Ornamental Shrubs — How to Take Care of Tliem. 



A New White Grape. 



SPECIMENS of a new and promising to six or eight. Two are early white, and 



white grape have been forwarded to us, an early black I sent West. But this, the 



from S. J. Parker, of Ithaca, N. Y., which best, has now grown six years, and the fruit 



seem to possess very desirable characteris- has grown larger in berry and more beauti- 



tics. The berry is pure white — with little ful in bunch, every year it has borne. It is 



or no bloom, medium size ; bunch small, now in berry, very nearly as large as Isa- 



but compact, berries hang well to the stem ; bella ; is a compact and Delaware shaped 



long stem, apparently productive ; skin quite bunch; yellowish green or golden color, 



tough, berry very tenacious in holding to clear in the skin and pulp, so as to show the 



the bunch, sweet as the Delaware, no seed when held in the light; it has no foxy 



musky quality ; fully equal to Rebecca in smell, but a rose-like perfume. It is not as 



general characteristics of flavor, but larger sweet this year, when no grape is sweet here 



bunches. It might be called the White in the Cayuga Valley, but is the sweetest 



Delaware, for it seems to possess many of its and best grape out of scores of varieties. It 



characteristics, although the bunch is uni- usually ripens the 20th August to Septem- 



form, not shouldered. It is a seedling ori- ber 1st ; and this is as early as any grape, 



ginating with Dr. Parker, and is as yet The vine this year had about a bushel on it 



unnamed — though sometimes called The by actual measurement, as we picked them; 



Ithaca, or Tucker's Parkei- Grape. and this is only the sixth year of its age. 



The Doctor in his letter to us, communi- Leaves are large, rough on the top, and re- 



cates the following information of its sue- sists climate. Vine never has been protect- 



cess in Central New York: "It smells of ed in the least; has been pruned and left 



the rose, rather than the fox, is sweet for so all winter on the trellis. Stands on hard 



poor a year — large as common Isabella {Ed., clay, and shaded with tomato vines, on poles, 



does not seem so to us), like the Delaware so that it has not a full sun exposure; yet 



in bunch, early and hardy ; vine is six years gives this splendid fruit, 

 old." I I am not ready to commend grapes very 



In another letter he says : " I made the highly ; yet this I cannot help regarding as 



cross of the seed, and when, seven years ago, the best White American Grape, yet out, 



I was sick, and did not expect to do much \ for it has perfect hardiness, health ; is early, 



again, I gave the seed of 125 crosses to Mr. and choice in flavor and sweetness " 

 Tucker to raise ; I also gave away 600 other Note by Editor. — We can indorse all that 



seeds to other persons, Mr. Tucker raised is said concerning flavor. The variety de- 



about 50, and at last these dwindled down : serves examination. 



Ornamental Shrubs 



DECIDUOUS shrubs are propagated by 

 cuttings, layers, ofi^sets or divisions of the 

 root and seed. Cuttings are made of the ripe 

 wood of the same year's growth, cut in No- 

 vember and heeled in — that is, the lower 

 end of the cutting is planted in sand, in a 

 cellar or some place where there is an even 

 temperature, above freezing, and yet not 

 warm enough to start the buds before it is 

 time to plant in the spring. Most of the 



How to Take Care of Them. 



new varieties are propagated by cutting off 

 the young shoots. These are taken off when 

 about three inches in length, and planted in 

 boxes or shallow pots, filled with sand, and 

 placed in frames where there is a moderate 

 degree of bottom heat. To be successful in 

 raising cuttings in this way, the tempera- 

 ture should be kept as even as possible. The 

 sudden changes from fifty to sixty, and then 

 down to thirty, causes the cuttings to damp 



