FOREIGxN AND MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



of the roots. It is only when the buds are al- 

 ready considerably developed, and the leaves 

 have acquired some consistency, and their 

 stomata or breathing pores are well organised, 

 that the growth takes place which directly forms 

 fruit-buds. Having admitted the fact that the 

 tirst flowing sap of the roots determines the 

 vigor or health of the tree; all diminution of 

 this increases then the relative proportion of 

 the sap of the leaves, [rather the sap elaborated 

 by them] and consequently, the chances of 

 fructification. To render this oi)eration more 

 efficacious Mr. Rubens makes, at the time of the 

 risings of the sap, a first pruning, which re- 

 moves all badly-placed or superfluous branches, 

 and afterwards he thins out the buds upon the 

 more feeble shoots. 



This early pruning hastens the starting of the 

 tree and makes it vigorous. Thus in diminish- 

 ing, previous to the rising of the sap, the num- 

 ber of buds that it is to nourish, those which 

 remain receive along with the .sap originally 

 destined for tliem, that also intended for buds 

 which were removed ; the shoots are conse- 

 quently more vigorous, and are developed soon- 

 er, because a great increase of sap causes a 

 more prompt development of the buds than a 

 less abundant flow. On the contrary a late 

 pruning weakens and retards the tree, altliough 

 it disposes it to bear fruit; for the sap of the 

 roots in the early spring is carried directly to 

 the terminal bud and to those nearest to it. In a 

 late pruning those buds are removed to which 

 was directed the largest supply of sap ; a great 

 loss of sap is thus ettected, so that all tliat pre- 

 ponderance of sap calculated to produce excess 

 of growth being lost, the fructifying food col- 

 lected or digested by the leaves, has the pre- 

 ponderance; moreover, this method retards 

 vegetation, since the tree is deprived of its most 

 vigorous and advanced limbs, and some time 

 must elapse before the buds which remain can 

 reach the same condition as those which were 

 cut off: by this delay, the flowering time is also 

 retarded, and consequently the tree has less 

 risk to sutfer from the sudden variations of 

 spring temperature. 



Thus, it is by impairing the strength and 

 vigor of the tree, that a late pruning makes it 

 fruitful. 



It should be remarked, that late pruning 

 should only be employed upon very vigorous, 

 healthy subjects. We have seen it applied to 

 vines of only moderate vigor, and although it 

 preserved their shoots from a late frost, yet, the 

 following year, their crop was a feeble one from 

 being exhausted the year before. It may, be- 

 sides, answer to restore an equilibrum in a tree, 

 whatever its shape, by an early pruning of the 

 feeble branches and a late one for those which 

 are too vigorous. M. A. Puvis. — Revue Horti- 

 cole. 



New Gkape. — There is nothing that people 

 swallow so greedily as a fine tale about a new 

 Grape. Not that the public appetite has be- 

 come languid towards other novelties, but that 



a peculiar voracity is shown whenever a 

 with new qualifiers is said to make its appear 

 ance. Wc must, therefore, take care, as far as 

 in us lies, that our worthy friends are guarded 

 with especial care against the magnificient ex- 

 aggerations with which what purports to be a 

 new varietv of this fruit is introduced to the 

 notice of their purses. 



"We are assured in the Annales de la Societe 

 Royale (V Agriculture, ^-c., de Gaud, that a 

 Grape of marvellous goodness, and quite new, 

 was exhibited in September 1848, at the Belgian 

 Agricultural and Horticultural exhibition. It 

 is described and figured in the above mentioned 

 publication, p. 415 of the volume for 1848, un- 

 der the name of the Raisin Royal de Craan. 

 It is a white variety, the flesh of which is de- 

 scribed as being " exceedingly juicy, extremely 

 high flavored, sugary, and perfumed with an 

 indescribable aroma, which is not that of the 

 Muscat, nor that of the Isabella Grape, butane 

 peculiar to itself, and which must be tasted, in 

 order to form any idea of it!" This Grape, it 

 is stated, could bear comparison with those 

 sent from "Windsor to the King of the Belgians. 

 Its origin had not been satisfactorily ascertained 

 by the author of the article. 



"We owe to the kindness of M. de Jonghe, of 

 Brussels, a bunch of this Grape, and additional 

 details respecting it. He says that the original 

 plant is 13 years old, and was raised from seed 

 of a •' Raisin Muscat;" tliat it is growing in the 

 garden of Mademoiselle IH;Nr)RicK, a lady re- 

 siding at Kinsendacle, a village about a league 

 and a half from Brussels; that in 1848 a bunch 

 of it was given to a gardener of the name of 

 De Craan, of Brussels, who obtained a prize 

 for it, and it was then figured. In September 

 last another bunch was exhibited by Mdlle. 

 Hendrick, and for this a prize was also award- 

 ed. If considered to be really deserving of 

 cultivation, and if indeed new, Mdlle. Hendrick 

 intends devoting the proceeds of the sale to 

 some charitable purpose. 



It is impossible not to appreciate the kind- 

 hearted spirit in which this lady proposes to 

 apply the produce of her Grape to benevolent 

 objects; and we have no doubt that the public 

 would readily second her intention, if the Grape 

 were what it purports to be. But we regret 

 to add that her expectations are doomed to 

 disappointment. 



"When received, many of the berries were 

 bruised and decayed, owing to the bunch having 

 been too loosely packed in cotton, and, in form- 

 ing an opinion of what the Grape is, this cir- 

 cumstance had to be taken into consideration; 

 but after making full allowance for all defects 

 arising in this or any other way, we come to no 

 other conclusion than that this J?ats?n Royal De 

 Craan is neither in flavor, nor in any respect 

 of the least importance, different from the com 

 mon Muscat of Alexandria! It must 

 mitted that it is not so good, but all 

 growers know that the Muscat itself varies 



