The CiJnndiaii Hoiticiiltiirist. 



17 



ber, otherwise the effort to keep 

 them fresh and phiinp will be dis- 

 appointing and worse than useless. 

 Having fixed and filled a sufticient 

 number of ordinary wine bottles with 

 soft water, and warmed the pipes for 

 a few days to dry the walls and fioor, 

 on a fine calm day with a pair of 

 pruning scissors cut the grapes 

 with all the wood close back to the 

 pruning bud ; convey them steadily 

 to the room, insert each piece of wood 

 with bunch attached into a separate 

 bottle, but carefully avoid forcing out 

 the water in the operation. Never 

 shorten the wood beyond the bunch, 

 as each fresh cut converts it into a 

 syphon, through which the water in 

 the form of vapor passes from the 

 bottles into the room, carrying with 

 it more or less of the saccharine mat- 

 ter stored up in the berries. In the 

 arrangement of the different varieties, 

 late keepers like Lady Downe's 

 should be placed most out of the way 

 upon the upper tiers; then Colmans, 

 Muscats, AHcantes, aud those ex- 

 cellent varieties, West's, St. Peter's 

 and Mrs. Pearson, should follow. It 

 will be necessary to dry the room 

 thoroughly before it is closed, and 

 then the grapes will require 

 occasional examination for decaying 

 berries; but if thoroughly examined 

 at the time of cutting the}- will keep 

 much better in the room tlum in the 



best managed vinery. When all the 

 grapes are bottled they must never 

 feel the want of water, neither must 

 they be shaken or disturbed if it can 

 be avoided, as waste can be made 

 good by the use of a small long tube- 

 spouted can suitable for passing oil 

 into machinery. Some grape growers 

 put a small jjiece of charcoal into 

 each bottle at the outset and change 

 the water occasionally, but all this 

 extra care is superfluous, as many 

 years' experience proves that the 

 grapes keep quite as well in the 

 original water and without the char- 

 coal. Changing the water, of course, 

 can do no harm, always provided 

 the grapes are carefully handled ; 

 therefore, when a portion of the 

 bunches have been used the bottles 

 they occupied may be emptied and 

 refilled preparatory to the transfer 

 of the latest keepers. In the arrange- 

 ment of the different varieties I may 

 say Muscats and Gros Colman should 

 occupy the driest and best ventilated 

 part of the room, especially when 

 the bunches of the latter are large 

 and the shoulder stalks are green 

 and fleshy. Again, in using them 

 the largest clusters most subject 

 to damp and mould should be 

 taken first, as smaller ■■ pieces 

 through which the air can pass 

 freely are best adapted for keep- 



FRUIT GROWING ON CLAY LAND. 



Bv B. W. Pakkkh, Tyni- 



IN giving the result of my experi- 

 ence in growing fruit on clay 

 land, I will state that my land is a 

 heavy cla\' loam ; fifty bushels of oats 

 and thirty bushels of barley would 

 be about the average yield to the 

 acre this year; peas as high as thirty 

 bushels; fall wheat, when a good crop, 

 twenty-five to thirt\- bushels. I was 

 told when I purchased my farm, that 



siDK, Hai.dimani) Co., Ont. 



fruit would not do well on this land. 

 However, I concluded to try it; I 

 looked more to the climate than to 

 the land. Now I am glad to say, 

 after six years' experience, that we 

 can produce choice fruit of most 

 kinds. I have twenty-six varieties 

 of apples in full bearing, which makes 

 a good family orchard. 



Pears are peculiarly well adapted 



