DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



The productiveness of this variety is verj' 

 great, and in Western New- York it succeeds 

 admirably. Of late years, however, there have 

 been occasional indications of the scab and 

 cracking, whicli have rendered tliis j)earwortli. 

 less in some eastern portions of the Union, and 

 which, as we observe by Dr. Warder's Review, 

 is beginning to appear in Ohio. Hence tlie 

 prudent planter will not set out this variety ex- 

 clusively, but will mix in a good proportion of 

 those equally productive sorts, the Flemish 

 Beauty, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Vicar of 

 Winkfield, &c. 



The Rot in Grapes. — The following article 

 was read at the meeting of the Cincinnati Hor- 

 ticultural Society, on the 17th of July, and 

 directed to be published: 



From recent and careful investigation, I am 

 inclined to believe that the " rot,'' so destruc- 

 tive to the Catawba grape in our vineyards, has 

 its origin in the same cause that produces the 

 " mildew," and is in fact only that disease in 

 another form. 



In examinations with a magnifying glass I 

 have discovered a small cryptogamous plant or 

 fungus, growing on the stem that attaches the 

 berry to the stem of the bunch in diseased spe- 

 cimens. This fungus, by obstructing the circu- 

 lation of the sap, causes the berry to assume 

 a dark mottled appearance, then to turn black, 

 shrivel, and fall off. 



In some bunches all the berries are thus des- 

 troyed, in others about half, and in many but 

 few. 



Perhaps the " speck " or '•' spot " may be at- 

 tributed to the same cause. 



The •' mildew." as we have generally known 

 it, first appears about the time when the grapes 

 attain the size of small peas, blighting oceasion- 

 allj' the whole bunch, stem and all — but usu- 

 ally only the lower portion of it. 



There is no mistaking the disease, for it cov- 

 ers the part affected as if dusted with flour. — 

 In a few days the berry and stem turn black 

 and crisp. When the grapes become larger, 

 they appear to be better able to resist tlie influ- 

 ence of mildew, and the part least exposed to 

 the light and air, the stem of the berry, is then 

 affected, and the fruit finally destroyed by what 

 is termed the " rot." The stem of the bunch, 

 being by this time hard and strong, is not in- 

 jured, and remains attached to the vine, while 

 the berries fall off. 



These diseases are supposed to be produced 

 by sudden changes in the weather from hot to 

 cold, or the reverse — from heavy fogs — from 

 warm showers succeeded by a hot sun, with 

 but little electricity to purify the air, or wind 

 to drive away the noxious exhalations arising 

 from the earth. 



An excess of moisture about the roots of the 



vine in a stiff clay soil, retentive of moisture, 



subject the plant to mildew, as also exces- 



manuring, rigid summer pruning, or deep 



"ng or hoeing of the vineyard in summer. 



Experience alone can prove whether any or all 

 of these conjectures are right. 



So much for cause and effect ; now for the 

 remedy. In volcanic countries, where the finest 

 grapes are grown, we hear no complaint of mil- 

 dew. Perhaps an api)lication of ashes and sul- 

 phur to our vineyards, by supplying to our 

 limestone land some of the properties of the vol- 

 canic soil, might, to some extent, prevent mil- 

 dew and rot. I therefore recommend as an 

 experiment, on a part of the vineyard, a light 

 top-dressing of ashes in the spring, before hoe- 

 ing; and to scatter flour of sulphur over the 

 ground, and a part on the vines, the last week 

 in May or the first in June, and again about the 

 first week in July. These applications may 

 possibly prevent mildew to some extent ; they 

 can certainly do no harm. Sulphur is freely 

 used in vine-houses to destroy mildew on foreign 

 grapes, and ashes are strongly recommended 

 by one of our most intelligent cultivators. Dr. 

 L. Rehfuss,.as a means of supplying to the soil 

 the alkalies drawn from it by the grape. 



I have tried sulphur on one square of my 

 own vineyard this season, with good effect, al- 

 though it was not applied at the proper time. 



I would also recommend to avoid stirring the 

 ground after tno first hoeing in April or M:iy, 

 to omit high manuring, and to avoid too rigid 

 summer pruning, as all or either may, perhaps, 

 cause injury to the crop of fruit. 



I make these suggestions witli diflSdence, be- 

 ing aware that I am addressing vine dressers 

 of more experience than myself; but I respect- 

 fully refer such to my own vineyard for an ex- 

 ample of the practical results of my recom- 

 mendations to others 



In the culture of our native grapes we have 

 much to learn, and it is only by careful and 

 judicious experiments that we shall attain the 

 rightknowledgeat last. R. Buchanan. Cin- 

 cinnuti, July 17, 1852. 



^iiHiurrs tn CnrrrsiinnkMitH. 



Dahlias.— T'/io?»as R. We believe the best 

 seedling Dahlias shown this year by the English 

 growers, have been. Turner's Sir John Frank- 

 lin ; Bragg's Miss Matthews, scarlet tipped with 

 white of great depth; Pope's Lord Byron, rosy 

 salmon, new in color; Turrill's Lady Dalrymple, 

 Edwards' Unanimity, a fancy striped variety; 

 colors, scarlet and deep yellow. But we ad- 

 vise you to wait till they come here ; the chances 

 are, Thorburn & Co., of New- York, will liave 

 them in the spring. You are not aware per- 

 hajts, that if you write to London for them now, 

 as you contemplate, you would have to pay at 

 least $20 or $25 a piece for roots of them 

 account of their being at present only 



