224 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Bagging as to the splitting of the 

 Grapes. — Many of the thin-skin vari- 

 eties split badly in the bags. The El- 

 vira, which, out of bags, splits so badly 

 as to be comparatively worthless, owing 

 to the crowding of the berry in the 

 cluster, also does the same in bags. 



The Duchess keeps its color when 

 bagged ; Delaware, as a general rule, 

 becomes deeper, Brighton lighter in 

 color ; Niagara improves in color and 

 flavor. 



The present summer many will bag 

 Grapes by way of experiment. It is 

 doubtful if bagging will become general 

 in vineyard culture, as the extra ex- 

 pense incurred thereby is not made up 

 in the sale of the fruit. To the ordi- 

 nary purchaser of Grapes in the market, 

 fine clusters, large benies, pure color, 

 and bloom, and exquisite flavor are 

 secondary considerations. To the 

 amateur, or those who enjoy to sit un- 

 der the shade of their own vines, how- 

 ever, these qualities are precious ; and, 

 as the experiment of a few bunches re 

 quires but little time and expense, it is 

 well worth a trial of those who grow 

 Grapes for their own use. — J. B. 

 EoGERS, in American Garden. 



THE NEWER STRAWBERRIES. 



On our grounds in the vicinity of 

 New York, on rather heavy clay soil, 

 the Strawberry crop was very good, 

 and most of the new varieties proved 

 satisfactory. 



Manchester improves by longer ac- 

 quaintance. With us the plant is very 

 vigorous, foliage healthy ; the berries 

 are larger, lighter colored, and of better 

 quality than those grown in the Jersey 

 sands. 



James Vick has been grown in a trial 



bed together with Captain Jack. The 



two kinds are not identical. Although 



they resemble each other in general ap- 



earance, the James Vick is decidedly 



the better of the two ; its foliage is larg- 

 er and more vigorous ; its berries are 

 larger, very firm, of more sprightly 

 flavor and generally better quality, and 

 are borne on longer, stifier, upright 

 fruit-stalks, not hugging the ground 

 like Captain Jack. How a Strawberry 

 plant can be more productive than the 

 James Yick is not easily imaginable. 



Jersey Queen made but a poor 

 growth. 



Sharpless, although of indifferent 

 quality and not ripening well at the 

 tips, has in its favor largest berries, 

 very large, healthy foliage, and under 

 favorable conditions, great productive- 

 ness. 



Bvhcell has been very satisfactory 

 for home use, producing a large crop of 

 good-sized, well-shaped and good-flavor- 

 ed berries. Both in hills and matted 

 beds, the plants wintered remarkably 

 well during the last two winters, 

 without protection. — American Garden. 



FREESIAS. 

 Freesias are little bulbous plants 

 from the Cape of Good Hope, long 

 known to botanists, but only recently 

 introduced as popular garden flowers. 

 They grow twelve to fifteen inches high, 

 have foliage not unlike small narrow- 

 leaved Irises, and a little bunch of 

 white or yellow, spotted with orange, 

 colored flowers at the end of a ten to 

 sixteen-inch long, slender scape. These 

 flowers are moderately large, very 

 pretty, deliciously fragrant, abundantly 

 produced, and great favorites, with 

 florists for their finer bouquet work. 

 Potted in September or October, say 

 six to nine bulbs in a six-inch pot, and 

 grown along as you would a potted 

 Hyacinth, slowly at first, then in light- 

 er and warmer quarters, they will blos- 

 som between January and the first of 

 April. During the summer months let 

 them " dry off" and rest," as you would 



