14 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[January, 



The total value of the green fruit imported into 



New York in 1882 was given as follows in the 



Custom House returns, in dollars: 



Oranges and Lemons $ TTO.fpOl 



Grapes 77,278 



I*ine apples 20.522 



Bananas 82,323 



Miscellaneous 12,1 00 



Cocoa-nuts 353,502 



1.316,22r> 

 — Gardener s Chrojiicle. 



American Peaches in France M. Catros- 



Gerand, in the Revue Horticole, calls attention to 

 the American peaches, Amsden, Cumberland, 

 Downing, Alexander and Beatrice — the last, how- 

 ever, being English and not American. He 

 praises them as valuable additions to French 

 pomology, and regards them as a type of a new 

 race of peaches hitherto unknown in the old 

 world, and brought about by some new conditions 

 in connection with the new world; 



The Editor states he cannot endorse his corres- 

 pondent's views. 



Grapes on Trees. — It has long ago been noted 

 that a grape vine will grow faster when growing 

 over a tree than when trained in any other way. 

 Some observers have from this fact tried to grow 

 grapes successfully on trees, but have always 

 failed. But the observation is of value. We have 

 to try to find out why the grape grows well over 

 trees, and then imitate in our usual practice, 

 so far as we can, the conditions which contribute 

 so much to the growth of the vine in other instan- 

 ces. Mr. Meehan pointed out many years ago, 

 in a paper before a scientific association, what 

 those conditions were. Mr. Crawford, of Cuyahoga 

 Falls, O., has recently called attention to the value 

 of these facts, and it will be be very useful to re- 

 peat here what Mr. Crawford says : 



"The grape rarely falls when allowed to climb 

 over trees. It matters not what kind of trees, or, 

 whether they be living or dead, if they only have 

 branches that the tendrils can take hold of. As- 

 tonishing crops are produced in this way, even on 

 vines that receive no care. The most successful 

 cultivators in the world plant trees and vines to- 

 gether so that the latter may have a suitable sup- 

 port. Many unskilled farmers have blundered 

 into the same method and have had abundant suc- 

 cess. A vine will make twice the growth in a 

 tree that it will in a trellis, and where an effort is 

 made to have it occupy both, it is always found 

 that its main energies arc expended in the tree. 

 A newly planted vine should have brush instead 

 of a stake, as it has no means of clinging to the 

 latter. If the tendrils can find nothing to take hold 

 of, they continue in motion for a time, reaching in 

 all directions, and this is exhausting to the vine. 

 For this reason skilled gardeners often cut off the 



tendrils. When growing vines on stakes I have 

 oftrn driven lath nails in convenient places for the 

 aci ommof'ation of the tendrils. 



"Although grapes do so well on trees without 

 miicli care, let no one suppose that he can accom- 

 plish anything by planting vines at the roots of es- 

 tablished trees. The soil being preoccupied, the 

 vine will not have a fair chance. Plant it at a dis- 

 tance from the tree to be covered, and after it has 

 made some growth it may be brought to the 

 branches, where it will take care of itself. On 

 nearly every farm there are worthless trees that 

 might be made to carry bushels of grapes." 



Japan Persimmon. — Mr. Conner, says the 

 Florida Dispatch, has raised a persimmon weigh- 

 ing one pound and one ounce. We are waiting 

 for some one to send us figures that will beat this. 

 What have the Norfolk growers to say? Mr. Lip- 

 sey, of Archer, Florida, has a tree four feet high 

 that matured one hundred fruit. Here again is a 

 defiance to Virginia to rise up and beat it if she 

 can. 



Sharpless Strawberry. — Mr. F. Burvenich 

 says in a French publication that this name with- 

 out doubt was given to this variety in allusion to 

 the fact that it is particularly sweet and highly 

 perfumed, and that it must not be confounded with 

 Sharpless Seedling, a very distinct variety. But 

 the colored plate looks marvelously like our 

 Sharpless " Seedlings. " 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Profits of Oranges. — A correspondent from 

 Florida writes, that "orange culture is one of the 

 most profitable enterprises any one coming to that 

 State can engage in, especially if one can manage 

 to sell out his orchard." 



PiTSON Pear.— From Stone and Wellington, 

 Fonthill, Ontario. This is a handsome pear ; 

 brown, inclining to russet, regularly pyriform, 

 medium-sized, and indicated a fruit of high qual- 

 ity ; but the specimen coming so long a distance 

 by mail, had commenced slightly to decay, and 

 hence had not the high flavor we suppose it might 

 have under better conditions. 



The Evergreen Blackberry of the Sand- 

 wich Islands. — A lady residing in Washington 

 Territory sends a leaf, confirming Mr. Carman's 

 statement that it is but the cut-leaved English 

 Blackberry : " I enclose a small leaf of the • Ever- 

 green Blackberry' mentioned in November num- 

 ber. It is quite common here, very hardy, free 

 grower, and prolific bearer ; indeed, is sometimes 



