EDITOR'S TABLE. 



The Catawba Gkape. — ^To me one of the greatest pleasures of life has been the culture of trees 

 and growth of fruit, and the success of others in so doing has always been extremely gratifying. 

 Our seasons, at Rochester, N. Y., are not always favorable to the ripening of grapes, especially the 

 Catawba ; but the warm and dry weather of the summer and early fall months of 1853, has per- 

 fected all the varieties grown with us better than I have ever known before. 



One of our townsmen, Mr. Jacob Graves — one of the pioneer citizens — has produced tiie 

 Catawba this season of the veiy best quality, full as well ripened, and sweet, and luscious, as the 

 same kind which I have seen grown at Cincinnati ; and I have been to see how he trains and 

 keeps his vines. 



On a southern exposure, on a trellis entirely independent from his house, he has three vines, 

 some four years planted, which have made good growth and borne plentifully. They have been 

 annually pruned in February, and in the fall had finelyjpounded horn piths put under cover of 

 the earth around the roots, which has proved an excellent fertilizer. With a free circulation of 

 air, and plenty of sun, the grapes have ripened beyond any thing I have ever seen, fully as sweet 

 as any I ever tasted grown under glas?. 



Judicious pruning, and free circulation of air, all grapes require ; and we only need to bestow 

 that care to have the luxury of siocct, well flavored grapes, from October till April. 



Mr. LoxGWORTii, of Cincinnati, in acknowledging the receipt from me of a barrel of Clinton 

 grapes, speaks very highly of them, as well ripened, and likely to prove a fine wine grape. 

 They are most certainly a choice table variety, and worthy of cultivation. J. 11. Watts. 



Mr. Watts very kindly gave us an opportunity of tasting the Cataiclas to which he 

 refers, and we cordially agree with him as to their excellence. We may slate in this con- 

 nection that on our own premises the Cataicba has ripened completely, and attained its 

 highest perfection on a south wall of a house, while on an open wire trellis in the garden 

 it had just begun to color when the frost came, and, of coarse, it did not become eatable. 



Tomato Wine. — I was presented by Wellingtox Rose, of the United Society, at Hancock 

 with a specimen of wine manufactured from the juice of tomatoes, which so closely resembled old 

 Madeira that it would have troubled an amateur to detect the difference. This wine was of the 

 manufacture of 1851 — so it was two years old. How far greater age would improve it we can not 

 say ; but as it is now we think it must be a valuable article for invalids, if we take into account 

 its agreeable flavor and the undeniably great medical qualities of the fruit from whose juice it 

 was manufactured. 



The precise process of making this wine we have not fully learned, as the manufacturer claims 

 he shall probably make improvements in the business. When this is done, from his known phi- 

 lanthropy, we have no doubt he will communicate to the public all the facts in the case, and 

 become a greater benefactor to the sick and infirm, not only by furnishing the article ready made 

 but by telling others how to manufacture their own. W. Bacox. — Rlchmoml, Mass. 



Strawberry Question. — Having learned through a friend that Mr. Prince, in the Pennsylvania 

 Farm Journal, had challenged any person to produce a perfect fruit on a pistillate variety of 

 strawberry, without staminate influence, I wisli to state that I havo at present a plant of Black 

 Prince in a pot, with a truss of (to all appearance) perfect fruit. There has not been any stami- 

 nate in flower here for some months; neitlier do I suppose there are any in this neigliborhood at 

 this particular season. Tliere can be no mistake in this instance, for I observed the flowers 

 closely on their first appearance, as also on their subsequent development, convinced that the 

 opportunity was one to test the matter fairly, not being a season when strawberries generally 

 flower, so that there could be no chance of pollen being introduced from any source. I expect 

 however, to find the fruit seedless — at leasts the seeds imperfect. William Saunders. — Baltimore. 



