144 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[May, 



and what I have left will be grubbed up in the 

 spring. In some fifteen varieties of white grapes 

 that I am acquainted with, not one, even the 

 Prentiss or Duchess, would I plant an acre of if the 

 vines were given me. If the Empire State is no 

 better than the Bacchus — and one who ought to 

 know, told me it was not so good — I would sooner 

 plant and eat Bacchus if it is best and cheapest. 



Large bunch and berries do not seem desirable 

 in a table grape. Not one bunch in five tons of 

 Delawares, as I grow it, will weigh more than 6 

 ounces, yet they sell much belter than Rogers, 

 twice the size. Delaware grapes and Seckel 

 pears are large enough to sell, and I happen to be 

 interested in a few acres of each. Erie Co., O. 



[This letter was written early in March. It 

 would be interesting to know at this date whether 

 the peach buds remained killed. We had a very 

 healthy summer and autumn and vegetation had 

 the chance to lay up a good stock of vital force. 

 Consequently, though we had one of the most 

 severe winters known to our venerable friend the 

 oldest inhabitant, vegetation has been compara- 

 tively uninjured. Rarely indeed have we got 

 through with only such slightlosses. Eventhe Japan 

 Euonymus has all its leaves green and good. — Ed. 

 G. M.] 



EMPIRE STATE GRAPE. 

 BY MANSFIELD MILTON. 



The veteran grape-grower, G. W. Campbell, 

 had on e.xhibition at the last Ohio State Fair, 

 several bunches of the Empire State Grape, and 

 judging from its appearance it is a splendid grape. 

 The fruit is the best shade of white of any grape 

 I have yet seen. It has but very little yellow, 

 having a thick, white bloom covering the berries. 



Mr. C. told me this is without doubt the finest 

 white grape he has seen, and if it does as well in 

 other localities as it has in its home, ^he sooner it 

 is disseminated the better. It is one of J. H. 

 Ricketts' seedlings, and said to be perfectly hardy, 

 enduring with impunity the winter of 1882-S3, 

 one of the earliest in ripening its fruit. It will 

 be a good companion for Hartford and Moore's 

 Early. 



THE INSECT PROBLEM. 

 BY G. O.NDERDONK. 



On reading the chapter by Mr. T. Bennett in the 

 March number of the Monthly, I am led to offer 

 your readers a scrap of my own experience. All 

 Southern cultivators are aware that cotton seed is 



a very active and efficient manure. But I have 

 never yet fallen in with any published experiences 

 concerning its value in the extermination of the 

 insect pests of the soil. I manured a plot very 

 heavily with it. On every side of the manured 

 spot the cut worm destroyed every plant, while 

 on the manured ground not one worm of any 

 kind was to be found. I attribute the result to the 

 oil of the cotton seed used. We all know that 

 any oil is obnoxious if not fatal to some forms of 

 insect and reptile life. 



I have not investigated the extent to which this 

 is true, but I suspect that here is a field for ex- 

 ploration extensive in its range, interesting in its 

 nature, and profitable in final results. 1 therefore 

 present the fact of my experience in a single case, 

 and throw out a hint which I hope will be taken 

 by enterprising experimenters. 



Victoria, Texas, Mcirch 2^th, iSSj. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Cold Water to Kill Insects.— Perhaps no 

 more useful hint was ever given than that in one 

 of the early volumes of our magazine, that water 

 warmed to 130° would kill insects. A hint prob- 

 ably of equal value has now been given in the 

 Rural New Yorker by Professor Riley, that ice 

 water will kill the cabbage worm. It seems 

 reasonable, and will no doubt have a wide trial on 

 this and other tender-skinned creatures. 



The Japan Plum. — This remarkable fruit, 

 noticed some time ago from fruit received from 

 California through Mr. Kelsey, is attracting a 

 more than usual share of attention from English, 

 German and French growers. The plum, of all 

 fruits, seems to be at home in Northern Europe. 



The Niagara White Grape. — This compara- 

 tively new grape, which we have on several occa- 

 sions noticed favorably, seems to be well-appre- 

 ciated by all who have so far tasted it. The 

 coming season will doubtless be regarded as 

 furnishing a full test. The owners have risked a 

 great deal on it in the firm belief that it is one of 

 the best ever offered. 



The Comet Pear. — Mr. Caywood complains 

 that a pear which grew on a neighbor's farm, and 

 which with that owner's knowledge and tacit con- 

 sent he named Comet, has been distributed by 

 another firm as the Lawson. 



Early Canada Peach. — Peche precoce du 

 Canada — says the Revue Horticole—\<i2A intro- 



