538 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



Vine Borders.'^A. J. Downing — Dear Sir : 

 J have just read, in the April number of the Hor- 

 ticulturist, an article from Mr. Saunders, on the 

 formation of vine borders, and am surprised to find 

 he has aimed a shot or two at me. His batteries, 

 however, are not in good position; for in one case 

 his balls hit a third party, and in the other they 

 take the same ran<ie as my own. My remarks, 

 which it seems have drawn these from Mr. S., 

 were contained in a review of Mr. Allen's work 

 on vine culture; and it must lie obvious to any 

 reader that I was only endorsing his opinions, and, 

 as I do not tiiink he requires my aid to sustain his 

 position, I shall offer no remarks on the subject 

 v/hich has so " perplexed" Mr. Saunders, but 

 merely refer him to Mr. Allen's book, where he 

 will find the whole subject fully discussed. If 

 that fails to satisfy him, I may give some testi- 

 mony from my own experience. So much for the 

 first shot wiiich hits Mr. Allen instead of me. 

 The second is aimed at the theory of fresh animal 

 matter for manures, which he asserts, with much 

 earnestness, must prove fatal to the roots of vines 

 whenever it comes in contact with them. As I 

 made the same assertion, in the most unqualified 

 manner, I am happy to receive this testimony in 

 corroboration; and in return, I am glad to assure 

 Mr. Saunders that I entirely agree with him as 

 to the excellence of the materials he proposes for 

 a vine border. 



In conclusion, let me express the hope that Mr. 

 S. will send a few bunches of such Black Ham- 

 burgh grapes a.s he describes — " well coloured, 

 and weighing from four to six pounds each," to 

 the next annual exhibition of the Pennsylvania or 

 New-Jersey Horticultural Societies, I have been 

 in the habit of attending them for years, and feel 

 safe in assuring Mr. S. that such grapes would 

 not only afford much gratification to horticulturists 

 in this section, but would secure him a premium 

 which would amply remunerate him. ^ New- 

 Jersey Subscriber. Jpril 13th, 1849. 



Gooseberry Culture. — Dear Sir : The great 

 pleasure I have derived by the perusal of your 

 excellent periodical, and the desire to communi- 

 cate to others what has proved so satisfactory to 

 myself, in my endeaA^ors to " rescue from obloquy" 

 one of the more humble fruits, has induced me to 

 offer the following, which, if you think worthy of 

 notice, you may place before your readers: Early 

 in the spring of 1844, I purchased at auction a 

 dozen bushes of the best English varieties of goose- 

 berry, stated to have been imported by Kenrick. 

 These were set out in good rich soil. I also trans- 

 planted to the same situation several larger bushes, 

 of a small red variety, received from a friend a 

 year or two before. In common with cultivators 

 of this fruit, in my neighborhood, I was year after 

 year doomed to disappointment in the fruit pro- 

 duced. Although, from the bushes of the smaller 

 variety, last named, I annually raised a few very 

 fair and fine flavored berries, the former yielded 



not an eatable fruit,- — being, when about half 

 grown, so covered with mildew, as is frequently 

 the case in this climate, that a red variety could 

 not be told from a white or green one. 



Partly from information obtained from the Hor- 

 ticulturist and other sources, and partly from my 

 own reflection, I was led to try early and close 

 pruning, and the application of a mixture of un- 

 leaehed wood ashes and salt, to the surface under 

 the bushes. Thus: about the 1st of March, and 

 before ihe buds have much swollen, cut off the 

 larger half, and in some cases two-thirds of the 

 new growth, and when too thick, thin out some of 

 the branches so as to give them handsome open 

 heads. When the frost is fairly out, and the 

 ground cleared off about the bushes, apply to 

 each one quart of unleached wood ashes, and one 

 table spoonful of coarse salt, well mixed; spread 

 evenly on the ground under each bush, over a 

 space of one foot or more in diameter, according 

 to the size of the bushes. About midsummer, add 

 half the quantity for renewal. 



I claim nothing original in my experiment, but 

 know that it has succeeded admirably the two last 

 seasons, — affording me an abundance of fine fruit, 

 entirely free from mildew, on all the bushes, which 

 are of seven difl'erent varieties. My method of 

 cultivation may not succeed in all situations and 

 seasons; but if lovers of the gooseberry will try 

 it, before discarding and throwing away their 

 bushes, as some of my neighbors have done, I 

 think they will be fully remunerated for their 

 pains, P. Salem, Mass., March 3, 1849. 



Comparative TEMPERATtiRE — Mr. Downing: 

 The following meteorological observations, for 

 1848, may be somewhat interesting, as aflbrding 

 some opportunity to compare the temperature of 

 this with other localities. Latitude being the 

 same, there are other causes to influence the tem- 

 perature, such as altitude, the proximity of exten- 

 sive forests, rivers or other large bodies of water, — 

 all of which influence so materially the growth of 

 vegetation, as to render comparisons of notes, 

 taken in different parts of the country, interesting 

 to those who are desirous of a more general know- 

 ledge of localities, remote from their own. 



Our latitude is about 41* 40', — very nearly the 

 same as yours, at Nevt'burgh. 



January was a remarkably open month, — so 

 mild as to appear more as March usually does. 

 Roads were nearly settled on the 24th. Two 

 inches of snow fell. Average temperature at 6 

 o'clock, morning, 24° ; just before dark 27". The 

 highest temperature on the 26th; morning 45°, 

 evening 49^. Lowest on the 10th; morning 8", 

 evening 9°. 



February was also warm and very open, with 

 but little rain. About two inches of snow fell. 

 Average temperature, morning 22°, evening 28°. 

 Highest temperature on the 20th; morning 41°, 

 evening 37*". 



March, before the middle, was cloudy and disa- 



