80 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[March, 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



The Lady Grape. — In our advertising pages 

 Mr. Geo. W. Campl>ell, of Delaware, Ohio, has a 

 beautiful lithograiih of his Lady Grape. We can 

 say from our own experience that it is a free, 

 healthy grower, and the fruit, which we have had 

 before us on several occasions, indicates it to be 

 one of the best yet introduced. 



The Southern Ked Easpberry. — A year or 

 more ago Mr. Stearns furnished us a note in re- 

 gard to this variety, which attracted some atten- 

 tion. A corresi:)ondent from St. Mary's, Indiana, 

 furnishes us with the following note in relation to 

 its history. 



" I have no reliable history of its origin. I re- 

 ceived it five years ago from Moses J. Stearns, of 

 Cobden, 111. After I had grown it a few years and 

 found it to be far superior to anything in the 

 raspberry line that I had ever tried, I wrote 

 to him for a full history of it. It was some three 

 or four months before I received an answer to my 

 letter, and it was then from a man by the name 

 of Crandall (his first name I quite forget). He 

 stated to me in his letter that Mr. Stearns was 

 dead, and that he was his administrator. He also 

 stated that as to the raspberry he was not posted 

 and could give me no correct history of it." 



Borecole. — While on a trip through the State 

 of Mississippi recently, we had occasion to note 

 how extensively tliis was grown and appreciated 

 under its old fashioned name of " Coleworts," 

 pronounced down here collards. They do not 

 head as the cabbage does, but have short tender 

 green leaves, which push out from buds all up 

 and down the stem as the Brussels spi'outs do. 

 These and other vegetables were in full condition 

 for use at McComb City, a settlement chiefly of 

 Northern men, who are prospering remarkably 

 well in this for off region. In our northern regions 

 we could not grow this as our winters are of 

 course too severe. Col. Hillyard, the enterpris- 

 ing secretary of the Mississippi Valley Company, 

 informed us that at McComb City the thermome- 

 ter rarely falls 12° below freezing point and 

 then only for a little while, which is of course 

 very favorable to winter vegetables. 



Gr-\pe, Golden Queen. — The Gardener's Chron- 

 icle, referring to grapes for cold vineries, says this 

 continues to be one of the highest excellence. 



Preserving Figs. — While along the Gulf coast 

 recently the writer noticed that the fig, though in 



a climate exempt from frost, seemed determined 

 to keej) to its deciduous proclivities, and was in a 

 perfectly leafless state. We can, therefore, say 

 nothing about southern figs, but by the way the 

 southern people talk of them they must be some- 

 thing to temjit even an anchorite. But we were 

 told that no one has been able to dry them so as 

 to compete with those of Europe. So far as we 

 could learn no one seemed to know the process 

 by which, til ey were dried in Europe. We there- 

 fore give the following account. It may be re- 

 marked that even in raisin making the Europeans 

 make free use of lye to open the pores and hurry 

 up the drying. 



The preparation of figs for market is given as 

 follows : Sheets are held under the trees — clear 

 of the ground — and the fruit is shaken into them. 

 They are then placed into baskets and dipped in 

 a bath of strong potash lye for about two minutes, 

 and then dipped into clean water. This is to re- 

 move the gvnn on the outside of the fruit and to 

 improve the color. They are then placed upon 

 hurdles to dry in the sun, or in a dry-house, and 

 when soft enough to pack closely are pressed 

 tightly into wooden drums or boxes. The drums 

 hold about fifteen pounds and must not be made 

 of pine, as it injures the flavor. 



The Walbridge and Edgar Red Streak Ap- 

 ple. — A correspondent of the Prairie Farmer, says 

 these have been proved identical, the last being 

 the prior and therefore the proper name. He 

 gives the following history of it : 



"The Edgar Bed Streak was originated in this 

 country by my Either, Joseph Curtis, of Paris, 111., 

 in the year 1818, and was named by the Indian- 

 apolis Horticultural Society, of Indiana. It was 

 one of three varieties named from twelve new 

 seedlings which he presented to that Society (of 

 which he was a member) about the year 1840. 

 Was grown from the same planting of seed that 

 produced the Illinois Greening and Belleflower 

 Pippin. Has been noted here for vigor and har- 

 diness of tree, full bearing and bright color of 

 fruit. Keeps through winter, but is only second 

 rate in quality, and rather small to become a 

 popular market apple." 



The Lettuce Mould. — This terrible disease of 

 the English salad grower has not been hitherto 

 very destructive in America, but Prof. Burrill, 

 excellent authority, reports it as being very de- 

 structive in the vicinity of Champaign, 111., 

 last vear. 



