit, which, if judiciously applied, I am persuaded, would very 

 generally double the strawberry crop, at a trifling expense. 



I was particularly interested to observe the manner by which Doctor B. succeeds in 

 bringing the earliest strawberries into market. He selects a coarse, gravel soil side-hill, 

 with a full exposure to the south, and then shelters the field from chill winds, by fences 

 on the rear, and often intermediate, not far distant, closely filled in with evergreen boughs. 



A great variety and quantity of vegetables are here produced, among which were 30,000 

 cabbages, just coming into head, and for which an offer of five dollars per hundred had 

 just been refused, for the whole lot on the ground. 



I was surprised to learn that these cabbages were sown last September, and had stood out 

 unprotected and uninjured last winter, where the thermometer touched 8° below zero, (the 

 coldest winter for twenty years.) This was the lowest point the thermometer reached with 

 us last winter. Tea and Noisette Roses I also saw at Dr. Batne's, growing finely, which 

 had remained out unprotected — while with us, if the thermometer reached to zero, we 

 should hardly have saved a plant. Why is this? Is it because our atmosphere is more 

 humid? R. G. Pardee. 



Palmyra, May 15, 1S52 



MEMORANDA ON THE CULTURE OF GRAPE-VINES. 



BY H. G., BOSTON. 



Mk. Editor — The following memoranda of the crop of grapes in a cold house, with a 

 roof, may be interesting to 3'our correspondent, H. B., and other cultivators 

 The season here is about a fortnight later than at Staten-Island. 



