238 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[August, 



gardener could not reply. He could only point 

 to his full baskets of berries, and stand speechless. 

 And so it came about that the pen was mightier 

 than the scythe, and the man who would dare to 

 say " mow strawberries " in these days would have 

 the average Editor laugh at him.— Ed. G. M.] 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



History of the Scuppernong Grape At a 



meeting of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific 

 Circle, held at Aiken, S. C, recently, Mr. H. W. 

 Ravenel observed that there are varieties of the 

 grape which have been propagated by cuttings, 

 true to their kind for over a thousand years ! Let 

 us illustrate this point by a familiar example. The 

 Scuppernong grape was found growing wild over 

 a century ago, in the eastern part of North Caro- 

 lina, near Lake Scuppernong. It was so good a 

 grape that it was brought into cultivation by taking 

 cuttings or layers, — not the seeds. If the seeds of 

 the Scuppernong are planted, they make general- 

 ly a black grape of very inferior quality. This is 

 the universal testimony, and I have myself tested 

 it by raising numerous seedlings, all of which were 

 black in color and of inferior quality. The origi- 

 nal vine found in the woods, was therefore what 

 we call a " chance seedling." Why it had these ex- 

 ceptionally good qualities we cannot tell. Among 

 the millions of wild vines of this species of grape, 

 growing all through the Southern States, this par- 

 ticular one " chanced " to be the best ; — and it 

 has been perpetuated. All the cultivated Scup- 

 pernong vines now in existence are parts and por- 

 tions of that original vine found in North Caroli- 

 na ! And it is just in this way, that all plants capa- 

 ble of being propagated by division of their parts, 

 are preserved to us. 



Paris Green for the Canker Worm. — The 

 New England Homestead notes with surprise that 

 so many New England apple trees are eaten by 

 canker worm as with fire, though the Homestead 

 has so repeatedly shown that a simple spraying of 

 water with Paris green will destroy them. The 

 reason is, the people do not read the Homestead or 

 any other agricultural paper. They are of the 

 anti " book larnin' " class. They take their church 

 paper, and their political paper — but a farm paper, 

 for a farmer, did you ever ! 



Strawberries in Florida. — The first fruit 

 were gathered at Altoona in the first week in 

 January. The first shipments the first week in 



February, of last year. A little over half an acre 

 gave 109 bushels. The winter climate of Florida 

 just suits the strawberry. 



Josephine de Malines. — The irreverent de- 

 scendants of -Vdam in England, call this pear 

 Joseph on the palings, but it is one of the most 

 famous of all the European varieties ; and, we are 

 inchned to think, a much better pear for American 

 gardens than it is generally supposed to be. 



Drying Apricots. — This has become a very 

 successful industry in California. 



The Brussels Sprouts. — This form of the 

 Cabbage family, has small heads all along the 

 rr\^in stem. It is not popular in northern gardens, 

 because it does not endure the winter well ; and 

 the chief value of the vegetable is after frost has 

 been on them. Those who care to protect them a 

 little, however, think it pays. Further south it 

 deserves to be grown to a much greater extent 

 than it is by those who love good things. 



Saur Kraut with Oysters. — Boil six pounds 

 of saur kraut till tender in water with four ounces 

 of butter and the same quantity of lard. An 

 earthenware' or a porcelain-lined pot closely cov- 

 ered is the best for the purpose. A sheet of but 

 tered paper should be laid over the kraut before 

 the lid is put on. When it has stewed till quite 

 soft, the kraut is to be laid on a strainer to 

 thoroughly drain. Meanwhile put in a sauce-pan 

 a quarter of a pound of butter, a tablespoonful of 

 flour and a pint of sour cream. Stir this till it 

 boils, and then pour it over the kraut and shake 

 well together. The oysters, while this is done, are 

 to be stewed slowly, with only the addition of a 

 little pepper, in their own juice. About twenty- 

 five oysters should be allowed to each pound of 

 kraut. It is then to be arranged in the dish, a 

 layer of saur kraut and a layer of oysters alter- 

 nately, with the juice poured over them. Serve 

 very hot. Fish is also often mixed with this, par- 

 ticularly pike and carp. Then fewer oysters are 

 used. The fish must first be boiled, and then 

 pulled into pieces, taking care to remove all bones 

 and skin. These appear to be outlandish com- 

 binations, but, in fact, they are really very good. 



— Caterer. 



« • » — ■ 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Disease in Cabbages. — "J. R.," Elizabeth- 

 town, N. J., writes : " I am searching for informa- 

 tion. I am a young gardener and have been 



